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Apt hunting in Manhattan

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eleguin

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May 16, 2006
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Hi all,

I''m moving back to NY from DC in a couple of months and would have to look for an apartment in Manhattan. I am going to be moving in with my fiance, so we are looking for a 1 bedroom apartment, preferably uptown (west side would be ideal, but east side we would consider also). We don''t want to pay more than $3000 per month and if possible, we''d like a place with a doorman, fitness center, and other amenities.

Has anyone been apartment hunting in Manhattan in recent years without using a broker? I know NYC is rental market is dominated by real estate brokers, but I really don''t want to pay 15% of the year''s rent if I don''t have to. Does anyone know if it''s a good idea to just walk around to various buildings and asking about vacancies? Is there a website where rental buildings are listed?

Any tips on apartment hunting in NYC would be greatly appreciated!
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Try craigslist.com- I have heard great things about this site- and I know of some people that have found really great places through them.
 
Just wanted to second craigslist. http://newyork.craigslist.org I found two different NY roommate situations there and have friends who have found great no fee apts on there. If you have the time to work without a broker, it''s a good resource!!
 
My FI and I found a great apartment on craigslist-but definitely takes a lot of work to find something good!
 
Just wanted to add that 3000 is a decent budget for a 1br, you can certainly walk around and ask, my FI sister found her apt that way, but I found that a lot of buildings had exclusive brokers, so they would just hand you a broker''s card and tell you to call. You can also check nytimes.com, they have a real estate section that is updated every thursday. Also, sometimes you can get brokers to come down in their fee, maybe like 10% or one month''s rent. Hope this helps!
 
Just went through counseling my friends about finding an apartment in NYC....

I wanted to add my $0.02 too - lots of the rental doorman buildings on the West Side are places where you don''t need a broker to get in or have to pay a broker fee (so they are "no-fee"). NYCgirl is totally right - check the real estate section in the New York Times; there are lots of ads for no-fee buildings. Basically, just call their rental offices and make an appointment. A broker could introduce you to the "no-fee" buildings too (and the buildings would pay the broker a fee for bringing you in if you signed a lease), but I suspect that would only hurt you in negotiating your rent there.

I know someone who''s moved into a building on West End and 63rd (75 West End Avenue?), I think it''s called "West End Towers" and seems to be reasonably priced - couldn''t ask her exactly what she paid in rent, didn''t want to be too nosy. I think this building, along with others in the area, are owned by The Brodsky Organization (you could Google them - maybe they have a website). There is also a lovely rental building on Broadway and 64th, The Grand Tier, but I think it''s much more expensive due to the fact that it''s almost brand-new and due to the location. You could also check Trump Place, which is right next to the river. I also know people who live there and they have lovely views :)

Hope this helps and good luck!
 
Thanks for all the tips! I will definitely look into all the places you guys mentioned and will probably also walk around too. Hopefully it will work out and not be too painful a process :)
 
There is a lot of new construction on the UWS so you should be able to find something nice! Also, just keep in mind that real estate here comes and goes so fast!
 
Date: 7/11/2006 12:13:05 AM
Author: taitai_s
Just went through counseling my friends about finding an apartment in NYC....

I wanted to add my $0.02 too - lots of the rental doorman buildings on the West Side are places where you don''t need a broker to get in or have to pay a broker fee (so they are ''no-fee''). NYCgirl is totally right - check the real estate section in the New York Times; there are lots of ads for no-fee buildings. Basically, just call their rental offices and make an appointment. A broker could introduce you to the ''no-fee'' buildings too (and the buildings would pay the broker a fee for bringing you in if you signed a lease), but I suspect that would only hurt you in negotiating your rent there.

I know someone who''s moved into a building on West End and 63rd (75 West End Avenue?), I think it''s called ''West End Towers'' and seems to be reasonably priced - couldn''t ask her exactly what she paid in rent, didn''t want to be too nosy. I think this building, along with others in the area, are owned by The Brodsky Organization (you could Google them - maybe they have a website). There is also a lovely rental building on Broadway and 64th, The Grand Tier, but I think it''s much more expensive due to the fact that it''s almost brand-new and due to the location. You could also check Trump Place, which is right next to the river. I also know people who live there and they have lovely views :)

Hope this helps and good luck!
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I actually live on the west side near this area and would not recommend West End Towers. Althought the building itself is nice, the area isn''t that great. There is a project development right in front of that building and there is always a lot of police activity around there.

