Maura

I realize this request is out of the ordinary for this board, but am hoping someone can help. My son graduates from college this weekend and has just accepted a position teaching at a private school in Manhattan (East 89th Street). Now he needs to figure out where to live. Obviously on a teacher's salary he's not going to have a lot of money. Does anyone have any suggestions about where to start looking? He thinks he can budget about $1,000 a month. He doesn't know at this point if he'll need to share or get something alone. Manhattan may be out of his range, but what about Brooklyn or Queens? Or, one of the NJ suburbs? I'd like him to find something fairly centrally located, near transportation (he won't have a car), and safe of course.

Thanks for any suggestions. He won't be moving until August so I hope we have plenty of time to take care of this.

gregmb25

Welcome Aboard!! I envy your son because it will be so much fun to experience living and working in ny at such a young age. But reality will bite really hard because the rents in the city have gotten so expensive. Make him grab a copy of the NY edition of time-out magazine last week as there was an interesting cover story about neighborhoods in the city and the boroughs where apartments can still be
found at a reasonable rate.

Can Buckley (i assume that's the school)
help him find something? He probably can find apartments in that range but they will be in interestinig neighborhoods. Brooklyn is great and I would suggest him trying that. I live outside Park Slope in brooklyn and I'm sharing a 2 bedroom for $1600. I'm in the city in 30 minutes. His commute would take longer but that's a small detail that shouldn't bother him.

Jeanne

My son has been living in NYC for the last two years while attending NYU. Now that he's graduated, he's found a place on the fringes of Brooklyn Heights for $1,850 a month. He shares with one roommate, a roomy (for New York) 1,400 sf apartment with downstairs kitchen-living room, upstairs sort-of-two bedroom, one tiny bath (the bathroom is attached to one of the bedrooms, so he has to be on good terms with his roommate). The floor of one bedroom is not exactly level (a ball would roll from one side of the room to the other). However, the place is well-maintained and location is great. Brooklyn Heights is easily accessible by subway into Manhattan and very scenic, leafy, and fun. Lots of lovely brownstones, interesting shops and restaurants. Many ethnic places, cheaper prices at the grocery stores, and great pizza (Grimaldi's). They've also got the most wonderful view of the skyline of Manhattan from the esplanade--you should see it at night when all the lights are twinkling. You could take a look at the Corcoran Group website for insight into rentals and also try and find an article in New York magazine a coule of months back that described outlying areas/rental prices. Good Luck!

steve

i'm in the real estate business so i have a good sense of manhattan rents. manhattan rents will be out of his range, unless he found a great stabilized apartment which is almost impossible to do. his other option for manhattan is to find something in the old italian harlem area which is a decent pocket in harlem which is getting better.geographically, queens is the closest borough to his work. astoria is a working class neighborhood, with easy access to the city. queens will be slightly cheaper than brooklyn. the bronx will be cheaper than queens. if he chooses any of these boroughs he must get good advice about the quality of the chosen neighborhood. each borough has great and horrible neighborhoods. if he chooses an outer borough neighborhood that he thinks is good he should check it out at night.

annK

Maura, we live on the upper west side of Manhattan and JUST got a new apartment in our building, 4 bedrooms. Our apartment is now available and it is going for $1,300. There is also a 1 bedroom apartment undergoing rennovation that will be going for around $800. a month.

This area is a quiet area, and close to transportation and rennovation is happening all over the area. Alot of changes are happening in Manhattan as rents go up new areas are being rennovated.

I would be happy to give you our landlords number. Your son might want to get here during the summer to find a place, with students comming back into the city, it will be much tuffer to find a place in August and the rents will be higher.

Congrats on his graduation.

Maura

Thanks for the feedback so far. I'll look for the publications you've suggested and have him start checking out some of the neighborhoods you've recommended. One question: are the rents you're giving me per apartment or per person? The reason I'm asking is that he actually could take over a room in an apartment the person whose position he's taking has, (3 blocks from the school) but the rent would be about $1,300 per person (it's a 3-bedroom apartment).

By the way, the school he'll be teaching at is Dalton. I assume he'll contact them as well for housing recommendations, but wanted to get a head start. Thanks again for the guidance.

