New York City Relocation
 

Ok, I understand that this is a travel forum....and that often time people will become upset over questions about relocation, however, I don't really have at my disposal at this moment the same kind of open relocation forum that this sight offers. <BR><BR>I tried the text search first and really did not come up with a lot of information about moving to NYC, so I thought I would give it a whirl with my own original post. <BR><BR>Here is the situation. I have excepted a position in NYC, the relocation does not have to be immediate, I can work from home for a while, but they still want me there as soon as possible. I understand that finding an apartment in the city can be a bit of an adventure, however my wife and I are up to the challenge! We are in our mid-20s, no kids, and have meager requirements (1br approx 700sq ft). We have a good idea of the neighborhood we want (Upper East, Upper West). My question is this....through my search I have come on a number of subscription sights, you pay $100 or so and get three months access to their exclusive listings, with no broker fee (this is a big one, want to avoid the fee if possible). So are these sights legit, or in the end do I need to pledge my first born male child to them to actually get contact info? Also, anyone have a friend, cousin, brother-in-law, etc that owns a no-brokerage fee locating service they would recommend? <BR><BR>Any help you can provide will be extremely helpful! Thanks!

When are you relocating? If you register online with these agencies, how will you look and rent the apartment if you're not here yet? Also, some of the listings are old. Check out the NY Times real estate section on Sunday. You still need to see what you're renting.<BR><BR>How much are you willing to pay? Average studios in Manhattan go from $1200 up. One-bedrooms are even more.<BR><BR>The other boroughs of NYC are less money like Astoria/Sunnyside in Queens.<BR><BR>There are books out on relocating to NY that are helpful. Do a search on BN.com (Barnes & Noble).<BR><BR>Welcome to NY! <BR><BR>

Try craigslist.com. It lists apartments that would be good choices for a young couple. There are a number of good choices for young couples on the upper upper East side, the high 80's and lower to mid 90's around 2nd or 3d Avenues.<BR>I agree, Dallas stinks.

My first step would be to visit NYC and open a bank account. When you are renting, landlords want to see their deposits drawn on a local bank.<BR><BR>You need to know that the housing market in NYC is very tight. Many apartments are rented before the ads even come out. You can expect for every ad to draw at least 10 other people and usually many more. Probably your best bets are The New York Times and The Village Voice (www.villagevoice.com) classifieds. When you go to look at apartments, dress nicely and take your checkbook. Be ready to right a check immediately. Anything that you can do to get the edge over someone else.<BR><BR>You may want to think about looking in various neighborhoods in Queens or Brooklyn which will be cheaper.

Thanks to everyone with the replies so far, unfortunately everything has reinforced my notion already of how much "fun" this process is going to be. <BR><BR>We have looked at Queens and Brooklyn and found some neighborhoods that we liked and would make suitable homes for us. But, if possible we would like Manhattan first and foremost. The plan for us was to pick a week to be in NYC and ready to sign a check, knowing that you have to take something as soon as it becomes available. I will be opening an account in NYC with my first paycheck, so that part is already out of the way. <BR><BR>We had looked for books on relocating to NYC, but unfortunately made a $14 mistake with the book "HOw to Make it in New York City". What a worthless piece of crap that was! So that is why I am at the mercy of Fodor's, hoping to get some more original ideas and places to look (like craigslist.com, that sight had some great listings, thanks!).<BR><BR>Again, thanks to everyone for the help so far, keep the suggestions coming!

