Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with nyc and moving

Building home across the pond

zvs — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:47:40 -0800

Make London work. Help a beleaguered New Yorker figure out how to acclimate. Griping follows. So, there's a decent chance I'll be trying to move to London next year for school and work. No visa issues (EU passport), no language issues, no real issues at all -- except that when I've visited London, it Just. Doesn't. Work. For me.

New York to London shouldn't be a big culture shock, right? But for some reason I've never found anywhere there that felt nearly as comfortable or useful as Brooklyn. I don't feel like I can pop in somewhere for quick food, I can't find any life (not nightlife) after 8 PM, I can't find more groceries than a Tesco Express... I realize some of these aren't reasonable London expectations, but that won't stop me from building a little homey bubble around myself!

So, your tips are welcomed for this oddly specific question: where's the appropriate London district that's similar to home? It doesn't have to be terribly central or TOO cheap. If you're familiar with both cities, comparable neighborhoods in New York would be Astoria, or Greenpoint, or Carroll Gardens -- the last three places I liked. All of them are sort of quiet, insulated, and very dense. A little off the beaten path.

The closest I found to something like this in London was the area near St-John-At-Hackney, and that wasn't all that close. Pleasant though.

(I've seen this, but it's not really what I mean)

Adios NY- i will miss you

octomato — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:14:08 -0800

Leaving NYC after 3 years. What shouldn't I miss out on these next 2 months. Within the past 3 months my life has quickly changed drastically. I have decided to leave NYC after 3 years of living/working here and move back to my native island. What things should I do/see/eat/drink/experience before I leave. I am not working anymore and have a limited budget, but will splurge a bit if it's worth it. I will be moving back by December 21st.

Thanks!

Moving In Wintertime

scrutiny — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:10:15 -0800

My wife and I are moving from NYC to Denver in the middle of January. We'll likely be shipping some stuff and then driving. I've never moved during the winter, so I'm looking for advice from people who have moved through snow or know of any issues getting to Denver around January. Best routes? I've moved often, but it's always been in the summer. We plan on taking things slow - no reason to get into an accident - but I want to be sure there's not some other salient feature that I won't know about until it's actually too late.

I know what I want to do, so if you've advice on how best to do it, please be my guest!

Previously, about winterizing cars in Denver

Egypt Was Good Enough for King Tut

NolanRyanHatesMatches — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 21:51:34 -0800

MovingFarAwayFilter: GF is dead-set on moving from Brooklyn to Cairo, Egypt, for at least a year. I'm pretty resistant to the idea since I love NYC and, if forced to move outside the US, there are hundreds of cities I'd rather move to. I desperately need some 1st/2nd person accounts of living in Cairo / Egypt to help make this decision. General background: we both work for magazines in NYC, are in our late-20s, social, pretty culturally-oriented (go to concerts/readings/etc. as often as possible, go to parties -- of friends, at warehouses, etc. -- regularly on the weekends), and generally live the lives that you might expect from young, social Brooklynites.

Her background: works in literature/poetry, certified Third Culture Kid, moved around as part of a US State Dept. family every two years, has lived in various Middle Eastern countries (including Cairo in high school for two years), speaks and reads Arabic at a decent level, is desperate to move away from the US, seeks "adventure" but scoffs at the idea of living anywhere in Central America, South America, and Europe. Seems to be basically zeroed-in on Cairo, Alexandria, or another Middle Eastern country. I've floated the idea of staying somewhere / various places for three-four months at a time, but she would rather spend one or two years in one place. At present time, she also seems to value moving away more than job prospects, so she's not necessarily looking for an editing/writing job.

I grew up knowing that I'd move to NYC and have loved living here, love our extended group of friends, love pretty much everything the city offers. My job is here (although could be done, with some effort, outside of the city), my friends are here, and so is my heart. I really, really don't want to move (but love to travel, just not relocate). But, I love my GF (long-term) more than any of it, and she wants to head out, no question.

Were I forced to move, I'd probably pick either a metropolitan city in Central America, South Amerca, or Europe: Mexico City, Quito, Buenos Aires, Sao Paolo, Lima, Belmopan, Barcelona, London, Dublin, Rome, Budapest, Vienna, Berlin, etc.); or, a sleepier town, bucolic town in C/S America or Europe, of which I know hundreds, and there are probably thousands that I don't know about that I would love.

Basically, what are the chances that I would enjoy living in Cairo? How heavy is the cultural bend towards Arab/Muslin trends? Will there be clubs to go to at night? Might I enjoy the music scene there? Is there a healthy cultural conversation w/r/t Western literature? Would I be somewhat shocked by what the law disallows? Is there a chance that I'll feel as if I'm in a European metropolis? Will I have a tough time continuing my online work from Cairo? Can I get by with English, or will I have to spend serious time learning Arabic? I get the feeling that I might like Cairo over other big Middle Eastern cities, but I can't shake the supposition that I'd other big cities that I know and love over Cairo.