Maura

AnnK, could you e-mail me your landlord's number? I think my son might want to call when he gets home next week. Thanks to for the suggestion about lining up a rental during the summer. I didn't realize it would be harder later.

Caitlin

Maura, I want to add a few more comments, because there are some important things your son should know about renting in NYC.

First of all, the rentals aaneK is citing in her building are *shockingly* affordable! It is highly, highly unusual to see rents so low.

Second, if your son is willing to share, I don;t think he'll have a problem finding a place for $1000 or less per month in Manhattan. Know that if he wants space, he'll have to look in Brooklyn or Queens; Manhattan rentals tend to be very, very small. You can adjust, though. My significant other and I share a studio with about 350 sq. ft. of living space, and it works for us (though of course, we wouldn't mind more room). We also pay nearly $1500 a month in rent for it. Good neighborhoods in Brooklyn are not a lot cheaper than Manhattan nowadays, but the apartments are bigger.

Third, the economic downturn is not affecting rents in NYC; our landlord is raising our rent by 60% for our lease renewal (so we'll be moving).

Fourth, unless your son moves into a sbared apartment with an existing lease, finding a place in Manhattan is extremely expensive. Almost all buildings list exclusively with rental brokers, who then show the apartments. Their fees are typically 15% of one year's rent, or $1800 for a place with $1000/month rent. This is in addition to first and last month's rent or first month plus security deposit. If he will be looking for his own place (he won't find one in Manhattan in his budget), I suggest he use a search engine on the net and look for "no-fee apartments, new york city"; there are some web sites which feature no-fee apartments. You should be aware that virtually all rental classifieds in the papers will lead you to an agency not a landlord, and the apartment being "advertised" does not actually exist on the markey; the agent will offer to show you other things. Also, the reality is that with his teaching position, your son likely would not be able to rent a Manhattan apartment on his own; he would need a guarantor for the lease. Typically, landlords require that yearly income be 40-50 times monthly rent, and I know your son won't be pulling $50k as a first0year private-school teacher. However, a guarantor will typically be required to have an income of 75-90 times monthly rent, depending on their proximilty to NYC; some will accept combined incomes for this, some won't.

I am sorry if this seems discouraging, but your son will have a much easier time if he comes in with his eyes open to the difficulties of renting in NYC. Many of these issues, from broker fees to income requirementss, are less stringent in the outer boroughs than in Manhattan. And of course, if your son finds a share with an established lease, he should be able to limit his moving-in expenses to rent plus security deposit.

I suggest that he allow at least a month to find a place and make arrangements; it's not easy to find places that satisfy one's requirements here, and mving often is both disruptive to one's life and hard to do here, because virtually everything is leased rather than month-to-month. So he should really sope things out and try to find the right setup. For listings, the best source is the classified ads in the Village Voice, which come out Tuesday nights and is available online at www.villagevoice.com.

Owen O'Neill

I live in a small boro of north Jersey - beautiful tree lined streets, a small shopping district and many beautiful old Victorian homes. Market price for a one BR apt is $900-1200 per month. It's safe, pleasant, has a 25-35 minute express bus ride into Manhattan and at night I can drive to midtown in 15 minutes. That said... I'd suggest that your son plan on sharing and put that $1,000 per month into living in Manhattan. If I were his age (I'm now 45) I'd DEFINIELY want to be in the middle of the action. There are still some good rental bargains for those who are patient but it's far easier to find them when one is already living there. The mention of checking villagevoice.com is a good one - they have a feature that will send you emails when ads in your search category are posted - this allows you to see them before the weekly hard copy of the paper is printed and distributed. The Corcoran Group is a repsected and upscale brokerage with the emphasis on upscale - it's doubtful that they'd have much in the way of shares or less expensive apts. I have friends who recently moved to Astoria and feel very isolated - it's defintely a family oriented area much like where I live in NJ (but less upscale). Great place for a quiet lifestyle and to raise kids but not too exciting for a young single person. The mention of Brooklyn warrants further investigation. Park Slope has become as pricey as Manhattan but there may be some good choices in Carroll Gardens or at the edge of Brooklyn Heights. Key factors are being no more than a few stops away from Manhattan on the subway and being close to a subway station. Best to check transportation carefully. Parts of Manhattan are further away (in terms of commute time) from midtown and the Village than my apt in NJ is!

