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Bushwick, Brooklyn - Emerging Neighborhood or Pure Hype / Lies??

Julnyes — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 12:48:14 -0800

Moving within Brooklyn - Should I consider Bushwick as a potential neighborhood? So my sister’s and I have started to look on Craigslist for apartments (previous) and we have some questions. We would like to hear from people who currently live in or recently moved out of the following neighborhoods – Bushwick, Bed-Stuy and East Williamsburg.

We see a lot of listing for these neighborhoods with excellent rental prices and ample square footage, but these neighborhoods are completely unknown to us and we don’t want to jump in to a rental contract blind.

Currently two of us live in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn and one of us lives in The South Bronx. We would like our neighborhood to be on par with Clinton Hill / Fort Greene or better.

So if you know these neighborhoods as they currently are, please give me your opinions on amenities, safety, transportation hassles, etc.

Living near Yankee Stadium?

shivohum — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 20:49:19 -0800

Anyone have any experiences with or impressions of the neighborhood immediately around Yankee Stadium? I'm considering living there and commuting to midtown Manhattan. I know it's cheap--what are the other pros and cons?

Paint chips keep falling on my head

Frank Grimes — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 12:06:10 -0800

Rain damaged my apartment's ceiling. What rights and remedies do I have as a tenant? I live in a top floor apartment in New York City. I came home on Friday to find an approximately 1' x 1' hole in the ceiling where the paint and plaster had peeled off the ceiling and exposed insulation. A little bit of water and some paint chips were on my rug and the floor. The area is next to a chimney and, judging from the patches, has been repaired before.

Of course I would like this to be repaired, but I am worried about lead paint, asbestos, and other bad stuff that is in the ceiling. Since it is a studio, I do not have another room to move my stuff into.

Since it is the weekend, the super knows, but no repairs have been made and I would rather them not be made without being able to get my belongings out of the way. I called 311 about the lead paint hazard, but I have to file a complaint before they will come test and I need to talk to the landlord first (no calls have been returned because it is the weekend).

1) Can I get out of my lease because of this?
2) Does the landlord subsidize my move?
3) What is the typical solution to this problem?

Do I want to live in Manhattan?

lxs — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 18:33:10 -0800

New Yorkers - do I want to move to Greenwich Village? I'm currently living in Brooklyn (Park Slope) and am considering taking a room in the West Village. Since I moved to NYC, I've found myself thinking that I'd like to live in Manhattan, but now that I'm actually in a position to do so, am still a little nervous of committing to it. Sure, I can move if I don't like it, but I'd really rather not for awhile if I can avoid it. I've visited the neighborhood and like it, but walking around the place and actually living there are very distinct things, of course. Can anyone offer any insight on living in Greenwich Village or, failing that, on the transition from Brooklyn (or anywhere) to Manhattan life? What should I prepare myself for? Things you wish you would have considered before making the plunge? How would you characterize the Village and people who live there? FWIW, I'm a 25/f in grad school and working in the arts.

Finding the elusive, decent Brooklyn apartment?

condorman — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 15:15:04 -0800

How do you find a better-than-decent apartment in Brooklyn without having to spend two weeks working on it full-time, and without paying a ridiculous broker's fee? So I've been in an Upper West Side sublet for about 3 months now and its time to move. A friend of mine is moving in to town and we are looking for a 2Br in Brooklyn for around $1600-$1800 to move-in Sep. 1st. I know there have been previous posts about apartment hunting in Brooklyn, but times are changing and new neighborhoods are popping up. I have tried going to a realtor but they are consistently showing me dark, cramped spaces in neighborhoods I feel scared to walk through.

i also try Craiglist, but I end up spending way too much time searching online, then even more time travelling to brooklyn, and even more time trying to find the place when i get there. I've heard apartment hunting in NY is hell, and now i'm knee-deep. HELP?

