Home sweet temporary home: How to find it on an intern's budget

You've found your dream internship at an exciting, cutting-edge workplace. All your ducks are in a row, your final exams are completed, term papers have been turned in, your bags are just about packed, and then it hits you: where to live?

The very phrase "affordable student housing" can seem oxymoronic at best wherever in the world you go, but what if you're headed for Washington, D.C., or, even more daunting, New York City?

Let's face it: Even the wealthy and elite can develop nervous disorders trying to find lodgings in the Big Apple. A recent report from the Manhattan Rental Market indicates that rent for a basic studio ranges from $3,156 monthly in TriBeCa to $1,279 per month in Harlem.