I'm currently looking for a one bedroom apartment in midtown for a month rental -- May to June. I'm quite familiar with the locations and so far I've narrowed it down to the following three -- all are between $3000 and $ 4000 for the month, not much difference in price, and acceptable.

I'm mainly asking if anyone has any feedback regarding dealing with these three firms? Or if anyone has any other specific ideas. I've seen the apartments in the Executive Plaza and they are fine. There are also good pictures of the specific apartment in Worldwide Plaza (www.scarybear.com/absolute/index.html), but I'm not familiar at all with the ones at West 54th Street.

Big Apple Getaways: 1 bedroom on 33rd floor of Worldwide Plaza, 59th between 8th and 9th. (my favorite of the locations)

Executive Plaza: 150 West 51st Street, next to the Michelangelo Hotel

National Extended Stay Apartments: 205 West 54th, between 7th and Broadway.

Ooops. Sorry about the typo. The address of Worldwide Plaza is 50th, not 59th, I know!!!

Patrick I haven't seen the pictures from the other places to compare, but I think the Worldwide Plaza apt. looks sterile and the living room is particularly uninviting. Other than it being newish, why is this your favorite location?

54 st b/w 7th & B'way sounds great to me but I don't know what the apt is like. I've never rented an apt and you do it all the time, but have you considered renting directly from an owner given your knowledge of the city? Wonder if it would get you a better deal. Have you looked on craigslist?

Have you checked on slowtrav.com for listings and/or reviews?

I found an interesting listing here
http://www.manhattanlodgings.com/mw/mw_1bed.shtml
for a 1 bed on 55th b/w 5th-6th for less than $3000. No photos on that website though.

I also wonder what the difference in price would be for an apt/hotel where you'd have daily maid service etc.? The Blakely?

Actually I once looked at Radio City Apartments and the monthly price actually exceeds what I'm talking about. It's too dumpy for me, sorry. I'd be totally depressed there within the first two days.

McLaurie, I agree it's a bit sterile, but does have quite a view. I'm particularly unattracted to the two patio chairs in the living room, but the rest of the furniture seems nice enough and it is fully equipped with DVD, high speed internet, etc. The last couple times I stayed on 45th between 8th and 9th and have really gotten into the restaurants and places on 9th. My favorite coffee place is The Coffee Pot on the corner of 49th and 9th -- practically next door to that apartment. It's a little more residential in feel there than either of the other two locations, which seem so much more business and less busy at night.

Actually the Worldwide Plaza apt is directly through an owner. I found it on VRBO, and although he set up his own website called Big Apple Getaways, it is just an individual rent-from-owner deal.

I've looked at a lot of sites for sublets, and they just seem impossible for a single month especially so far ahead. Many say to contact them within a month of arrival -- ok, then maybe they'll have something and maybe not.

My fear with the one at 205 West 54th is that it is an old building -- noisy window air conditioner and probably very, very cramped and dark. Just a guess, since the pictures don't really represent an actual apartment. They've offered to show apartments -- but then I'm not there to see them.

I'll check out the one you mentioned, but I'd never, ever rent a place without at least seeing a few pictures.
I've looked at countless listings that sounded decent enough until I saw the pics -- bed against a wall on one side, futon instead of a real bed, packing crates for shelves -- no thank you, I'm not in college any more.

Sorry, I forgot to respond to the comment about the Blakely and other hotels. Whenever I've checked any of those, I find that the most they seem to do is 10% off the nightly rate for a monthly rate. The one-bedrooms are going to be a MINIMUM of $275 a night, which means even with the discount it comes out to about $7000 for a month. Also as a hotel they charge the tax -- another 16% or whatever on top.
I've looked at a lot of them (not the Blakely) and they all seem to work that way, including those Manhattan East Suites which are now a different name -- I forget. Also, I really don't want a hotel feel with daily maid service. I like the idea of an individually decorated (although it may be a bit quirky) apartment where I can feel like I live.

Patrick, did you check out the company that I used just last month? We rented the 1000 sq. ft. Lincoln Center apartment from them for $4500 including $500 security deposit. Website is www.nyhabitat.com. They have great apartment for less as well.

PS -- Patrick, I can put you directly in touch with the person we rented from if you wish. The place was huge in a white-glove doorman, concierge building with a health club and pool! My parents actually LOVED it!!

Michelle, I remember the post where you mentioned that apartment. I was never sure if it was in the Phillips Club or somewhere else next door, or even if The Phillips Club changed names. It was the one with Balducci's on the ground floor.

IN any case, no, I'd prefer not being there, but a little further south. But thanks for the habitat website. I had lost track of that one, have now scoured it, and have talked with Erik, perhaps the person you dealt with. He is looking for me and should know in a month or so when some of their many 4 to 6 month leases are up that he would be able to book us in May or June. They have a ton of apartments in the Executive Plaza, the one next to the Michelangelo, and their prices are lower than the ones from the office within that building that I was dealing with. They also have a couple in Worldwide Plaza, but none available now and several require two or three month minimums.

I got a very vague response from the people at 205 West 54th which basically said they don't know if or when they might have anything available. In addition they failed to answer any of my questions regarding facilities and size of rooms that I specifically asked about.

