Hi all. Anyone have tips for rental-search things I might do when I visit Manhattan for a long weekend in May? I'm coming out to get more of a resident's feel for neighborhoods. I probably won't be searching in earnest until autumn or winter. Listings I've seen (here on SE) that seem attractive put me in UWS, UES, Chelsea, or the East Village, so I'll focus on those neighborhoods, but am remaining... [more]
Hi all. Anyone have tips for rental-search things I might do when I visit Manhattan for a long weekend in May? I'm coming out to get more of a resident's feel for neighborhoods. I probably won't be searching in earnest until autumn or winter.
Listings I've seen (here on SE) that seem attractive put me in UWS, UES, Chelsea, or the East Village, so I'll focus on those neighborhoods, but am remaining open (a friend has even suggested Inwood). I'd also thought it would be good to get into a few open houses for a sense of what my price range could actually get me.
What else? Does it make sense to make contact with a broker (I might be using one)? Currently, I'm thinking about looking at studios for $2000.
Thanks very much in advance for any help. Thanks also for all the great information I've already gotten from many of you on this site simply by lurking.
-s
[less]
Response by Fairway
over 14 years ago
Posts: 156
Member since: Feb 2011
Brokers would probably blow you off if you tell them that you "won't be searching in earnest until autumn or winter."
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Response by ab_11218
over 14 years ago
Posts: 2017
Member since: May 2009
if you'll be looking in inwood, you might as well look in queens, brooklyn and jersey city. it's 150 blocks from real manhattan.
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Response by NYCREAgent
over 14 years ago
Posts: 156
Member since: Sep 2010
Anything you see now is available now. The inventory and rents will be different in autumn or winter. You shouldn't starting ANY kind of search until 4-6 weeks before your move-in date.
Scott K
Bond New York
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Response by alanhart
over 14 years ago
Posts: 12397
Member since: Feb 2007
I disagree wholehartedly. You should see as many apartments in your price range as possible BEFORE you start your real search, so that you can learn as many of the horrors of the NY rental market as possible now and not later. Particular the pattern lies that rental brokers tell, and their tendency to ignore your criteria.
Learn how to prioritize no kitchen, no closets, badly configured space that doesn't allow for furniture placement, no light, brick-wall view one yard away, noise from restaurant HVAC, et cetera and so on and so forth.
As Scott suggests, you should just tell the rental agent that you're interested in moving right away.
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Response by omega
over 14 years ago
Posts: 61
Member since: Sep 2010
You shouldn't just consider the feel of the neighborhood. You need to consider your commute. Don't fall in love with a neighborhood only to realize that getting to work will be terrible.
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Response by needsadvice
over 14 years ago
Posts: 607
Member since: Jul 2010
You definitely want to check the neighborhoods. Walk around, ask yourself how far is the subway, the grocery store (go in it, how expensive is it?), a cheap meal? Do you feel safe? Walk around in the evenings. The weekend is not a great time actually, Sunday morning the whole city is hung over and what looks sweet and quiet on Sunday could be wall-to-wall traffic on Monday at 6 am.
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Response by NYCREAgent
over 14 years ago
Posts: 156
Member since: Sep 2010
Average rent for a studio RIGHT NOW:
UES: $1943
UWS: $2,118
Chelsea: $2518
EV: $2315
Your best bet is to stay uptown.
Scott K
Bond New York
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Response by NYCREAgent
over 14 years ago
Posts: 156
Member since: Sep 2010
One other thing: Don't meet agents on street corners.
I don't know where you are coming from, but NYC real estate can be quite a shock to newbies. So I agree with Alanhart, go out and see as much as you can while you are here, so you can figure out what to avoid.
Even if you think you have prepared yourself, you will likely be surprised when you actually see apts at how small they are, how brokers call rooms "bedrooms" when they have no windows (are not legally allowed to be labeled bedrooms), at how compact kitchens are (and how little storage they have), at how there are no garbage disposals in Manhattan (or very few), at how bathrooms often have no tub or no shower, at how older apts have the shower in the kitchen, at how extremely noisy lower-floor apts can be, at how there are windows that no sunlight can enter, etc., etc.