If you''re considering the Lincoln Sq. area, I''d stay east of 9th Ave. There are some great buildings between 50th up to the low 70s (between 6th & 8th Aves), all of which you could see just by walking into. Trump Place is AMAZING but I''d say a little over priced (specifically the rental buildings, but if you''re looking to buy, that''s not a bad place to consider).

Craigslist is nice to start with just to get an idea but I''d say it''s luck of the draw. Most of the postings are brokers.

I wouldn''t worry too much, with your budget you can find a very good sized apartment building. Just be forewarned that you''re starting to hit the hot part of the rental season, meaning the apts. will be flying off the shelves pretty quickly. You should have all your documentation and deposits ready to go prior to going to look at places so that if you see one you like you can put down on it asap.

Let me know if you have any other questions.
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As everyone pointed out, check out www.craigslist.org for their no fee listings. You will definitely find what you're looking for. I work on the upper west side and it's a great area! Good luck!
 
I would be VERY wary of craigslist. Lots of scams and creepy people on there! It can't hurt to look if you have the time but be careful.

I used a broker at Citihabitats and while I did have to pay the fee, it was worth it to me because my rent was cheap and I didn't waste my time making a million calls and looking at duds. My building is now going condo so we're buying a unit so I feel like paying the fee only helped us because now we're getting a great deal on something we will own!

I have to agree that $3000 can get you a very decent place in the City. You may even end up with a 2 bedroom, depending on where you look. I also recommend checking the Times and if you are able, just walk around in the neighborhood you want and ask the doormen if there are vacancies. The doormen know EVERYTHING!

I also agree with Scarlet that you should have all your necessary paperwork available at all times in case you need to act quickly. They do ask for quite a bit: pay stubs, tax returns, bank statements, employment letters, etc. Getting an apartment here is a major undertaking!! But you will be at an advantage if you have everything ready to go.

Feel free to ask any questions--lots of New Yorkers on here and we're happy to help!
 
Holy cow! $3000 for a 1 bedroom?!?! Wow, that''s about the cost of a mortgage. We just had a friend purchase a condo in West LA and that''s almost what her mortgage is. Is it really that different in different parts of Manhattan. My friend was renting one on the Southeast side near all the hospitals. 2 bedroom for $3000.
 
Date: 7/12/2006 7:36:48 PM
Author: codex57
Holy cow! $3000 for a 1 bedroom?!?! Wow, that''s about the cost of a mortgage. We just had a friend purchase a condo in West LA and that''s almost what her mortgage is. Is it really that different in different parts of Manhattan. My friend was renting one on the Southeast side near all the hospitals. 2 bedroom for $3000.
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The cost of housing in Manhattan really can''t be compared to housing anywhere else in the country. I lived in DC the past 3 years and had gotten so used to luxury buildings (with amenities and garage parking) for a reasonable price. It really spoiled me, so now it''s rather depressing to be looking for an apartment in Manhattan. Prices are really different depending on where in Manhattan it is. It''s possible to get lower prices the further out you go (like 11th avenue or alphabet city), but if you want something that is close to a big avenue (Broadway, Lexington, etc), it is easily $3000-$4000 for a one bedroom. I''m partial to the upper west side near Lincoln Center because I''m going to be working in Rockefeller Plaza and also cause upper west side is a nice place for young professionals. It is, unfortunately, really expensive though
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So is downtown a lot cheaper than uptown? Seemed a lot trendier the further up you go. Do people tend to stick to their own little region? Like sticking around the Village if you live there, etc. I visited there about a month or two ago and had a great time. However, even coming from supposedly expensive areas in LA and SF, I still got sticker shock. New York is one fascinating place.
 