By the way, I also did call the Blakely and no one knew anything about monthly rates, I left a number and did get a call back from someone who said they "should" be able to give me the 10% discount, but taxes are added. She was really vague about what the daily rates would be for all those dates in May and June as they go up and down. But the bottom line was it was going to be close to $8,000 for a month there in a one bedroom. She also mentioned we might have to move rooms once or twice during the stay. I couldn't figure out why if I were booking this far ahead, but it really doesn't matter -- way out of my price range.

Patrick, don't know if this would interest you

http://www.furnishedquarters.com/loc...hp?location=33
305 west 50th
Longacre House
26-story, doorman high-rise has all the amenities such as an on site health club and concierge. Most apartments have city or river views.
$4800

What dates are you looking at?

McLaurie, we're open to one month, any time in May or June, probably preferring about May 15 to June 14.

I didn't want to look at that site, but I did! While it may be wonderful, I'm seeing places we can be happy with for under $3500 which has now become my maximum. If we keep expenses down enough, we're also looking to spend a month in LA later inthe summer when we go out to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. I'd rather do both than put all the budget into just the New York stay. Besides, I hate to say this, but that living room appears even more stark and sterile than the one in Worldwide Plaza. In fact, I think I like that one just as much for a thousand dollars less (the owner has come back with an offer of $3800 for the month). Now my partner (who doesn't like heights) is balking a bit at the 33rd floor location of that one.

Patrick, I don't have any knowledge of those three you listed except the last two have locations that are practically on top of Times Square. I know you go to NYC to see a lot of plays but those may be a little too close to the theaters. By the way, I'm guessing at the locations from the addresses.

When The Affina Group was still The Manhattan East Suite Hotels, they specialized in long term corporate rentals. I know that sounds sterile but both the Surrey (pre war building Upper East Side catty corner from The Carlyle) and The Shelburne Murray Hill (Murray Hill, love the location) are gorgeous old buildings. I've stayed in both for up to two weeks at a time and loved them. One bedroom, living room/dining room and full kitchen. It's a thought.

I know it isn't what you asked for but I thought I'd throw it into the ring.

Thanks GoTravel, and I somewhat agree. My one negative about the Executive Plaza is that is a little more "business" and "hotel" location than I'd prefer, but I'm OK with that. That's why I still love the idea of the places nearer 8th or 9th.

I may look at the Affina properties. Actually I researched them pretty thoroughtly a couple years ago when they were the Manhattan Suites, and again, they all priced themselves out of the market. I don't really need or want daily maid service (an intrusion on my privacy) and don't like paying for it. Besides, I think as "hotels" they still add on those taxes to their already high rates. Maybe Affina is giving a better monthly rate, I don't know.

By the way, in 2001 we rented a great place The Allen House at 72nd and 3rd. But it is now about $5000, again more than we want to go, and after staying on 45th near 8th and 9th, we really do want to be more midtown west.

How's the search coming along? Worldwide Plaza is usually full of attorneys from Cravath which is located in the building. I think it's a great, convenient location. Here at my Firm, we receive many notifications regarding short-term rentals as attorneys are always utilizing them when they're here for deal closings, negotiations, etc. I'll keep my eyes and ears open for you and will let you know if anything pops up that you might be interested in.

Thanks Michelle, I'd appreciate it. Surprisingly Habitat said most of their rentals in Worldwide Plaza require a two or three month minimum, but that privately owned "Big Apple Getaway" one actually rents for just a four day minimum. That's a great place to keep in mind -- a one bedroom apartment sleeping four that you can rent for $175 a night for just four nights! Sounds like a great deal to me.

One comment I've gotten a lot is that the extended stay business leases tend to fall off in May to June, which should give me a greater choice since that's when we want to go.

By the way... my secretary has been put on notice as well so now you have two sets of eyes and ears! That makes sense re: the dropping off period. Beginning and end of year has to be the worst!

Patrick, have you checked into craigslist.org? I'm not sure you could find anything for that far in advance but you never know...

Maybe I don't get it, but I had no luck with Craigslist. First of all they don't seem to indicate in most listings what the minimums are. Everytime I emailed anyone regarding something they replied they were looking for a minimum 1 year (or maybe 6 month lease). And none have pictures, so I can't get excited about anything. It's even difficult digging through the listings to find ones that are actually in Manhattan, yet alone in a specific area.
I just gave up.

I realize that last post sounded like maybe I was looking in regular apartment listings, not sublets or vacation rentals. No, I was looking in the right place, but often I found people listed things both places, and they actually required long leases even though they listed them as vacation.

Michelle, I have now been contacted by Habitat already giving me two options that will be available in May, but promises of more to come. The frightening thing was they charge a broker fee of 35% of one month's rent -- even on a one month sublet. So $4000 becomes $5400, immediately. Ouch. I think I'll go back to working with Executive Plaza directly which doesn't charge any fee for their rentals.

I have been looking again on Craigslist. Some interesting things there, but of course, again I can't make any real plans until about a month or two before we go as they won't tie up a place for a one month rental way ahead.

That's really strange, Patrick. When we rented the apartment across from Lincoln Center, it was listed on their site at $4000, which included the 35% fee but did not include a $500 security deposit. We were told by the agent that the prices we saw online all included the 35% fee. I can give you the name of the agent that we dealt with if you like.