The 7 train line is rated the best in NYC, another plus for Long Island City.

Someone is smoking dope ...

Yup - gets us Manhattanites to the crackwhores faster.

Why would you need to take the 7 steve? Can't you just walk out your door?

I can walk out the door but there are no crackwhores in my tony neighborhood. Lots of dead people as I live next to a cemetery, but no crackwhores.

LICC, I'm curious - what time do you get on the 7 train in the morning?
I boarded it at the Hunters Point stop on a Sunday afternoon and it was full.
There were places to stand, but ..... at 8:00 Monday a.m.?

I take hope on the 6:45am-7am train every day from Monday to Friday. Absolute no problem. Train arrives on every 2-3 minutes and there are barely anyone on the train.

Ewww, I don't use the subway. I'm too rich.

The 7 train is the only train that no one ever, ever, ever gave me a seat when I was 9 months pregnant. Its always crowded, and Qnsbro Plaza stop is a mess, people shoving to get in before anyone gets out. There are some great neighborhoods on the 7 line...Sunnyside, etc, but the 7 train alone has deterred me from ever wanting to live there.

"The 7 train is the only train that no one ever, ever, ever gave me a seat when I was 9 months pregnant."

That's Long Island City for you!

"The 7 train line is rated the best in NYC, another plus for Long Island City."

in order for it to be 'another plus' there would have had to be something good about long island city before this.

Have you tried to F, B, D, Q, 4, 5, 6, E train during rush hours?

I get on usually between 8 and 9. I never have any problem with the train being crowded. I think there have been two times this year where there were some small delays. Otherwise, it is fine.

steve, according to that Williamsburg article, the homeless heroin addicts are hanging around Union Square all day. That is a quick skip to Chelsea . . .

Some people here can have an agenda to say certain things, but the post above shows an independent survey. I would trust that over some SE haters.

"the homeless heroin addicts are hanging around Union Square all day"

I rarely go there, but I've never seen them. Mostly Christian proselytizers.

LICC = idiot

Christian proselytizers = heroin addicts

The 7 line is great. One thing most people don't know about it is that it will take you from LIC to the Russian embassy in Washington D.C. It's true, nyc10022 said so!

Does anyone else think it’s strange that someone who professes to be an economic whiz rents a $5000 a month apartment in Chelsea next to crackwhores and a cemetery?

"I get on usually between 8 and 9."

Why do you need the train when EVERYTHING IS RIGHT THERE IN LONG ISLAND CITY?!

Hell - who needs the Riveria: you have the Newtown Creek!

steve, you should really consider buying. If you like Chelsea, there are lots of nice, new 2/2's for under a million bucks. With 20% down and a decent tax benefit (self employment makes this even more attractive) you could end up ahead on your $5000/mo rental cost day one. What are you waiting for steve?

JuiceMan's right. Here you go, Steve, way cheaper than your current place: http://www.streeteasy.com/nyc/sale/394265-coop-234-west-21st-street-chelsea-new-york

steve, bjw's choice is perfect, and much less expensive to buy than to rent. You really should reconsider your stance, or you could always just take another rent increase like you did this past year.

JuiceMan, don't worry, I'm sure he can find it for rent on nybits for $1200.

Yes, that 400 sqft 2/2 is always available on nybits.com

bjw, that's a hellhole of a railroad apartment in a tenement with half a second bedroom! What a dive at approximately (out of pocket) what I spend now for a brand new luxury building with all sorts of services.

JuiceMan, I don't really need the tax benefit because I have a home office, but thanks for your concern! It is SO much smarter to buy than to rent, I know. G-d bless you.

When that Chelsea dive is offered for what it's worth - maybe $500,000 - then perhaps some fool would like to be saddled with it.

LICC?

You can't pay me enough to live in Chelsea...who wants to walk by those projects on 18th street?
And all those crack whores??? NO EFFING WAY BROTHER!

