So good news from the dregs of the economy. I have been employed with a small local firm on an as needed basis since February, ranging from a few days at a time to a few months. In the midst of that work, I got a permanent(I hope) position in NYC. The search for the apartment begins. I'm going to crash with a friend, but don't want to overstay my welcome and would like to get my own place ASAP. I've been searching the interwebs to get some leads, but have had little luck (Craigs List, brokers, rent.com etc). One broker does have studios, reasonably priced, including utils, no fee, but they are in Forest Hills and Rego Park Queens. Of course the old bait and switch, they have none in Astoria, Woodside or Sunnyside as their website said. Other than that I'm finding $1500 studios that are like 200 sq ft and shitty looking or almost in the Bronx. Other than the obvious, find a roommate, does anyone know good resources for finding places in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, other than Craigs List? Office is around Times Square/Port Authority, so pretty much all train lines are about a 10 minute walk from the office. I know ideally I could scour postings and visit 15+ apts and choose a great one. With work etc, I don't have that luxury. I'm not looking for perfection right now.
when i first moved to nyc, i moved 4 times in the first 4 years, so I've been there...a few tips:
1. in this market, you should not pay a fee to the broker or owner. 3 years ago, you'd pay a broker 15% of the first years rent for doing about 5 minutes of work, but now you should be able to keep your hands on that $.
2. try hard to avoid rental brokers all together. I'm generalizing, but they're the worst....complete idiots (if you're going through the major brokers like Corcoran, you'll get some level of professionalism, but any of the rental only outfits will lie to you, waste your time, screw things up, etc. I've literally got 10 true stories of rental brokers doing things so dumb that you'd never believe it.
3. you should seriously consider having roommates. As long as you don't mind the company, you'll get much, much more space if you pool you money w/ others. You alone spending $1,500 will get you a glorified closet...you and 2 roommates each spending $3,000 will get you a 3 bedroom in a brownstone in Prospect Heights.
4. Think carefully about transportation into Manhattan. My last apartment was great, but I had to take the F train, which is local only. It was about 13 stops to Manhattan. I moved about a mile and a quarter away, and now I can take the Q train...2 stops to Manhattan. That 20 minute savings twice a day makes a huge difference over time.
5. Walk the neighborhoods you're considering, and look for local r.e. brokers who you've never heard of. They often have longstanding relationships w/ landlords, which is a whole different world than a 22 year old hipster broker who floods craigslist w/ ads. When I moved to brooklyn, all I was being shown was terrible apartments...until I wandered into a decrepit one woman office I stumbled across. She immediately showed me two BEAUTIFUL apartments...for the exact same price as the shanties I'd been seeing up until then.
Depending on how my grad school plans work out, I may be looking to sublet my Washington Heights studio starting in mid-June, and you'd be free to sign a new lease the following September. ~350sf, $1425/mo, no view, clean co-op building, some street noise but a new building is going up next door that will block most of it.
Avoid rental brokers like the plague. I'm convinced most of them got into the real estate business because they were too sleazy and/or too stupid to make it as used car salesmen.
I know that there are a couple apartments available in my complex. It's in Brooklyn, about 3 blocks away from the A/C (Nostrand stop local and express). The perks are:
-proximity to the train (MTA and LIRR). If you need to get to the Kennedy, the LIRR is a nice option.
-they allow dogs/cats if have or want one
-grocery stores within 2-3 blocks east or west
-Depending on the unit, I think the rents are from $1100-1450 (for the ones that are available).
-there are artists, designers, models and a lot of creative people in the complex
-shared back yard w/ a gazebo (about 15 townhouses wide)
-$100 parking spot in a gated lot (if needed).
Let me know if it interests you and I can send pics etc. Get my email from my profile if needed.
ok, I think you should avoid Craigslist like the plague.
It will only be a huge waste of time and you will be shown crazy expensive, small apartments in crappy neighborhoods and on top of that you will pay broker fee anyway, even if it's listed under "by owner/no fee". Brokers have taken over Craigslist.
I think maybe it's best to talk to a management company in the area you want to live in in order to avoid paying a 12% broker fee (recession times, otherwise they charge 15%).
I actually had good luck on Craigslist when I was looking at places in NYC. No broker deal, coop building, the process was a bitch though and took almost 3 months to finally sign the lease. Had interviews with the board, letters of rec, etc. But in the end I love my landlord, designer in the city, and couldn't have found a better location.
I'd recommend living in Manhattan, rent isn't much more than Brooklyn or the 'cooler' areas of the other burrows, but like was said before, transportation in is the kicker.
