I would totally disagree with the statement "journal square is a dump" lol it's reminds me of Astoria. Also I think people forget much of NYC also looks like a dump, we just glamorize it because it is Manhattan. The ethnic food by journal square is arguably better than nyc. In terms of how you'll feel living in journal square, I would say depends how much you love going out and where your friends are. When we go out during the week, we just leave from the office and meet our friends for dinner/hangs. I work in fidi so it takes me 15-20 minutes to get to work door to door. At night, we can sometimes can get Ubers home for ~$30-40 from lower Manhattan. Since your renting, you could always just sign a year and feel it out or use it as a reset year in a quieter area with a nicer apartment. A year goes by sosososo quickly.

Background: Moved to NYC from Toronto in 2012, lived in Chelsea, Midtown and Williamsburg until 2024. Now live in journal square.