i would plan on spending some time beating the pavement in nyc.
face to face contact is a big difference over cold-call resumes through the mail. try connecting with other friends working in nyc that could share possible leads with you. even if not hiring, it's worth grabbing a coffee or drink with friends of friends to get your name out there.
summer is also a time when a flood of student interns hit the city (i.e. we work for very little), so you'll have some stiff competition.
if things are still slow, try a temp agency (i belive c4a consulting for architects still exists) to put some food on the table.

good luck.

I'm in the process of doing the same.

"I have heard before that it is easier to find a job if you already have a NYC address...is this true?" Yes, I have found this to be true. I think its also beneficial to live in the city for a few just to learn ropes of the city

I was born and raised in the City, and so, I think it's a fantastic place to live and super easy to maneuver. I'm probably a touch biased, so, I would agree with zepplin. If possible, try to give yourself a month to acclimate. Once you start to work 90 hours a week you won't be able to fully appreciate all the wonders of the 5 boroughs... well, 4, I'm not sure that Staten Island has a lot going on, but I could be wrong.

I've heard from somewhere that on average it takes about 3 months to find a job... although, I'm sure that's crap in most situations. But, I guess it is wise to have savings that would cover 3 months expenses.

Anyway, there's always several listings in the NYTimes. They're not starchitects from what I can tell, but it will build your resume and pay your rent for the time being.

Welcome to NYC!! (We're nicer than people say.)

I also live in NYC and have so for a while now so I have the right to be the cynic here. First off you should know that finding a job at an interesting firm here is about three things; croynism, nepotism, and favoritism. Despite what idealists may say it IS all about "who you know", which is fine I suppose. Most business in this city is channeled through networks of people and freinds. Unfortunatley finding a job here is also about where you went to school. I have met and worked with many firms who only hire ivy-league grads and usually those on work visa's (for the obvious reasons of wages and long-term comminments). My advice to you is don't get into the trap of having to work for a star architect. There are many small and medium size firms doing decent stuff. My other advice is to take a job that pays well (settling here is a huge up-front investment) then after you get 6 months or so experience then go job-hunting again for the dream job. Most firms also like to hire people with NYC experience so that would be a big plus. Good luck.

Thanks for all the advice....I am not looking for starchitects....although i may try a couple just for the novelty.

3 Months? Seems hard to believe, but i will heed your woids. is approx. $4k good for about three months? i doubt it....but i guess i'll have to try anyway. i will have a roommate. anything else? any jobs you know of out there?

i just moved here... looked around awhile. and then some more. if your school has an alumni database, use it. i mean call people that aren't even close to your graduating class. its a great informal way to cold call and i only had good responses from those who answered. i ended up getting the job i wanted... great people, projects, cool neighborhood, and lots of trains.

im hittin shoalin first thing when i get there

August/September can actually be a good time to look, because this is when firms lose their summer student interns.
A NYC phone number is the most important thing: firms often won't bother to call if they think you're not in the city. A local address on your resume will also help.
Does your potential roommate already have a place? If so then you can probably survive a couple months or more on 4k - assuming the rent is affordable and he's not demanding more than a month's security deposit, and you're ok with a frugal lifestyle.
But if the two of you are planning to look for a place when you get there then you'll most likely need more because of a security deposit (can be up to two months rent), application fee, first month's rent, and possibly a "finder's fee" that can be up to 15% of the year's rent. Also if you're going to have to set up new accounts for utilities be warned that if you haven't lived in the state before and don't have a long, solid credit history some of the utilities (gas, home phone in particular) sometimes demand deposits of up to a couple hundred dollars.

One thing I'd suggest: target smaller firms if you're in a hurry. Some of the larger ones have long hiring processes that can take a couple months while they interview you 3 times and deliberate over whom to hire and whether to hire anyone at all. Smaller firms are more likely to need to fill an empty chair with someone immediately.
Also: get the list of architects from the yellow pages, cross reference it with your list of AIA architects, and then target the firms that are NOT AIA firms first. This works because fewer interns find those firms in the first place, so they don't get as many resumes.