Ericho: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queensbridge,_Queens

stevejhx, how you exaggerate! It's by no means a "hellhole," it's not a railroad apartment, and it's not a tenement building (unless you think tenements have elevators?). Please tell us what "all sorts of services" means. Do they do your taxes? Do they clean behind your ears? Maybe you want it to be priced at $500k, but I don't see it happening.

ericho, I don't care where you live, but if you want the joys of the Highline, that's where the projects are.

About a mile from me.

"it's not a railroad apartment"

Look again - why are the rooms so narrow? Because they carved a "hallway" out of them.

I've been in a building just like that on 24th street - virtually the same layout. It was a dive.

Beware of rooms with "platforms."

"Services" are things like a live-in super, laundry facility, concierge.

"but I don't see it happening"

I do.

steve, just do a search in streeteasy. There are many luxury 2/2 apartments in Chelsea for under $1M. Could be a very interesting opportunity for you to buy and improve your cost structure. I care about your well being.

""Services" are things like a live-in super, laundry facility, concierge."

Yes, those are very tough services to get. What do you use your concierge for? Does he pick up your crack?

LIC needs all the pluses it can get... getting its ass spanked price-wise.

"Look again - why are the rooms so narrow? Because they carved a "hallway" out of them."

A true railroad is where rooms connect to each other. This is a "long" apartment, but it ain't no railroad, sorry.

"Beware of rooms with "platforms.""

Why?

""Services" are things like a live-in super, laundry facility, concierge."

Oh please, live-in super? First, there's no indication that that isn't the case here, nor is it clear if there's laundry in the building. If you had a free gym, parking, or something more along those lines, then you'd have a stronger argument.

"I do."

Well, I'll keep an eye on it then. We'll see who's right. Fact is, this is a pretty great spot for Chelsea, it's a fine looking apartment, and not at a bad price, especially considering you're paying more for a rental that, by the sound of it, is perhaps marginally better.

"Does he pick up your crack?"

Picks it.

"Why do you need the train when EVERYTHING IS RIGHT THERE IN LONG ISLAND CITY?!"

So true, didn't you hear that they got a Duane Reade there!!

"Fact is, this is a pretty great spot for Chelsea, it's a fine looking apartment, and not at a bad price, especially considering you're paying more for a rental that, by the sound of it, is perhaps marginally better."

So much for the 2x more expensive to buy than to rent theory, here is an apartment right in steve’s backyard that will save him $$$ compared to what he pays for rent.

Guys, if you like it I say BUY! There's plenty of Duane Reade's in the area!

And a GRISTIDE'S not more than a block away!

We already own steve, but want to help you. We have found better than equilibrium and according to you, you must now buy!

I think, JuiceMan, you don't know what equilibrium is.

But you might want to contact your BFF LICC - get him out of Hiroshima into a decent neighborhood.

"We already own steve, but want to help you."

If you own and bought at these prices or higher, you need to be helping yourself!

Steve, why get uptight when we're trying to lend you a hand? You don't like the apartment, or you're in no mood to buy? Fine. But it's clear the place is not as you described and seems to be at a reasonable price point relative to rents in the area.

bjw: "seems to be at a reasonable price point relative to rents in the area."

How many square feet? Price per square foot? How much to disassemble the "study" that seems that it was built as a meditation room with a boombox, redo all the floors?

"there are two masters"

Yup. One of them is 7 x 10.

The closest I can see as a rental is:

http://www.nybits.com/apartmentlistings/df3715d0e6ebf353c846b575d7f08b2e.html

At $3,100 ASK (and you can probably get it for less) it's 30% cheaper without including remodeling and transaction costs.

Unless you can show me what you're comparing it to.

"How many square feet? Price per square foot? How much to disassemble the "study" that seems that it was built as a meditation room with a boombox, redo all the floors?"

They don't list square feet, but from the floorplan seems to be a bit small, but nothing ridiculous. And the cost of knocking down non-structural walls is pretty minimal. Floors, I don't know, hard to tell without seeing the place in person what kind of work is really needed.

"Yup. One of them is 7 x 10."

It's actually a bit bigger than that, but that's not terrible for a second bedroom. You're right that the listing is full of typical brokerbabble, but that's not what we're arguing over.