To Dallas-<BR><BR>I don't think you need to open up a bank account right away. When i was looking for my studio back in January, they took an out-of-state check with no problem.<BR>You could also do money orders- if the landlord is insistent on not having an out-of-state check. Money Orders are good as cash.<BR>

Dallas Sucks -- Last week's Sunday NY Times listed the Upper East Side as one of the neighborhoods with the best "bargains" for rentals. It has more rental buildings than the Upper West Side and, so, often has more inventory and slightly cheaper prices.<BR><BR>I agree with the poster above that you should be able to find something suitable in the 80's or low 90's.<BR><BR>As for the broker fee, I've moved into NYC twice (it's a long story -- don't ask) and have found that, especially if you are relocating here from elsewhere, it's almost impossible to avoid the fee. It will save you lots of time and headaches to work with a broker (or several) who can weed out the lousy apartments. Think of it as a cost of doing business and if you stay in the apartment it's amortized over several years. Plus, most apartments are listed through brokers. I know it sucks to pay the fee, but sometimes it's the easiest way.<BR><BR>Good luck!

also try aprilslist.com and ardorny.com<BR><BR>Good luck!

There's an area in Manhattan's (very) upper westside named Hudson Heights that may interest you. It stretches from West 181st Street to West 193rd Street from Broadway to the Hudson River. It offers fantastic views of the Hudson River, George Washington Bridge, and the Palisades in New Jersey. Hudson View Gardens (15 tudor style buildings) and Castle Village (5 highrises) are 2 of the very nice apartment complexes in this neighborhood. Cabrini Terrace is a co-op, but some of the owners do rent. There's a doorman, too. It's an easy commute with subways and buses practically at your door. There are also lots of ethnic restaurants and bodegas. The area has alot of history including the Jumel Mansion. Rent for a 1 bedroom averages about $1,000 to $2,000. There's a realtor that specializes in the area. Stein & Perry at (212)928-3805. I have several friends who live there and they love it. One is a single woman who says she feels safe. It was also renamed Hudson Heights to distance itself from Washington Heights.

Dallas: HOW MUCH DO YOU WANT TO SPEND for an apartment? 700 Square Feet in a Doorman building will run in the $2,000 neighborhood, in an elevator building $1,700 and in a walk-up $1,500. Do a search on the New York Times website, you can search by size and price. The site came up with almost 400 1 bedroom apartments on the upper east and west sides for under $1,500. Vitually all are non doorman, most are through brokers, but I'm sure some will not have fees associated with them. Lots of luck.

Hi:<BR>Good luck on your search for a home in NYC.<BR>I wish you would give Brooklyn or Queens more than a passing glance.<BR>I was born in Brooklyn and spent most of my adult life in Queens.<BR>I have a good friend that now lives in Williamsburg in a great loft for half the rent she would have paid in Manhattan. She is one subway stop away from Manhattan on the "L" Train.She found it by walking in neighborhoods she liked and talking to local folks. <BR>Most of the areas in Brooklyn and western Queens are very accessible to subways and all areas have pretty good bus service.

Since you are from out of state and starting a brandy new job, I would also suggest you have a letter from your employer verifying your employment. Otherwise, you may have to cough up a few extra months security. Another tip is that if you are renting from an owner of a co-op, find out how long you can stay in the apartment. Many co-ops have bi-laws that set forth term limits on subletting. Condos usually do not have those same rules. You will also need to have extra money on hand to get your Con Edison utilities and phone service turned on. They will take a deposit from you also since you are out of state. And lastly, if you are moving into a high rise you will have to find out about service elevator rules. Usually, you have to move in during 8 AM and 5 PM Mon-Fri (no weekends) and they will also require a damage deposit. The deposit will be returned after they inspect the hallway on your floor. I also agree with going with a broker since you are not actually here. Go with one of the bigger companies. They usually have first pick on the best apartments.

My fiance and I are searching for a new apartment in New York City, and our experience thus far is that's it's a renter's market right now--good time to be looking. Things are more expensive here than elsewhere in the country, but you have longer to make a decision. We've been looking downtown (SOHO, Village) which are, of course, the most expensive areas, but have noticed many good deals on the UES and UWS. Craigslist is invaluable! The subscription services are, unfortunately, for the most part, useless. They reel you in with great-looking places which turn out to have been already rented. We're working with a broker, the fee is negotiable, and we've found that many of the rents are also negotiable. Many brokers (such as ardorny, which someone mentioned) also have no fee places--just do a search using those keywords. So, it's not as gloomy and hopeless as it sounds. Good luck!!