no, downtown isn''t cheaper. in fact, nowhere in the city is cheap anymore.
lower east, way uptown past 120th st and some and i mean SOME parts of the east vill. you can still get a 1 bedroom (usually a studio that
the landlord put up a wall in) for around 2,000. We''re talking about 550sqf though and that''s considered large here.
Before my husband and i were married, we rented in the west village. 12th between 5th and 6th ave. beautiful brownstone, gorgeous entrance.
but once you were in the apartment, it showed it''s age and we were paying 2400 a month in 2001.
i remember waking up at 5 a.m when that old radiator would go off and start making the loudest noises. hot water came and went. it was terrible.
once we were married, i''d had enough and we moved to battery park. this was 2 years ago. Yes, we''re paying much more but it''s a beautiful area
and we have all the amenitites.
I do miss the village though. it was great to know that we could go out at 2 a.m and there was still a ton going on all within walking distance.
Battery Park is dead past 10 P.M. and aside from Tribeca, nothing else is within walking distance when we feel like going out (which is most of the time).
Thank god for cabs
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It''s true, there really aren''t many cheap places in Manhattan that are decent or in safe neighborhoods. My fiance and I were considering buying a 1 bedroom instead of renting. We really thought all that rent would be just down the drain with nothing to show for it. We looked around in March and the places we liked ranged from $800k to $1M, usually around 800 square feet. We have no savings and I won''t start working until the fall so we would have to take out a mortgage on the entire amount with no down payment. After some calculations, we realized that our monthly mortgage would be around $6000 (most of it just interest) and on top of that, Manhattan condos maintenance fees can be as high as $2000 per month depending on the building. It was quite a sticker shock even for us New Yorkers. It would be really impossible for us to have any savings if we went that route, so for now, renting is our only option.
 
$3000??!!?!? Wow. I never get over how expensive it is to live in New York and even D.C. for that matter. Here in good ol'' Texas, we own a four bedroom, 2.5 bath, formal living, formal dining, eat in kitchen w/attached family room (2700+ sq. ft.) and two car garage for about $1200 a month.

Simply amazing!

Good luck finding a place!

~RedRaider
 
Ugh, I'm going to be going to school right around Washington Sq Park (NYU), and luckily they have subsidized dorms the 1st year--900 for half of a two bedroom with various amenities.

After that though, I'm thinking of living in Brooklyn. One of my friends who just graduated ended up living in a re-worked gv't housing building just to stay on the isleand and--yeah. Major crack-ho-ness, and she doesnt speak Spanish (she's Chinese from Shanghai), and thus cannot understand any of her neighbors. But she's paying 900 a month for a studio and seems pretty happy with it...
 
eleguin, I highly recommend Murray Hill for most space for your money. That's where I live and I didn't think I'd like the area at first after living in Gramercy, West Villlage, etc. but now I LOVE it! It's very central to everything and there are really decent apartment buildings. I live in a doorman building with elevator, laundry, unobstructed southern exposure, 800 square feet and when I first moved in about 4 years ago, my rent was only $1750--RENT STABILIZED, so it only goes up a few percent per year. We are buying a bigger unit in the building and we're so happy that we get to stay in the building and in the neighborhood. And guess what? I work in Rock Center and I walk to work in 15 minutes! It's really quite convenient, great for young couples, families, even older people. It's a really nice neighborhood. We're in the upper 30's between Park and Madison and it's just wonderful. There is more action closer to 3rd Avenue but we like the peacefulness of our block and we can take a 3 minute stroll to get to all the restaurants and bars further east. If you can, you should try to check it out.
 
Eleguin-
Don''t mean to hijack your post, but I just saw in another post that you''re a soon-to-be attorney. I''m about to start my 3d year (evening student). I was just curious where you''ll be working b/c I''m starting on campus recruiting in a few weeks and would love to get your input on some of the firms.

As to your comments...you can DEFINITELY find a full-service 3 bdrm in the Lincoln Sq. area. I got to school at Fordham and I''ve lived in the area for 3 years. You just have to spend a little bit of time hunting. If you need any help let me know.
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Hi there. I live in NYC and love, love, love my building and management company!
You should contact Glenwood Management... they have buildings all over the city. Their website is http://www.glenwoodnyc.com/flash.htm. The new westside building is very pricey, but the ''older'' buildings are less expensive. I''m sure you can find a one bedroom that is spacious for about $3000. Also, there is Related Rentals... they also have buildings all over the city.
If you go through the managment companies and not brokers, you won''t have to pay a fee.

