Maintenance is nuts. How do I fix it & stay in NY?

I bought a co-op because I love it here and wanted to keep costs down, but maintenance keeps increasing. Mine isn't anything crazy, it's about $1500 for a place on the UWS ... but the fact that that is common seems crazy. I've considered selling my place for something with lower maintenance, but there's hardly anything for less than $1000/month, and the main way to get that to find an HDFC... [more]

I bought a co-op because I love it here and wanted to keep costs down, but maintenance keeps increasing. Mine isn't anything crazy, it's about $1500 for a place on the UWS ... but the fact that that is common seems crazy. I've considered selling my place for something with lower maintenance, but there's hardly anything for less than $1000/month, and the main way to get that to find an HDFC building that doesn't have an elevator or move to a less desirable neighborhood. Is there any way to get around this conundrum? Growing old in NYC is going to be either more expensive or more inconvenient than I thought. I could leave NYC but I really dislike driving. I know nothing about buying houses outside of NYC. I assume home-owning outside the city also comes with expenses, like property tax, right? How much is that usually? I would like to compare numbers to consider if I'm really getting enough value from living the way I do. [less]