I'd love to hear any 1st/2nd person experiences about living in Cairo, or any suggestions of websites/blogs that chronicle what day-to-day life is like in Cairo. I'd like to be open-minded about the prospect of living there, but I can't seem to find any information sources that will help me make the decision, and I think I have a deep-seated wariness of being a Westernized guy living in Egypt / Middle East. Any help at all would be much appreciated

Planning a move to NYC

Anonymous — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:04:56 -0800

How much do I need to get paid to live in NYC? So, I've got a job offer. We've negotiated to the upper bounds of what they can afford. What's the hit to my standard of living?

Right now in DC, I make about 50k a year, including bonuses, and live in a nice studio in Cleveland Park. Things are tighter than I'd like, but on balance work out.

In New York, most of my friends live with roommates on the UWS, but at this point in my life I'm not looking to share my space.

How can I calculate what I need to be making for the same-ish standard of living? Not drop-dead committed to the neighborhood, but don't have a great idea of where else to look...

Where can I rent a cargo VAN for a ONE WAY move?

orangemiles — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 13:39:40 -0800

Where can I rent a cargo van (not truck) for a one-way move? We're moving from southwest Florida to New York City. We'd like to rent a cargo van (not a truck) as we have two bunnies in separate cages, and it will be late June (they require a/c = can't go in the back of a truck).

Currently we have a Nissan Altima which we are planning to sell. One option is to keep the Altima and drive it up to NY, and ship the other stuff (eek, $$$). How hard would it be to sell the Altima once we get to NY? I've heard parking is atrocious, so I don't really favor this option as we'd have to park it until it sells.

We've thought about buying a van, driving it up, then selling. Again, eek to the selling and parking.

Can we do a Carmax transfer for them? Buy a van here, then return it up there? That feels shady, but if they needed a transfer done... maybe?

We're headed up there so I can go to grad school. Which means we're going to be broke soon, so money is a factor. Thanks in advance for your creativity!

I'd like some smart advice for storage (and moving) in NYC!

ezekieldas — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 07:08:33 -0800

I'd like some smart advice for storage (and moving) in NYC! I'm leaving NYC (Park Slope, Brooklyn specifically) at the end of this month. Nearly all of my belongings will go into storage for at least the next 5 months, possibly until the end of the year (volunteer work in MA, 3 hours away). I may need to access this storage once every couple of months. Later this year, I may return to this neighborhood, I may move to California, to Texas, or wherever the wind blows.

I'm asking HM because I've had some bad experiences in the past. I've had my property hijacked (just like stories on movingscam.com) and I can do without a rerun. I also need a reality check on my current plan thus far.

There's a UHaul storage less than a mile away. I can store there for about $120/mo. I could make a longer haul out to Jersey and store for $80/mo. (approx). It's making sense for me to pay a little more for less work, the possibility of moving back here, and that I may need to occasionally access items in storage.

I also like the idea of pod storage but pods.com doesn't service this area (too congested). Are there others like this?

What about climate control, rodents, packing items for this longer term situation? I realize this question could digress to many ways --what's most important for me is your advice on the smartest, least expensive way of handling this as well as words of caution!

NYC with kids?

libraryhead — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 13:05:58 -0800

Help me imagine what our life would be like in New York. We are a married couple with two kids, 3 and 6 months. Currently we live in the suburbs of Boston. I've been on the mommy track, working part-time and freelancing, for the past few years, but I'm itching to get my career back on the rails. There is a job that would be a great step for me in New York. Mr. Libraryhead is open to the idea, though not fully sold. (He would probably ask to work remote from his current job, or try his hand as a free agent; I doubt he would have a problem getting a comparable job if he needed to.)

I lived in New York during much of my 20s, but my life is so different now. Is it really possible to live in the city with kids?

I like
* being able to walk most places
* great food shopping
* great restaurants
* the parks
* the museums
* not having to drive

I worry about
* crowdedness
* noise and smells
* the utter hassle of taking the subway with children in tow
* the whole urbanbaby/bugaboo/status competition thing
* small apartments
* lack of access to outdoor living space (i.e. patio/garden)
* lack of access to wilderness (hiking)

unknowns:
* daycare
* schools

Are there neighborhoods with <45 minute access to midtown that would ameliorate some of the worries? (Park Slope? Upper West Side?) Our budget would be around $2500-$3000 for a 2-3 bedroom. And what are the public schools like, really? I don't see us affording private any time soon.

More, I'm just trying to imagine what it's like to live in Manhattan or Brooklyn with kids. Anecdotes welcome, good and bad.

London Calling

CRM114 — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 13:37:00 -0800

Advice for a New Yorker moving to London. Hello MeFites.

It's looking rather probable that I'm going to be moving to London from New York for work in the next couple of months.

I'm a young professional and I've lived in the US my whole life - apart from a casual appreciation for Premiership football and an affinity for Gordon Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares, I don't know all that much about living in the UK.