Good luck!
 
Thanks for all these great tips everyone. I can''t wait to start looking for a place, but the bar exam is in 12 days!! (I don''t even know why I am even on PS while I should be studying) So after the bar exam, I will really be looking in full gear.

scarlet16: I am going to be working at Dechert LLP, in their finance & real estate group. I was a summer associate there last year and really liked it. They have some great attorneys and seemed to have better hours than some of the other firms in NY. Most people I met said they were able to have a life outside of work, which is really saying something for a NYC lawyer :)
 
3000$????? Good God.. does someone have a fainting icon!!
 
greg's stepbrother has a rent controlled apartment in gramercy park in the cutest old brownstone...it's sooooo cheap compared to what it would go for today. i think it's something like $850 for a 1 bedroom and fairly large by NYC standards. insane pricing. i doubt he will ever give it up, even if he moves away or buys something else!

anyway...we stayed there a few years ago while he was in the hamptons for NYE and it was so much fun to pretend to be new yorkers for a few days!
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http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/13/nyregion/13dorms.html?ex=1152936000&en=b72100db7ed8bd44&ei=5087%0A

Weh!!!!!!!!!!! Why couldn''t NYU have been somewhere else, like Idaho? Housing is cheap in Idaho!

Seriuosly though, best of luck with your apt search. It is depressing how the prices can drive out talented people these days.
 
NYC and SF have insano prices...one of our neighbors was thinking of selling his place to move up there since he works in SF, but a 1 bedroom condo in a decent area is like 800k. So instead he takes the train to work in SF, and keeps his townhouse in SJ!
 
Date: 7/13/2006 4:35:20 PM
Author: Mara
greg''s stepbrother has a rent controlled apartment in gramercy park in the cutest old brownstone...it''s sooooo cheap compared to what it would go for today. i think it''s something like $850 for a 1 bedroom and fairly large by NYC standards. insane pricing. i doubt he will ever give it up, even if he moves away or buys something else!

anyway...we stayed there a few years ago while he was in the hamptons for NYE and it was so much fun to pretend to be new yorkers for a few days!
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Wow, I am SOOO jealous! Rent-controlled apts. are almost non-existent nowadays. He should keep it and if/when he decides to leave he should force his kids to move in (or he can adopt me and I''ll take it off his hands).
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Eleguin- GOOD LUCK ON THE BAR!!! I''m sure you''ll do awesome!
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Rainbowtrout- Would you honestly want to live in Idaho though? You''ll love NYU (and the surrounding areas)! I went there for undergrad. You will never find yourself bored. And if you like tiramisu...find the little place on McDougal called La Lanterna...its the BEST in the city!
 
My FI used to live in Murray Hill in a big highrise and I have to say I would chose the UWS over Murray Hill unless you like being surrounded by recent college grads, which the area is filled with because it is fairly reasonably priced! We live on the UES now (our 1 br in an elevator non-doorman building is 2200 and that is considered a steal) now and I love it-so much more of a neighborhood feeling, more families and young professionals-plus better shopping and restaurants!
 
I think I read something in the NY Times about how the average 1 bedroom apartment in Manhattan is about $1 million. Crazy.

Also, about the rent stablized apartment... if your husband''s stepbrother moves or buys an apartment he will have to give it up. Residency laws require that you live there for more than 6 months of the year for it to stay stablized.
 
Date: 7/13/2006 4:56:51 PM
Author: nycgirl
My FI used to live in Murray Hill in a big highrise and I have to say I would chose the UWS over Murray Hill unless you like being surrounded by recent college grads, which the area is filled with because it is fairly reasonably priced! We live on the UES now (our 1 br in an elevator non-doorman building is 2200 and that is considered a steal) now and I love it-so much more of a neighborhood feeling, more families and young professionals-plus better shopping and restaurants!
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I live on the UES too! Love it!
I used to live in a one bedroom with an elevator and part-time doorman building for about $2000. It was a great deal. Although I love where I live now much more!
 
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