So go see what you can while you're here. And Inwood has advantages over Queens and Bklyn, altho it's true it is a long way from midtown, and there are few amenities.
Living in NYC is a trade off -- nobody gets everything they want in a living space. So the sooner you can start to figure out which things are priorities for you, the better.
But make Jersey your last choice. If you can live somewhere in the city, you'll get a lot more out of your experience here. Best of luck.
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Response by helenwaite
over 14 years ago
Posts: 169
Member since: Jan 2009
If you don't have your travel dates set, perhaps you can search for open house calendars and see what look like good, busy dates then travel accordingly. You can usually find things on Friday, Saturday and Sunday so you could get some nice running around done.
Look at places out of your price range and for sale, too. You'll get in a building to get a sense of the vibe, whether it is dirty or stinky and so on.
It could help you with understanding the price ranges, how different the same line in a building can look from unit to unit, help you with ideas on how to use your space and so on.
Too, you will get a little sense of RE companies and agents so's to get biz cards from people you like and know whom to avoid when your time comes.
Oh - and it'll give you a crash course in the terminology here.
What a blast! Have fun.
HW
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Response by newbuyer99
over 14 years ago
Posts: 1231
Member since: Jul 2008
I generally agree with Alanhart - definitely check out the neighborhoods, and perhaps see some places to get a feel for what matters to you, what doesn't, what "market" pricing is like for different things, etc.
I would suggest not working with a broker at all, just try to see some no-fee listings, there are plenty of threads here on how to find them.
"The inventory and rents will be different in autumn or winter". This is flat out wrong. For studios in the areas you are looking at, inventory is pretty generic so anything you see now will be pretty representative of what you see in a few months. Ditto for pricing, barring a major run-up or a major crash. Morever, the differences between "now" and a "a few months from now" are likely dwarfed by the differences between NYC and wherever you're moving from, so getting a feel for NYC RE now would be very valuable.
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Response by singularity
over 14 years ago
Posts: 2
Member since: Apr 2011
Thanks all -- very useful comments! I've heard many of the downside-stories about apartments from NYC friends, so I'm going in with what I believe are realistic expectations. In my 40s, I've bounced around a bit -- Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland -- which is good for the adjustment instincts (and yes -- I know NY is different :) ). For what it's worth, I'd be working from home, so commute isn't really an issue.
Thanks again.
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Response by jim_hones10
over 14 years ago
Posts: 3413
Member since: Jan 2010
If you're going to work from home then spend a bit more and get a one bedroom apt.
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Response by somewhereelse
over 14 years ago
Posts: 7435
Member since: Oct 2009
> UES: $1943
> UWS: $2,118
> Chelsea: $2518
> EV: $2315
> Your best bet is to stay uptown.
Agreed. Had some friends do the hunt. UES has some of the best values on the low side right now, including stuff not too far from the express stop. Of course, 2nd ave. has something to do with it... but if you're between 2nd and 3rd, it is well worth the tradeoff. Overall, the neighborhood just hasn't been anywhere near hot for a while... but there is a reason it used to be the most expensive neighborhood overall (and its best parts are still the most expensive in the city, and not very far away).
Brokers would probably blow you off if you tell them that you "won't be searching in earnest until autumn or winter."
if you'll be looking in inwood, you might as well look in queens, brooklyn and jersey city. it's 150 blocks from real manhattan.
Anything you see now is available now. The inventory and rents will be different in autumn or winter. You shouldn't starting ANY kind of search until 4-6 weeks before your move-in date.
Scott K
Bond New York
I disagree wholehartedly. You should see as many apartments in your price range as possible BEFORE you start your real search, so that you can learn as many of the horrors of the NY rental market as possible now and not later. Particular the pattern lies that rental brokers tell, and their tendency to ignore your criteria.
Learn how to prioritize no kitchen, no closets, badly configured space that doesn't allow for furniture placement, no light, brick-wall view one yard away, noise from restaurant HVAC, et cetera and so on and so forth.
As Scott suggests, you should just tell the rental agent that you're interested in moving right away.
You shouldn't just consider the feel of the neighborhood. You need to consider your commute. Don't fall in love with a neighborhood only to realize that getting to work will be terrible.