To clarify: I meant that one has longer to make a decision about which apartment to take than in NYC in 1998, the last time I had to find a place, when you had to show up with certified check in hand to even think about it! Obviously not longer to think about places than other cities...

Wow! You can always count on New Yorkers to come through in a pinch, thank you all so much! I cannot believe the wealth of information I am getting about not only different websites but also neighborhoods and processes, this is great.<BR><BR>Couple of additional questions....someone had mentioned an amortization of brokerage fees over several years. I did not konw that this was an option, my understanding was that brokers wanted their money up front, which is why I am hestitant and would prefer going the no fee route if possible. But this has opened my eyes a little to the world of the broker and convinced me at least to make a few phone calls and find out their procedures. <BR><BR>I am also curious about the neighborhood described as Hudson Heights in far north Manhattan, I know that the A line ends up there and the 1&9 run through it, so this may be an area worth looking into, I have just never been up that far before. Also, we have not just given Brooklyn and Queens a passing glance and are more than open to looking for apartments in these areas. As you can see, we are open to anything at this point, just as long as it is clean, safe, with access to transportation, which New York offers a lot of.<BR><BR>Keep the info coming, seems like every time I check the sight there is another great suggestion, thanks again!

OK, it has to be said. Dallas, please work on your spelling before you get to New York. A website is a "site", not a "sight". And you "accepted" your position, not "excepted". Sorry to nitpick but it just irks me that people graduate from college with such a poor grasp of the English language.

Dallas,<BR><BR>Re: amoritization: I think the poster just meant that if you pay the fee -- and don't move from that place for awhile -- the actual "cost" of the fee seems less if you factor in that you found a place that suits you for more than a year. <BR><BR>If it's changed, I'm surprised, and glad for you.<BR><BR>I moved into NY from out of state a few years ago and found it totally doable, though I did use a broker. It's hard to do remotely, but once in the city, it's just a drill in peristence.

One (very reputable) management company that has lots of no fee apartments on the Upper East Side is Glenwood Management 212-535-0500.<BR><BR>Good luck.

I own rental buildings in Manhattan. It's still hard finding an affordable apartment in the city, but it's been much easier since 9/11. The market has fallen approximately 12-15% in the last year and a half. Alot is negotiable now. The amount of the brokers fee is negotiable. You can find lots of no fee ads on craigslist. You can find a good apartment without a broker, though it will probably involve lots more time. Washington Heights is a good area in pockets, but it's definetly out of the way and there isn't much going on. It can be more peaceful that most other areas of the city. Astoria is a popular affordable area now for rentals. Good restaurants in that neighborhood. A major rule of apartment hunting - Act Fast. If you see it and like it don't hesitate. Don't wait until your wife sees it. Don't wait to have the monies ready. Act Fast. If there's a problem with your credit offer more security or a great guarantor. Although alot is negotiable, don't waste anyones time with lots of questions. Just ask the most important ones. If something is said that is important to you be sure it's in the lease. Generally, legally, it doesn't matter what is said, it matters what is written. Good Luck.

Message to Dallas:<BR>I live in a very nice building on Fort Washington Avenue in the Hudson Heights section of the city. True, there are no clubs or gourmet restaurants, but you still get alot in return for your money. I think it's a great way to live in the city, but at the same time you are away from some of the chaos such as crowds and noisy traffic. We have a neighbrohood park and I always feel safe. My neighbors are nice people who are teachers, lawyers, doctors, and nurses, secretaries, etc. Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center is on West 168th Street. Sometimes I walk across the George Washington Bridge into Fort Lee, New Jersey and shop for groceries at the Kings's or A&P Supercenter that are there. Fort Lee has a nice assortment of shops and restaurants, too. If you want more specific info, post back with ?'s.