I walk 10 minutes to work, pay about $50 a month in taxi/subway fees for all my transit. A coworker of mine lives in Astoria, has an hour commute, and pays $200 plus a month in MTA passes and fees.
Do the math very carefully wherever you decide to live.
Astoria is the best neighborhhod in NYC and the most recession-resistant, it's safe, and has everything you need. you can live in the city, but your gonna pay a hell of a lot more to live there. that includes eating out, getting hammered adn whatnot. plus all the bums are gonna swarm you for money. and frankly the crowds get annoying after a while. even in the upper east side, homies get mugged and shit. if you get the unlimited monthly pass for the MTA its $90/month. not $200. Also the N train is very reliable and it runs through Astoria and into every major part of the city. You get more space for less $$$. It works out if youre a stay at home type sometimes. Brooklyn is dope too, but again, it has bums and worse...hipsters
There are no-fee brokers as well. That usually means the owner has payed them. The brokers might charge you to check your credit. But ive printed out my credit report for them before and theyve accepted it.
Okay, I live in Astoria and work in Sunnyside. I found my apartment through Craigslist, but it is hit or miss. You usually have the best luck with the ads that post phone numbers to call.
Other random advice is that the local coffeeshop near where I work, Aubergine, has a few ads posted for apartments for rent. I briefly scanned it and the majority where either studios within your price range or 2 bedrooms for $1800 or less. Aubergine is on 50th St and Skillman if you are interested in checking that out.
The Astoria Ditmars stop on the NW has ads for apartments for rent in the subway station as well as outside of the subway station and at the Key Foods that is a few hundred feet from the subway station.
The commute can be longer depending on where you live, but not an hour unless you are working at Wall Street or something. I have to say comparing where I have lived in Manhattan and Queens. Queens is cheaper, and feels like a neighborhood. Manhattan is expensive, anonymous, but convenient if you live somewhere where you can walk to and from work or to and from places that you would go out to on a Friday and Saturday night (but that isn't everywhere in Manhattan).
Nov 5, 09 7:19 am ·
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Lay-ons? Need help finding a place in NYC
So good news from the dregs of the economy. I have been employed with a small local firm on an as needed basis since February, ranging from a few days at a time to a few months. In the midst of that work, I got a permanent(I hope) position in NYC. The search for the apartment begins. I'm going to crash with a friend, but don't want to overstay my welcome and would like to get my own place ASAP. I've been searching the interwebs to get some leads, but have had little luck (Craigs List, brokers, rent.com etc). One broker does have studios, reasonably priced, including utils, no fee, but they are in Forest Hills and Rego Park Queens. Of course the old bait and switch, they have none in Astoria, Woodside or Sunnyside as their website said. Other than that I'm finding $1500 studios that are like 200 sq ft and shitty looking or almost in the Bronx. Other than the obvious, find a roommate, does anyone know good resources for finding places in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, other than Craigs List? Office is around Times Square/Port Authority, so pretty much all train lines are about a 10 minute walk from the office. I know ideally I could scour postings and visit 15+ apts and choose a great one. With work etc, I don't have that luxury. I'm not looking for perfection right now.
Hey_
Actually got an email this morning from a friend who is looking to sublet her place through mid-January
it's in brooklyn
at the very least it's cheap and would give you time to look around for something.
you could also cross the hudson
when i first moved to nyc, i moved 4 times in the first 4 years, so I've been there...a few tips:
1. in this market, you should not pay a fee to the broker or owner. 3 years ago, you'd pay a broker 15% of the first years rent for doing about 5 minutes of work, but now you should be able to keep your hands on that $.
2. try hard to avoid rental brokers all together. I'm generalizing, but they're the worst....complete idiots (if you're going through the major brokers like Corcoran, you'll get some level of professionalism, but any of the rental only outfits will lie to you, waste your time, screw things up, etc. I've literally got 10 true stories of rental brokers doing things so dumb that you'd never believe it.
3. you should seriously consider having roommates. As long as you don't mind the company, you'll get much, much more space if you pool you money w/ others. You alone spending $1,500 will get you a glorified closet...you and 2 roommates each spending $3,000 will get you a 3 bedroom in a brownstone in Prospect Heights.
4. Think carefully about transportation into Manhattan. My last apartment was great, but I had to take the F train, which is local only. It was about 13 stops to Manhattan. I moved about a mile and a quarter away, and now I can take the Q train...2 stops to Manhattan. That 20 minute savings twice a day makes a huge difference over time.