Jeanne

Caitlin was correct about having realistic expectations when searching for rentals in NY. As a Californian, I was flabergasted when my son told us that we would have to submit current bank records and income tax refunds to the rental agency before they would consider him as a tenant. We ended up revealing everything you're never supposed to show anybody, but it seemed like the only way he could rent an apartment. They were also reluctant to rent to him because we lived so far outside of New York. We had to throw in an extra month's rent to make the deal. That was first, last, security deposit, plus the extra month (plus the rental agent's fee). Kind of depressing, but that seemed like the only way to go for us.

Maura

Thanks for all the great information. I think it's better to know what to expect so we're prepared. We live in the DC area (not local to NYC obviously), so my guess is we may have to jump through hoops as well.

Amita

I'm kind of surprised no one has mentioned Astoria yet on this thread. Astoria and Long Island City are the closest Queens neighborhoods to Manhattan. Sunnyside is just a little further in and is a great place to live. Woodside isn't bad either. Jackson Heights is a little further in but the express trains stop there and on a good day it will only take him 10-15 minutes to reach Manhattan to transfer to the 6. Greenpoint is another nice neighborhood where the rents are still pretty reasonable, but it's on the G line, which runs a little funny on weekends. Your son will have to take two subways to get to work if he moves to Queens, (he'll have to connect to the uptown 6 train once he gets into Manhattan) but lots of people do this every day and it's not a big deal.

NJ has some great neighborhoods (Jersey City is still affordable but I hear Hoboken has gotten pretty bad), but it will be a real pain for him to come across town and then go north every day to get to work. That would involve two transfers. He's better off in Queens or Brooklyn so he's on the East side to start. Good luck!

Mary

Hi Maura, Just thought I would add my 2 cents as we went through this with our 24 y/o daughter in November. We looked at apartments in Astoria and Park Slope, but because of the brokers fee, we would of had to come up with almost 5,000 just the 1st month. Shes a chef so we realized no matter where she lived we would be subsidizing her, but come on, that kind of money was just nuts! Some one told us about room mate finders. It cost $300.00 to register and everyday they faxed us lists with people looking for a room mate. You get a desciption of the apartment, neighborhood, price and age and profession of the person looking. From there you can call the ones that look interesting and set up an interview. Its not as creepy as it sounds. There is another room mate finder service advertised in the Village Voice thats suppose to be good. Anyway, the service was very helpful, and she got a room and her own bathroom (unusual in this situation) at 89th and Central Park West for $1,000 a month. Her roommate has a 7 y/o child and shes had this apartment for 11 years. Shes never been able to afford to live there without renting out the othe bedroom. The advantages are there is no lease (for my daughter) so she can move out if it doesn't work out, shes in a neighborhood she couldn't afford on her own, and there is some one there to know if she is okay or not. This also gives her a chance to get to know other parts of the city before she signs a lease, and meet people she might want to live with at a later date. It worked out for us anyway. Good luck.

Lizzie

Maura - New Yorkers can talk about real estate for as long as you let them! I've lived in the city for four years and was in the same boat as your son when I moved - although, fortunately, I had two roomates when looking for an apartment. There are deals out there, but they're hard to find. He's going to have to be in NYC to find an apartment, and he is going to have to have all the money he needs immediately available. Even if he moves into a share, he'll have to give his new roomates security as well as first and last months' rent, most likely. Finding a place in New York is really just a question of keeping your ears open. He needs to get in touch with anyone he can possibly think of - brothers, cousins, childhood friends of his freshman year roomate. Also, I am sure there are alums from his college looking for roomates - tell him to put something on the alumni network. And, if he has any friends who are currently attending grad school in NYC, he should ask them to put up signs for him. Just a word about the roomate finder suggestion: this woman was very, very lucky. I really have never heard good things about this service and I have plenty of friends who have used it. BUT... that deal sounds so good that it would be tempting!