You definitely want to check the neighborhoods. Walk around, ask yourself how far is the subway, the grocery store (go in it, how expensive is it?), a cheap meal? Do you feel safe? Walk around in the evenings. The weekend is not a great time actually, Sunday morning the whole city is hung over and what looks sweet and quiet on Sunday could be wall-to-wall traffic on Monday at 6 am.
Average rent for a studio RIGHT NOW:
UES: $1943
UWS: $2,118
Chelsea: $2518
EV: $2315
Your best bet is to stay uptown.
Scott K
Bond New York
One other thing: Don't meet agents on street corners.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2011/03/28/2011-03-28_brooklyn_con_artist_poses_as_real_estate_agent_and_scams_security_deposits_from_.html
Scott K
Bond New York
I don't know where you are coming from, but NYC real estate can be quite a shock to newbies. So I agree with Alanhart, go out and see as much as you can while you are here, so you can figure out what to avoid.
Even if you think you have prepared yourself, you will likely be surprised when you actually see apts at how small they are, how brokers call rooms "bedrooms" when they have no windows (are not legally allowed to be labeled bedrooms), at how compact kitchens are (and how little storage they have), at how there are no garbage disposals in Manhattan (or very few), at how bathrooms often have no tub or no shower, at how older apts have the shower in the kitchen, at how extremely noisy lower-floor apts can be, at how there are windows that no sunlight can enter, etc., etc.
So go see what you can while you're here. And Inwood has advantages over Queens and Bklyn, altho it's true it is a long way from midtown, and there are few amenities.
Living in NYC is a trade off -- nobody gets everything they want in a living space. So the sooner you can start to figure out which things are priorities for you, the better.
But make Jersey your last choice. If you can live somewhere in the city, you'll get a lot more out of your experience here. Best of luck.
If you don't have your travel dates set, perhaps you can search for open house calendars and see what look like good, busy dates then travel accordingly. You can usually find things on Friday, Saturday and Sunday so you could get some nice running around done.
Look at places out of your price range and for sale, too. You'll get in a building to get a sense of the vibe, whether it is dirty or stinky and so on.
It could help you with understanding the price ranges, how different the same line in a building can look from unit to unit, help you with ideas on how to use your space and so on.
Too, you will get a little sense of RE companies and agents so's to get biz cards from people you like and know whom to avoid when your time comes.
Oh - and it'll give you a crash course in the terminology here.
What a blast! Have fun.
HW
I generally agree with Alanhart - definitely check out the neighborhoods, and perhaps see some places to get a feel for what matters to you, what doesn't, what "market" pricing is like for different things, etc.
I would suggest not working with a broker at all, just try to see some no-fee listings, there are plenty of threads here on how to find them.
"The inventory and rents will be different in autumn or winter". This is flat out wrong. For studios in the areas you are looking at, inventory is pretty generic so anything you see now will be pretty representative of what you see in a few months. Ditto for pricing, barring a major run-up or a major crash. Morever, the differences between "now" and a "a few months from now" are likely dwarfed by the differences between NYC and wherever you're moving from, so getting a feel for NYC RE now would be very valuable.
Thanks all -- very useful comments! I've heard many of the downside-stories about apartments from NYC friends, so I'm going in with what I believe are realistic expectations. In my 40s, I've bounced around a bit -- Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland -- which is good for the adjustment instincts (and yes -- I know NY is different :) ). For what it's worth, I'd be working from home, so commute isn't really an issue.
Thanks again.
If you're going to work from home then spend a bit more and get a one bedroom apt.
> UES: $1943
> UWS: $2,118
> Chelsea: $2518
> EV: $2315
> Your best bet is to stay uptown.
Agreed. Had some friends do the hunt. UES has some of the best values on the low side right now, including stuff not too far from the express stop. Of course, 2nd ave. has something to do with it... but if you're between 2nd and 3rd, it is well worth the tradeoff. Overall, the neighborhood just hasn't been anywhere near hot for a while... but there is a reason it used to be the most expensive neighborhood overall (and its best parts are still the most expensive in the city, and not very far away).