This is part of a series about New Yorkers who have recently relocated to the Bronx. It’s called The New Bronx.

A Bronx-raised man, who moved to Manhattan three years ago, has come home again.

“I got wood floors, new furniture, a coffee table, a love seat, two windows on the sides with curtains,” said Gary Lutz, 41, who just moved to his new studio in Belmont in the Bronx last month. “It only costs me $216 a month. It is a steal!”

Rents for housing vary tremendously from borough to borough in New York City. Manhattan, in particular, is known for its skyrocketing rents. This was what made Lutz struggle when he moved from the Bronx to Manhattan three years ago. Eventually, that struggle became too much, and he moved back just last month.

Lutz was born in Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital in Washington Heights and raised in the Bronx. His family used to live in Washington Heights but moved to the Bronx when he was a child. At age 38, he decided to leave his mother’s house and embrace his independence. “I felt like revisiting my roots when I moved to Washington Heights in Manhattan,” said Lutz.

In public housing in Washington Heights, Lutz had to pay about $800 monthly for a shared two-bedroom apartment in what he described as an “old-school” building. Lutz’s roommate also paid about $800. “The rent was high, although it was a bargain. But it was still up there,” said Lutz, frowning. He worked temporary jobs, ranging from filing, postal delivery to planting, raking and harvesting in horticulture, but he has been unemployed for two months. “The stores were expensive, and the people weren’t kind to me. I just didn’t fit in,” said Lutz, shaking his head. “I tried, you know. I tried.”

For Lutz, living in the Bronx is a different story. “I feel like a king in my apartment here,” said Lutz, grinning. He couldn’t hide his smile as he spoke. After living with his mother for so many years, Lutz really wanted his own place in the Bronx. With a lovely rental studio in a rather new 14-story building constructed in 2008, Lutz’s dream has come true. “Hopefully I can stay here forever,” he said.

Of course, cheaper rent was the key reason for his move, but it wasn’t the only reason. “I love the people here. I know my way around the Bronx like crazy,” said Lutz. Although the crime rate in his new neighborhood is more than twice that of Washington Heights,  Lutz doesn’t seem too concerned. “There’s not as much crime as you think,” he said, adding that there are nice people depending on where you go. According to Lutz, the news tends to stereotype the Bronx when reporting on crime.

Moving back to the Bronx has enriched Lutz’s life in other ways too. Each week he visits his girlfriend, who also lives in the borough. Lutz is also trying to find a job, as he and his girlfriend are considering having a baby. “I am good enough for a second generation,” he laughed.

– Timmy Hung-Ming Shen