What documents should a Canadian bring along when apartment-hunting in New York?

limon — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 09:58:24 -0800

Canadian moving to New York in September. Apartment-hunting in August. No credit history. Going to be a graduate student, so no fat salary either. But I can get a guarantor with ample funds, and I can pay several months in advance, if it's necessary. What documents should I bring with me to New York? Also, is this going to be impossible? How much time should I set aside for apartment hunting? (Is two-three weeks too little?) I'm looking for an affordable 1 bedroom in Washington Heights or Inwood. Any other relevant tips much appreciated.

How can I officially get dibs on this NYC room share?

lxs — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 14:45:17 -0800

Getting an room in NYC question...with a twist. I'm currently deep in the throes of trying to find a room share situation in NYC while living in the midwest. I finally came across something that sounds really promising - the location is absolutely perfect, the price is right, the roommates are exactly the type of people I was hoping for, and the start date for the room's availability is exactly when I was hoping to move.

The bad news is that flights are freaking expensive right now and I really need my money for those first few months in New York. Also, I work long hours and many weekends and so it's really not going to be easy for me to take a trip to look at the place. I've seen a good number of pictures of it, however. I also have a good friend who lives in the neighborhood and knows it well, who is willing to go take a look at the apartment for me.

My question is this - the people living in the apt and I seem to have hit it off pretty well, and it seems like they want me there enough, based on our phone conversations, that they are willing to let me move in without interviewing in person. If this ends up working out, what is the safest way for me to send payment for a security deposit, guarantee that the room will be held for me, etc.? I would not be on the lease for the apartment. The people definitely seem trustworthy, but I want to cover all my bases and not put myself in a precarious situation financially.

When do I start looking for an apartment in NYC?

goingonit — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 11:31:54 -0800

I accepted a job in New York City that starts midsummer. I'm in school until the end of May. When do I start looking for a place to live? I'm willing to spend plenty of time looking for a place, but I have a feeling that if I were to scout around the city now, even if I were to find anything they'd be expecting me to move in earlier than I can. I don't want to move in until July (June at the earliest). With that in mind:

-Should I be prepared to move in immediately upon signing?
-Should I put this out of my mind now, get to the city in mid-June and just focus on finding a place until I do? Or is that too risky?
-What can I profitably do right now?

Thanks!

How do I stop repeated door-to-door solicitation, inside a NYC apartment building?

lorimer — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 11:43:37 -0800

How do I stop repeated door-to-door solicitation, inside a NYC apartment building? It wakes me up (I have to sleep during day shift) and it's really frustrating. Every couple of weeks I get a doorbell ring from a salesperson trying to get me to switch from the main energy provider in nyc (ConEdison) to another gas & electric supplier.

(This is a building where anyone will be let in if they wait by the outside door -- there's no way for me to change this, it's universal behavior among 100+ tenants.)

When these people ring and you ask who it is, first they say, "gas and electric," obviously trying to get people to think they're from ConEd. When pressed, the guy today said he was with "IDT Energy."

I told him his company needed to permanently mark my apartment as one they should never visit. Instead he started to get in an argument with me, saying "We're just helping people; we're trying to help you save on your energy costs." He wouldn't give me a phone # or business card.

Even assuming these are actually sales agents (as opposed to people costumed as sales agents just seeing who's home or not), this is a serious problem for me because I work at night and need to sleep during the day shift.

I did call 911 (there is no way to phone police here except 911) and told them there was someone knocking on every door in my building, asked if a cop could come and see what the guy was doing. The operator said they would send someone but no cops have come in an hour (I'm sure this is a very low priority for them).

So is this legal? Whether or not it is, what can I do about it? If it's illegal I was thinking of having a sign made for the building's front door, "DOOR-TO-DOOR SOLICITATION IS ILLEGAL. POLICE WILL BE CALLED AND BUSINESS WILL BE FINED $__," or whatever the legal consequence is.

