Smartest NY area to buy to live, then rent out

[Zev Bannett]

Hi everyone, 

I'm interested in buying a small place (read: apartment or similar) to live in for the next year, and then to rent it out after that as my first rental.  I'm working in Riverdale, so it needs to be commutable.  I know Riverdale itself is full of Co-ops, making it not a likely option.  Anyone have insight into ideal areas to explore?  I imagine the ideal is to find a place in an area that's high demand for rentals, so I can find tenants easily?  I was thinking maybe Queens, around Queens College, or areas above Riverdale.  I also figured it's best to avoid NJ, because then I'd have to deal with traffic and tolls to get into Riverdale.  Any thoughts?

Thanks for all ideas!

Zev.