Advice re. UWS rentals for family?

nybits is an oft-cited resource. For rentals of condos and coops, I recommend the doorman grapevine. Talk to the guys at the door of mid-tier buildings that have a lot of turnover and/or open listings (recent examples: 275 West 96th, 2166 Broadway, 110 West 86th, 755 West End, etc.), especially if there Streeteasy shows some recent rental activity. They might be able to hook you up with somebody who would be interested in renting. Just remember the source at Christmas time; compared to a broker fee, a generous tip is a small price to pay, and it will yield dividends throughout your tenure in the building.

We got our rental on the UWS through Urbansherpany.com. It has a very comprehensive list of apartments on the UWS and UES and most are no fee apartments. Having said that, the going rate for a 3 bedroom of the size that you are looking for in a building with ammenities is $7,500+. Since you are looking for something under market rate, you should also use West81st approach and talk to the doormen in some of the condo buildings.

I've lived in Related Rentals' apartments before and can't recommend them highly enough. Others on these discussion boards seem to loathe Related.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I will check out the mentioned buildings and websites. 3BR 7500+? Wow, that is pretty steep. I thought if going up towards 90's, the rents would be more reasonable. Might be a reason to check out the UES, as it may be better priced?

UES further East towards York is definitely cheaper. Also, in the 90's on both the Eastside and Westside.

""I thought if going up towards 90's, the rents would be more reasonable. ""

Nope, that's prime area on the UWS.

Agree with Squid. "Prime" has changed over the past few years. Prime is sconsidered up to 96th Street. and almost prime to 110th, specifically west from Broadway to Riverside. You may be able to find what you're looking for from 96th to 110th. Exception: Riverside, up to 116th is considered prime, so a large 3 bedroom will be more in 7k range, I believe.

Here's the mgt co. for 154 West 70th. http://www.carnegiehillprop.com/content.asp?id=5. There's a 3 bed for under 6 (I bet they're negotiable). I believe it's the same company that manages the building at 78th & Amsterdam (on top of West Side Cottage). Also try to find out who manages the building on top of Niko's on 76th & Bway (I believe it's mostly classic 6es & 7es). There's also 424 West End Avenue, which is no-fee.

There are also a couple of rental buildings on 86th street between Broadway & Columbus - not sure how you get in touch with the management company. Solil (late Lily Goldman's RE holding company) owns a lot of buildings on the Upper West Side - if you can magically get hold of them, you will bypass the broker.

http://www.urbansherpany.com/OwnerHome/145/Solil%20Management

25 west 68th is a rental building, I believe they have 5-room apartments.

The Lyric (94th and B'way) and the Sagamore (90th and Amsterdam) are two full-service Related rental buildings in the area that are well run and offer all the amenities you desire. Not sure you can get a 3BR for under $6k, but it's worth a try.

Yes, the Lyric was the name of the Related building I lived in. Couldn't remember it, thanks. Excellent service and very kid/family friendly. Actually it is so kid/family friendly that it's one reason I moved out. Go there when kids are getting out of school and it's like nursery school run amok. Does not work for me but it definitely works for all the families there. And the building is very well-maintained with responsive staff.

No chance of getting 3BRs at the Lyric or Sagamore for $6K - but the website has the listings so check. We were looking for 3 BRs on the UWS in August in the $6K's and found nothing at all. Had to go to the upper $7's to get even a classic 6. Big at about 1600 sf, but not an actual 3 bedroom. Archstone has 2 buildings on the West 90's that were full service and had 3BR
s, but they were closer to $7K. Maybe prices have changed. Good luck.

Also look at 145 west 67th - it's a no-fee. Other smaller buildings in my neighborhood are 251 West 71st (don't know the management co.), 226 West 71st and 220 West 71st.

There are a couple of rental buildings on West 79th bet. CPW & Columbus.

On another (but related) topic.... what are the specs of the loft in the garment district? Is it still available when you leave?

susanb - yes, loft will be available (that is - if we find a place to live elsewhere...). happy to discuss details offline, pls email me at janskeny@earthlink.net.

3-bedroom for under $6K is very, very doable (less so if you "need" a dining room to go with it). We're looking for similar on UES, UWS and midtown, and are definitely finding options, some even under $5K. However, we are fine with 1200SF or so, which makes a big difference vs. your 1500SF requirement. On the other hand, we insist on a balcony or other private outdoor space, which limits us a fair amount.

UWS in the 90s gets cheaper along broadway, amsterdam and columbus, at least in my experience. UES gets cheaper on york and sometimes East End. For instance,
http://www.streeteasy.com/nyc/rental/370036-110-east-end-avenue-yorkville-new-york

Also, Glenwood has a bunch of buildings on York with either real or convertible 3-bedrooms for $6K or under. The real 3-bedroom at the Pavilion is listed at $6495, which gets you under $6K with the free month rent. Many of the others are cheaper, but I would guess smaller than 1500SF

Also, if you're ok with duplex on first floor and basement, you get MUCH more for your money, even with a garden. We never liked those, but that's personal preference.

I find NYT hugely inefficient, but there are some gems in there if you're willing to put in the time to sift through the garbage to find them. You may also want to peruse the legitimate broker websites (elliman, corcoran, halstead, bhs) for condos and perhaps even coops for rent. Sometimes those are great deals.

Otherwise, I echo everyone else's comments about contacting management companies directly.

drdr -

check this out:
http://newyork.craigslist.org/mnh/abo/943635399.html

Doesn't work for us - no balcony. Not sure if it's big enough for you, but it's a legit 3-bedroom with a dining room for under $5K. Area is not ideal, and the green walls are ugly. It's Columbus House 95 west 95th street. Not sure if you can figure out a way to contact the building directly, or have to go through a broker. If the latter, I have a guy I can recommend who works with that building, rather than the liar who posted under "by owners only" on craig's list, but doesn't give an address.

West 81st - What do you mean by "mid-tier buildings"?

nyc10023- Thanks for the info on buildings w/ classic 6es & 7es. Does anyone know of other buildings between West 60's-80's that like this?

We'll be in the market for a 2/3 bedroom in the late summer '09 (hopefully under $6000) so this info is very helpful.

""Area is not ideal, and the green walls are ugly. It's Columbus House 95 west 95th street.""

That area is not only 'not ideal', it can get super-sketchy, esp at night.

420 West End is another building with Classic 6es and 7es that's all rentals. Not sure how you bypass the broker though.

Squid, would you mind elaborating? I know the area a bit, but not too well. We're seeing another apartment very close by this weekend, but sketchy is a problem. Thanks.

the upper 90s and low 100s are not as nice as the Morningside Heights area by Columbia. It may also be cheaper. You may want to look between 103 and 116th West of Broadway