Although: I told today's guy I was calling the cops but then they didn't come, so it appeared to him as an empty threat.

I have an absentee management (my building is one of many owned by a big management company, miles away in another borough), no single "landlord" lives here and certainly no doorman. I left them a message but if they ever return it (not likely, you usually have to leave a few messages to get a callback) I'm not sure what to ask them for.

I'm sorry I haven't googled this thoroughly before posting, I'm just really sleepy and frustrated. I was hoping somebody here knows already.

Can I just sleep in the lab?

you're a kitty! — Thu, 31 May 2007 19:15:06 -0800

I'm moving to Ithaca, NY for grad school, but it's tough to find housing from a distance. Any suggestions regarding rentals and neighborhoods? I'll be a first-year graduate student at Cornell in the fall, and unfortunately I can't afford to fly out to Ithaca again to find an apartment. I've spent a lot of time online, including at the Cornell Housing site, but I'm still sort of lost. My priorities include a safe neighborhood with good nearby bus routes (I'm female, and will likely be returning home late at night), and, if possible, the ability to bike to campus in the summertime; but I realize that would probably require living at the top of the hill, which might not be feasible. I won't have a car.
I also have some doubts about just what sort of living situation to aim for. I enjoy living with my current roommate, but I'm concerned about signing up to live with someone I've never met. I'm strongly against signing up to live with a larger group. So my preference is either for a one-bedroom apartment in a busy complex, or a two-bedroom a bit further afield. I've already been denied campus-owned housing, so that's not an option.
Any general suggestions for good realtors/websites/resources? Experience with different neighborhoods? I found an older post regarding housebuying in Ithaca, but rentals are significantly different. If anyone remembers their first year of graduate school and has advice on choosing (or not choosing) a roommate, that would be much appreciated too. Thanks!

Shouldn't our landlord sign the lease too?

edlundart — Mon, 28 May 2007 20:11:30 -0800

We signed a lease (2 copies) on a new apartment in NYC, at our broker's office. The 2 copies were sent to the management company. As promised, the management company sent one of the copies back to us about a week later. It's got our original signatures, but the landlord didn't sign it! The line for the landlord's signature is empty. Doesn't this mean that we're bound to the terms of the contract, but the landlord is not? It seems very wrong. Is it normal? Should we demand a copy of the lease with the signatures of both parties on it?

NYC broker recommendations

twoporedomain — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 07:29:26 -0800

NYC broker recommendations and resources The boyfriend and I are hoping to move within Manhattan soon, and are in the uniquely advantageous position of having a flexible end-date to our current lease, having the budget to afford an apartment in our ideal neighborhoods, and having most of the moving and brokerage costs reimbursed by his company. This last point, combined with our laziness, means that we want to go through a broker. I’ve read previous threads about renting in New York (1, 2, 3, 4), and understand that there is a strong anti-brokerage firm sentiment here. But given that we’ve already decided to use one, can you help us out with the following:

1. Recommendations for (or against) a particular firm or agent? We are especially interested in brokers that cover Chelsea and the West Village areas. Personal recommendations or anecdotes are appreciated, as well as links to helpful forums.

2. I’ve read that late summer/early fall is the worst time to look for apartments. How true is this? And does going through a broker mitigate this at all?

3. How long can we expect this process to take, given that hopefully most of the legwork will be done by someone else?

Thanks all!

Can a low credit score keep me from my Brooklyn dream?

youcancallmeal — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 20:00:48 -0800

What credit score is a minumum requirement for an apartment in NYC? More info: I'll be looking in Brooklyn, specifically Greenpoint/Williamsburg. I might be able to have my dad co-sign if neccesary. Does that even really help? I got my credit report/score recently and while I'm already getting on with fixing it, I move in May and I'm starting to panic.