5. Walk the neighborhoods you're considering, and look for local r.e. brokers who you've never heard of. They often have longstanding relationships w/ landlords, which is a whole different world than a 22 year old hipster broker who floods craigslist w/ ads. When I moved to brooklyn, all I was being shown was terrible apartments...until I wandered into a decrepit one woman office I stumbled across. She immediately showed me two BEAUTIFUL apartments...for the exact same price as the shanties I'd been seeing up until then.
6. Hang in there...it's a frustrating process.
good luck.
Depending on how my grad school plans work out, I may be looking to sublet my Washington Heights studio starting in mid-June, and you'd be free to sign a new lease the following September. ~350sf, $1425/mo, no view, clean co-op building, some street noise but a new building is going up next door that will block most of it.
Avoid rental brokers like the plague. I'm convinced most of them got into the real estate business because they were too sleazy and/or too stupid to make it as used car salesmen.
Hey Hasselhoff,
I know that there are a couple apartments available in my complex. It's in Brooklyn, about 3 blocks away from the A/C (Nostrand stop local and express). The perks are:
-proximity to the train (MTA and LIRR). If you need to get to the Kennedy, the LIRR is a nice option.
-they allow dogs/cats if have or want one
-grocery stores within 2-3 blocks east or west
-Depending on the unit, I think the rents are from $1100-1450 (for the ones that are available).
-there are artists, designers, models and a lot of creative people in the complex
-shared back yard w/ a gazebo (about 15 townhouses wide)
-$100 parking spot in a gated lot (if needed).
Let me know if it interests you and I can send pics etc. Get my email from my profile if needed.
Congratulations Hasselhoff and let us know how things go!
ok, I think you should avoid Craigslist like the plague.
It will only be a huge waste of time and you will be shown crazy expensive, small apartments in crappy neighborhoods and on top of that you will pay broker fee anyway, even if it's listed under "by owner/no fee". Brokers have taken over Craigslist.
I think maybe it's best to talk to a management company in the area you want to live in in order to avoid paying a 12% broker fee (recession times, otherwise they charge 15%).
I actually had good luck on Craigslist when I was looking at places in NYC. No broker deal, coop building, the process was a bitch though and took almost 3 months to finally sign the lease. Had interviews with the board, letters of rec, etc. But in the end I love my landlord, designer in the city, and couldn't have found a better location.
I'd recommend living in Manhattan, rent isn't much more than Brooklyn or the 'cooler' areas of the other burrows, but like was said before, transportation in is the kicker.
I walk 10 minutes to work, pay about $50 a month in taxi/subway fees for all my transit. A coworker of mine lives in Astoria, has an hour commute, and pays $200 plus a month in MTA passes and fees.
Do the math very carefully wherever you decide to live.
Good luck.
Astoria is the best neighborhhod in NYC and the most recession-resistant, it's safe, and has everything you need. you can live in the city, but your gonna pay a hell of a lot more to live there. that includes eating out, getting hammered adn whatnot. plus all the bums are gonna swarm you for money. and frankly the crowds get annoying after a while. even in the upper east side, homies get mugged and shit. if you get the unlimited monthly pass for the MTA its $90/month. not $200. Also the N train is very reliable and it runs through Astoria and into every major part of the city. You get more space for less $$$. It works out if youre a stay at home type sometimes. Brooklyn is dope too, but again, it has bums and worse...hipsters
There are no-fee brokers as well. That usually means the owner has payed them. The brokers might charge you to check your credit. But ive printed out my credit report for them before and theyve accepted it.
Okay, I live in Astoria and work in Sunnyside. I found my apartment through Craigslist, but it is hit or miss. You usually have the best luck with the ads that post phone numbers to call.
Other random advice is that the local coffeeshop near where I work, Aubergine, has a few ads posted for apartments for rent. I briefly scanned it and the majority where either studios within your price range or 2 bedrooms for $1800 or less. Aubergine is on 50th St and Skillman if you are interested in checking that out.
The Astoria Ditmars stop on the NW has ads for apartments for rent in the subway station as well as outside of the subway station and at the Key Foods that is a few hundred feet from the subway station.
The commute can be longer depending on where you live, but not an hour unless you are working at Wall Street or something. I have to say comparing where I have lived in Manhattan and Queens. Queens is cheaper, and feels like a neighborhood. Manhattan is expensive, anonymous, but convenient if you live somewhere where you can walk to and from work or to and from places that you would go out to on a Friday and Saturday night (but that isn't everywhere in Manhattan).
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