"The closest I can see as a rental is:
http://www.nybits.com/apartmentlistings/df3715d0e6ebf353c846b575d7f08b2e.html
At $3,100 ASK (and you can probably get it for less) it's 30% cheaper without including remodeling and transaction costs."

Based on what? There's absolutely no information about that rental on the site!

> You can't pay me enough to live in Chelsea...

There are folks who dislike all sorts of neighborhoods. I don't particularly love Chelsea.

But, I am part of the masses who you you couldn't pay to live in LIC... and that group is much larger than ericho's group.

If you can't tell me how many square feet or the price per square foot, then you can't compare the apartment to anything. Ergo, as the other apartment isting doesn't provide enough information either, they are perfectly comparable.

I spend another wonderful afternoon yesterday at the Gantry Park in LIC.
It's quietly becoming the place to be during the summer months. Tons of woman and bathing suits.

"If you can't tell me how many square feet or the price per square foot, then you can't compare the apartment to anything. Ergo, as the other apartment isting doesn't provide enough information either, they are perfectly comparable."

What a crock. You mean photos and an actual floorplan versus absolutely nothing? Looks to be about 950 sqft, give or take. So how big is your $3,100 find?

"Looks to be about 950 sqft, give or take"

Of which a large portion is a long hallway to hell.

Here's more on the listing:

"112-116 7th Avenue

Comes available August 1, 2009
Description 204 W. 17th Street-Apt. 3C- Two bedroom, Eat-in-Kitchen, Oak floors, lots of closet space.
Monthly Rent $3,100.00 / month"

Does yours have an eat-in kitchen?

NO!

LICC is now InFamous, as well! After being tech_guy for all those months!

"I spend another wonderful afternoon yesterday at the Gantry Park in LIC. It's quietly becoming the place to be during the summer months."

Very quietly. So quietly in fact, that no one knows about it.

"Tons of woman and bathing suits."

You mean there were fat women in bikinis swimming in sewage and industrial waste?

Yuck.

> It's quietly becoming the place to be during the summer months. Tons of woman and bathing suits.

Yes, for all the other folks who can't afford Manhattan and the hamptons.

Coney Island and Jones Beach get pretty filled with "tons of woman". In the hapmtons they don't quite weight a ton though.

InFamous - have you visited Water Taxi Beach yet?

steve keeps hating, and hating, and hating . . .

"Description 204 W. 17th Street-Apt. 3C- Two bedroom, Eat-in-Kitchen, Oak floors, lots of closet space.
Monthly Rent $3,100.00 / month"
Does yours have an eat-in kitchen?
NO!"

So broker-speak for an unseen "eat-in-kitchen" gets you all excited when you dismiss another broker claiming "two master bedrooms"? Come on Steve, your bias is clear here - if you want to stick to your party line, go nuts, but it's getting harder and harder to take you seriously when you dismiss things so matter-of-factly when the truth is something else.

Nothing like swimming in water covered with spilled fuel and toilet water from ferries. Makes you want to jump into the Hudson at Battery Park!

No i haven't, but eventually i will...

The new park and the crowd was perfect yesterday. I took a friend to the area yesterday and he loved it. Without a doubt, the area has the most beautiful woman sun bathing in all of NYC. I also brought a soccer ball and we made our way to the baseball/soccer field by eastcoast. I heard that East coast is starting construction of the more rental units in a few months. This area is really going to rock when they complete the rest of the park by the Pepsi signs.

"the area has the most beautiful woman sun bathing in all of NYC."

What's her name?

Oh wait, sorry. I get it. You mean the plural of "woman," which would be "womans."

"The most beautiful womans" "in tons of bathing suits."

"Come on Steve, your bias is clear here"

I said there was insufficient information on either property to judge their worth. What is so biased about that?

Ha.

Yes, I hear the eurotrash is skipping the hamptons this year, and heading to Newtown Creek.

"This area is really going to rock when they complete the rest of the park by the Pepsi signs."

Thing is, the pepsi signs are for the manhattanites to read. By LIC logic, doesn't that make the other side better?

nyc, don't you know that in Long Island City all the signs are written backwards. Pepsi, Swingline, Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.