How do I pick the right tenants to sublet (or swap for) my apartment, and how do I help them feel at home?

allterrainbrain — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 16:05:12 -0800

Have you done a short-term sublet (or housing swap)? If you were the renter: how did you evaluate applicants, and how did you help your subletter feel at home? If you were the subletter: what worked, and what do you wish the renter had done for you or told you? I'll be subletting my apartment in NYC but I'd love to hear from people in all areas & situations. I'll be allowed to sublet my rent-stabilized apt if I give advance written notice. I will ask to make sure, but I assume the same rule would apply if I did a housing swap (where two people in different cities trade apts, with no exchange of money).

I'll give details here but will divide them into three parts (in case there's only one part you care about).

• CHOOSING PEOPLE:
I'm not worried about finding enough applicants (since my rent is low both in absolute terms and relative to location/niceness), but I don't know how to evaluate these applicants. Other mefi threads emphasize checking references -- but "references" are almost as easy to fake as self-decriptions are (as a seven-year New Yorker, I've seen my share of people lying in all kinds of contexts, especially real estate). I don't care about financial references since I will ask for the rent up front, but I really care about find people I can count on to do what I'm asking (keep the place clean, water my plants, never smoke inside).

• WELCOMING PEOPLE:
I plan to
- orient each subletter in person on the first day;
- leave welcome stuff (some food & toiletries, a Metrocard & subway map, and my general NYC maps & books);
- put together a good neighborhood guide & map (all the local food/services/etc.);
- leave a page of apt stuff (landlord contacts, plant watering instructions, etc.); and of course,
- leave everything clean & leave space free for their stuff.

What else would a subletter appreciate? Also, I think I should allow couples to apply as well as single people -- are there advantages or disadvantages of subletting to couples, or swapping (:)) with couples?

• PAYMENTS & TIMING:
I'm planning to do a few short sublet blocks (ranging from 2 to 8 weeks -- maybe 3.5 months total) over the course of each year. So I think in each case, I should ask for all rent up front (payable on the arrival day), plus a small security/damage deposit (payable in advance to ensure against flaking?) which I'll refund in cash when we meet at my place on the departure day. On my end, I'll pay these months in advance to my landlord, and I'll make a big advance payment to the utility company.

I pay for electricity & cooking gas, so I guess I should estimate a fair-but-safe max usage and include that in one "all utilities paid" rent amount? If I end up getting broadband at home (still undecided since there are so many free-wifi places around), I'll just include its cost in the amount. I have a white iBook I can leave for the subletter to use in the apt & take out to free-wifi places (so if a subletter wanted to use it, I'd make a fresh user account for them and I'd make their security/damage deposit include the iBook's current value).

I also need to figure out some way to ensure people won't flake with little or no notice. And if the only real anti-flaking insurance is an advance deposit, then I need to figure out how an out-of-town person can trust *me* enough for that (since of course I could be totally faking my apt pics & info, to collect "deposits"). If they're able, would it help for them to video chat with me while I'm in the apt, so I can show them stuff live & answer their questions?

Thanks for your thoughts on any of this!

Help my friend find an apartment in NYC

unexpected — Tue, 26 Dec 2006 15:46:33 -0800

Asking for a friend: Help me find a cheap, safe, and convenient apartment in the Big Apple. My friend needs a place in NYC starting in January. We know Craiglist is the best place for finding specific apartment, but as Native Texans, we have no idea about what areas to love, what areas to avoid (Brooklyn?, Queens?, Harlem?, New Jersey? It's all the same to us), etc.

Here are the requirements:

1) Safety. Young female who doesn't know her way around New York, so area should be near major subway/other transportation lines.

2) Price: <= $1600 a month

3) 1BR or Studio. Desperately trying to avoid the random roommate search on craigslist.

