Gee BP, I live in NYC you could have always asked me what's reasonable rent wise...
...the question is WHERE your $550 roommate situation is. What neighborhood, and such?
$550 maybe might get you a nice room somewhere in brooklyn, the bronx, staten island or queens... or it might get you a cubby hole, and a shared bunk bed in a walk in closet somewhere in manhattan.
Most of nuuuu yooork is all safe, and friendly now, but there are still some hot spots, and more likely down the pike as the economy tanks more, and more, that's I'd avoid.
You could easily be paying $1500 for a shared roommate situation in some neighborhoods in brooklyn too though...
A friend of mine pays $2600+ a month for a single bedroom in manhattan, and I just heard about a loft that goes for $30,000 a month.... another friend of mine is paying $800 for a room. in astoria queens, and considers himself luck since he just escaped a rat/roach motel in a drug/violence prone section of brooklyn that he was splitting for $975 for his half...
You can find deals though depending on what kind of situation you're willing to deal with. I was just offered a room in the same astoria neighborhood as my friend for $300 to live with another friend and his mom... but even thought that'd knock some money off my monthly, I just can't live with someone else's mom... I ain't 19, it's not going to happen...
Yep NYC is great c'mon over... it is a test of what you're willing to put up with though, endurance, and persistence are the keys... hahaha.... I couch surfed for 4 years when I first got here, no shit. Got my current room as a favor to an underworld/criminal type guy who needed me to look after the situation for him...that ended, and now it's mine.
Good luck dude, think carefully about what you're willing to put up with, and can handle in terms of roommate situations, and daily human contact, because NYC will put you through it all.

:

Bookmarks