Hi mclaurie,
There's parking in the building at $40 a day. I've got that iconparking website but I can't seem to make the calculator work. I put in the check in date/time and the check out date/time (I used Zenith Parking) but I don't know how to get the calculation. I tried it for a January date too, just in case April was too far in the future, but it still didn't work for me. Do you know how to do it?

hdm, I distinctly said that I'd be there for June and thought that's when you were going for. You really didn't need to switch to April just to avoid inviting ME for brunch too! LOL

Well, Patrick, I just know that you arranged for my SO to have to teach a summer course just so we couldn't be there in June. I just didn't want to mention it.

Puleeeeeze come to NY in April! I'll make a special brunch just for you! I'm trying to get starrs to come too.

Are you staying in that apartment in June?

No. Couldn't afford if for the whole month. I'm renting this one instead -- just a studio in the low rise part of Worldwide Plaza. But at less than $100 a day, it was possible to stay a month -- which was not possible at $250 a day!

www.andrewscondos.com/2LL.html

Patrick,
That's just a fabulous deal! It's a great little apartment, nicer than many of the hotel rooms I've been looking at and the price is incredible. I wish I had a reason to be in NY for a month!

Honestly, I feel sorry for anyone who doesn't have Fodor friends to show them The Way.

I wish we were going to be there at the same time. I'd love to meet you and Lee.

I'm not sure what you're doing wrong on iconparking but it works fine for me. Put in the date and time of check in. Then put in the date and time of check out. Then select an area of the city on the map (pick west 50's/Clinton) click and it gives you all the garages in that area and the prices for each. You then pick which one you want and click on the name. Maybe you were picking a garage first and it doesn't work that way? Fyi, while Zenith is definitely closest, if you were willing to walk over to 10th ave. it looks like you could save over $100 for a week. Zenith is about $270 and there's one on 10th ave. that's $160.

That's exactly what I was doing wrong, mclaurie -- picking the garage first. I'll try again. Sure I'd be willing to park a fair distance away to save $100! Thanks for your help.

I don't usually post on the USA forums, but I was drawn here by some tense exchanges with one of the posters on this thread, and I'm so glad I found it.

I own a studio apartment on the UWS of Manhattan. Many Manhattan residents, including several friends of mine who were Juilliard teachers and students, are losing, or have lost their living spaces because of illegal apartment conversions, and apartment being used as hotel rooms. One of them, a lovely young woman who graduated from Juilliard and building her career in opera, was "moved" out of her one-room apartment with almost no warning by WOOGO.

This is not allowed in my building, but now I see that there are listings on VRBO in my building. As a shareholder, I do not like the idea of our building being used in this way, and the Board of DIrectors will not approve it either.

If you are looking for cheap apartment rentals in New York City, please read this NYT article. There have been other news articles here about it, but this one explains the issue well enough.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/04/ny...l?ref=nyregion

I know someone who is working with Gail Brewers group on tenants rights which is involved in this growing problem. I hope the bill is passed, and helps some of the local residents of NYC, who are living under constant pressure of losing the limited space available to them.

This is not to dissuade you, but as tourists, you deserve to be informed.

bellastarr, you are so right. It is difficult for visitors to know what the rules or situations are with rentals, but as mentioned above, often when anyone rents an apartment out by the week it is clearly illegal -- if not by the city itself -- then certainly by the board or the building itself. I had an odd situation of renting an apartment midtown this past summer for a month. I assumed it was a condo and that month long rentals are allowed (as they sometimes are), but was shocked to find mid-way through the rental that it wasn't even a condo. The "owner" had simply leased it to re-lease for shorter periods of time -- totally forbidden by the building.

Well, NeoPatrick, thanks to my exchanges with you this evening, I found this thread and will be able to monitor the way this goes on Fodors.

It's very hard for us locals to survive in Manhattan as it is.

I should add that nightly apartment rentals are almost NEVER legal.

And now some of us are watching much more closely, because we're losing our homes.

Neo, I tried emailing you a couple of days ago but I must have an old email. I visited guys who lived in a terrace apartment on the low-rise building. Their terrace was incredible. Cranes brought up tiles, trees, dirt, etc to create a gorgeous garden complete with arbor, rose bushes, etc. Cocktail hour on the terrace was wonderful. You and Lee are really going to enjoy being able to step outside and enjoy relaxing with the views of NYC. I hope y'all have a great time. If we are ever at a GTG at the same time, I'll bring some pics.

Well, this is disturbing because I rented that apartment in good faith. Does this mean that it's an illegal rental?

I wouldn't worry, hdm. Subletting is normal in NYC. I do not think the WOOGO thing is happening at WWP.

No, from what I've read here about woogoo and from everyone's recommendations, I'm not worried about the quality of the apartment.

I just suddenly feel like I'm buying 'fenced' goods or something.

hdm, people have been renting their Manhattan apartments for decades. Folks who travel, people whose personal lives have changed for a variety of reasons are just two examples of those who frequently rent their apartments. Yes, Woogo is doing some despicable things, but that doesn't mean renting any apartment in NYC is dealing with fenced goods. IMO anyway. Do be aware that bella and Neo have been going back and forth on another thread and some of this is directed to Neo in particular. Apartments in WWP are not rent controlled and it is too big for WOOGO to be trying to take over, so personally I don't think there's anything to worry about.

Okay, starrs. Thanks.

starrs, if you have my old email address, just change "earthlink.net" to "embarqmail.com"

But I don't think anything here is being directed against me from bellastarr. We are in total agreement here on this issue and it has nothing to do with another thread.

And don't fear, hdm, there is a big difference in someone who OWNS their own apartment renting out for a week or more which is what you are doing and is done frequently in many if not most condominium buildings and someone like Woogoo subleasing illegally apartments which they don't even own, but merely rent with a specific clause forbidding subleasing.

Thanks, NP. I just posted a theatre question for you, too.

hdm:
I want to clarify my posts here.

A) There is no relationship between this thread and the other thread on the Lounge involving NeoPatrick and myself. However, I discovered this thread by clicking on his name there.

B) This issue of Apartments being illegaly rented out as hotel rooms involves a very large number of buildings in NYC, many in the UWS, and the problem goes way beyond OtherWOOGO. It has gone on for a long time, but has grown much worse in recent years. Because it threatens so many residents, there is a growing movement dedicated to protecting tenants. A NY State senator and a NYC Council member are active in organizing this movement.

And yes, there are Laws dealing with night-by-night rentals. I know of one instance where a friend was renting her apartment out by the night and was caught at it, but most people get away with it if they can.

C) It is true that people in NYC have been subletting, and even sub-subletting their apartments for decades, it is also true that many of those arrangements are illegal, but people don't talk about that openly to the landlord.
That doesn't necessarily mean anything to you as a tourist, unless you are worried about security or other services of some kind.

D) My building is a COOP, has elevators, a doorman, and good security. We have clear rules against short-term renters because we are residential, not a transient hotel. There are short term rentals, but they have to be screened and approved. We can lease our apartments long-term, every building has different rules.

E) The VRBO listings in my building will now be carefully monitored, because although I'm a traveler, in this case I am a resident who wants to maintain the quality of life in my own building.

I certainly hope you enjoy your trip to my home town.