4) Convenience. Workplace is in downtown Manhattan. This is last on the list, but it'd be a bonus if place was close to work (commute-time wise, we know it's going to be impossible to find a place in Manhattan in this range)

How to cheaply furnish a Manhattan apartment?

onthestereo — Wed, 20 Dec 2006 07:42:45 -0800

How can I cheaply furnish a Manhattan apartment? I'm a student moving into my first apartment in New York. While this isn't my first time living there, my previous experiences have been in NYU dorms, where things like bookshelves, beds, and other furniture were provided.

Does anyone out there have suggestions as to how to cheaply get things like beds, couches, and bookshelves in Manhattan? I'm going to be in the Hell's Kitchen area, and the less I have to spend on delivery, the better.

How do I get over my fear of moving in NYC?

scazza — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 09:00:28 -0800

How do I get over my fear of moving? How do New Yorkers deal with this overblown rental market? My fiance and I are moving. We need an apartment with rooms and walls (living in a one room loft is hard on a couple), I'd like to be able to walk to the park like I could in Chicago, I'd like trees on the street (Park Slope/Windsor Terrace). But mostly we need walls, oh and our current apartment is way overpriced for this shit neighborhood.

The last time I moved it was really bad. I regretted moving to New York at all. Chicago to New York, lost the apartment we had halfway there, drove through the aftermath of hurricane Ivan, stayed in an extended stay place on Long Island for 2 weeks with my cat and plants, we put our stuff in storage while we looked for a place, no one would take us, finally we get a place, we get in an accident with our rental car while moving in, and our new apartment has 12' windows with no shades for weeks, and we have no furniture and no money and no jobs. It took about 2 months for things to get settled at all.

I know there are a lot of factors in that story (the accident, the hotel, no furniture, no jobs, no money, the chicago to nyc transition) that don't apply here. We actually have a place to live right now. But, I feel a small fear that that is going to happen again, everything falling apart, that that is what moving in NYC has to be. I feel that I'm getting paralysed in the face of it and that I'll just put off looking for an apartment. I'm scared of dismantling what was such a struggle to put together, the packing, putting my things in boxes again. I'm scared of dealing with New York brokers.

So should I just not make it personal? Is that possible?
Stay motivated by keeping in mind why I have to move, what I need, at all times?
Emphasize the differences between where I am now, maybe being a more attractive renter, with our situation back then?
How do I deal with a system I beleive is fundamentally wrong, unfair, and exploitative?

I think I need to get out of my own head, so all outside advice is appreciated. Any moving sites, articles that have addressed moving in nyc are appreciated as well.

How to avoid paying an insane broker's fee when renting a Manhattan apartment?

Afroblanco — Sat, 08 Jul 2006 13:41:04 -0800

How to avoid paying an insane broker's fee when renting a Manhattan apartment? My roommate and I are looking to move into a 2-bedroom apartment on Sept. 1.

All of the brokers that I found on Craigslist say the same thing - "You're moving at the worst time of the year, and our fee is 15% of annual rent."

There don't seem to be too many non-broker options.

What are some strategies for getting around this? As far as I see it, Craigslist has already failed us.

Being a New NeighborFilter

softlord — Fri, 10 Jun 2005 16:53:31 -0800

Does anyone have any suggestions for a good way to get in good with my new neighbors? I'm about to sign my name to a lease on a brand new apartment in an area where I dont really know anyone (Queens, NYC).

I'm planning on having a housewarming fiesta to which they will be invited (I'm leaving the door open and posting signs), but is there anything in particular you would suggest to let them know that I'm not a psycho and that they should feel free to pop in for tea?

What would make you say "Hey thats pretty cool of him" when you have a new neighbor in your building?

Partitioning a large studio apartment

condour75 — Tue, 16 Dec 2003 15:23:23 -0800

I'm moving into NYC for the first time. It's a studio, but a relatively large one, and I'd like to partition it. I've looked mainly at shoji screens, but I'd rather not take up the extra space with the accordion footprint. I don't want to spend a huge amount of money, or do anything that requires a permit. What are some creative options?; for_name=condour75 and follow up question: any other advice for a NYC newbie?