L

melissa

You can definitely find something for $1000, but it will take some time, and it's easier if he's willing to share. I wanted to list some sites that have been helpful in my search. I give you these because I've found them word-of-mouth, and the people whose apt. I've looked at from these lists have generally been more "consistent" than the too-popular village voice. Here they are:
www.aprilslist.com; www.craigslist.org (select for nyc), www.roommatebbs.com, www.citidigs.com
These don't charge AT ALL to give you access to the listings for shares and sublets, and brokers aren't supposed to be on these sites. I'd STRONGLY caution against any such roommate finders or the one I paid- called "compatibles": they are usually a scam and I learned the hard way! The sites that say "no fee" normally charge $1-200 to give you access to listings that may or may not really exist.
Good luck,
Also AnnK, if you wouldn't mind, would you send me your landlords number- the one for the apt. on the upper west side? I've been searching for a place in that area (w/no broker), and have not found anything yet. I'd appreciate that!

Amy

What great responses! I'll be moving to NYC at the end of the summer also (I'm going to be attending Pratt's graduate program.), and I've found this information so helpful. Does anyone have any additional comments for someone who is not looking for a roommate (I'm married), but is still hoping to find something for around $1,000--in Brooklyn or Queens?

Amy

What great responses! I'll be moving to NYC at the end of the summer also (I'm going to be attending Pratt's graduate program.), and I've found this information so helpful. Does anyone have any additional comments for someone who is not looking for a roommate (I'm married), but is still hoping to find something for around $1,000--in Brooklyn or Queens?

steve

there are deals out there but they are hard to find. be wary of anything that sounds too good to be true (like that earlier post about the great renovated apartments in a building for less than half the market price). only deal with reputable brokers and landlords. when looking at an apartment wait around and ask another tenant how they enjoy living in that building. if the super shows the apartment to you ask him/her "if there was one thing you could have the landlord do in this building what would it be?" that way, if the super gives you a straight answer you will find out what the biggest problem in the building is. if it's putting wallpaper in the hallways go for it. if it's putting in a new boiler move on.

Many ads in the Village Voice and the New York Times are real. As soon as those papers come out look through the real estate section, circle the ones that might work, and hit the pavement. Be ready to sign a lease the moment you see the right apartment. Don't wait that extra day or even an hour mulling it over. If it's a great deal, and you've done your homework pull the trigger. when you go to sign the lease, or when you look at the apartment, be and look professional. if there are major issues unique to you (like bad credit or a pet) be upfront about it. Sometimes there are solutions - like extra security. Don't waste anyone's time. Everything that is promised to you that is important to you must be in writing in the lease. Oral promises are generally not binding. Don't ask hypotheticals that are not likely to occur like "what happens if I must move three months from now?" Questions like that just make landlords wary and they may not close the deal. Although it is certainly not necessary, if the broker or landlord was very honest and straight with you sent them a card at Christmas or a note a few weeks after you move in thanking them for everything they did and telling them how much you love the space. Those notes are rarely received and usually appreciated. It may help when you need a favor or the landlord has to decide how much of a renewal increase to give you.

know what the ramifications are for the legal status of apartments - rent stabilization, rent control, sublets, free market, coop rentals and condo rentals. lf you have a good broker they should inform you of the status of the apartment. Generally speaking, the status most favorable to least favorable are rent stabilization, rent control (which you almost certainly wont find), free market, condo rentals,
coop rentals.

Anyway, enough of my more than two cents worth. If you have any specific questions you can email me.

Caitlin

Just popping back in to emphasize a point made by a couple of posters: whether you are getting a share or renting your own place, you *must* have the $$$ available and be prepared to move fast. The whole rental process is such a bitch here that it's very competitive, and as Steve says above, you need to be willing to move that day or the next. Also, if you're working with a broker, remember that while they want the commision on you, they don't want to wait around while you waffle and the place slips away. So try to have the cash for broker fees, if necessary, plus first/last rent and deposit, and if you're using a guarantor, have them prepared with copies of the relevant financial info to fax (or FedEx, if necessary). NYC is without a doubt the most difficult placein th country to deal with renting. Even if you're local, you have to jump through hoops.

Maura

Thanks to everyone for all the great advice (and please feel free to keep it coming). It's been a very valuable education. Now, we're off to graduation!