I've seen previous AskMe threads akin to this, so I've read up on the VAT, the Council Tax, and the benefits of having a bicycle, but there's still quite a bit I don't know:

*What's a good neighborhood for a young professional to live in, and why? I like the bar scene, but I don't necessarily want to live over the bar. And after years in New York I'm hoping a dishwasher isn't too much to ask for.

*Many of the apartments I've seen in my price range on Craigslist are furnished - this is a bit unusual in NYC, but is it fairly commonplace in London?

*What are some common mistakes expatriates make when they move over, and how can I avoid them?

Thanks in advance, friends.

NYCApartmentFilter: Am I being too picky? Naive? Maybe both?

longwalks — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 21:46:27 -0800

How small is too small for a bedroom in Hell's Kitchen? For any fellow New Yorkers:

With the market currently working in renters' favor (relatively speaking - this is Manhattan after all), I'm finding there are some affordable prices on 1 bedrooms off of 9th ave in Hell's Kitchen, and some deals to be had - I've been looking at units that normally go for $2-2300, and are now asking around $1750-1950. Again, I realize this is still an insane amount of money for what is essentially a box, but that's not the issue.

I'm used to studios and, although small, they don't have walls that break up room and limit space. The 1 bedroom apartments I'm finding are great until I see the bedroom - the biggest one I've seen is roughly 9'x7'. This means that my queen-sized platform bed (with storage baskets) will most likely not fit, or will need to be one of two things in the room unless I get a smaller bed - which then decreases my storage space.

So I guess my question is this - is that bedroom size "normal" for the neighborhood and price range, or am I only looking at units that won't sell for a good reason? Am I kidding myself by holding out and waiting for anything bigger? Should I just stick to studios that are generally within that same price range, keep my handy storage bed and just forget about finding a place with more square footage?

Help me recession-proof my future, post-college life.

Muffpub — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 12:49:22 -0800

I'm 21 years old, about to graduate college, and the recession is freaking me out. I know there's no right or wrong answer to which course my life should take, but I need help focusing on realistic skills and places to live that I should be considering. I'm about to graduate from a major Ivy-level university with a degree in English and Political Science. I have no idea what I want to do with my life and will be dealing with ~$35k in debt, so I want to try to spend the next few years living frugally and carefully contemplating what I want to study in grad school before I make the plunge.

The problem is that I feel like all of my ideas of what my post-college life would look like have been soured by the recession. I would love virtually nothing more than to live in Brooklyn and try my hand at policy, academia, or nonprofits/social justice - but as far as the research I've done is concerned, the NYC job/rental markets are so incredibly tight it might as well be a death wish.

Recently I've tried to expand my search to other places, like Chicago, Boston, and DC, but even in these areas I feel like the cost of living stacked up against jobs I would want that actually pay something is daunting.

I've been trying to think about ways to make my predicament easier by
1 - Trying to cast a wider net geographically - looking at cheaper, faster-growing economies such as Austin, TX and parts of North Carolina for more, better-paying jobs and cheaper rents;
2 - Casting a wider net in terms of what jobs I' could apply to - but here I'm a bit clueless;
3 - Looking for skills that I could attempt to teach myself that might give me a competitive advantage. (I have some basic Spanish and HTML/CSS under my belt that could, maybe, give me a head start.)

I know this question is almost impossibly broad, but are these worthwhile strategies?

Is the premise of my fears valid - that life in a major city like New York, which is what I want more than anything, is unfeasible in this economy?

Where can I find a decent, urban-style quality of life - liberal, gay friendly, nightlife, art/music scene, public transit - with a realistic rental and job market? Is it all too much to ask?

Am I being overly pessimistic considering that I *did* go to a good school and made decent grades - or is it prudent to be this cautious?

Other factors to consider: I do *not* want to live with my parents. I'd really like to not stray any farther from the East Coast than North Carolina to to the south, Chicago to the west, or Montreal to the north. Programs abroad such as the Peace Corps, teaching English in Asia, etc interest me, but I worry that the economic crisis will just make life even harder abroad than it is here. Also I have EU citizenship and could theoretically move and work anywhere there, but again, I worry that life will be even harder there.

I'm sorry to ask so many different questions in one, but any guidance from anyone who has graduated from college and felt completely overwhelmed/demoralized by grim economic conditions would be really helpful. Trying to figure out just how bad this recession is/will be is like staring into an abyss, and it makes planning and predicting my future, and how hard things may get, very difficult. Please, feel free to share your stories, perspectives, advice on what you would do in my situation, anything at all.

Help me find movers for one piece of furniture.

helios410 — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 17:39:37 -0800

I see a few pieces of large furniture on NYC Craigslist I want to purchase. Are there movers in NYC who would take care of single-item, inter-borough moves like this for a decent price? And to follow up, are movers like this insured in case they do any damage during the move?

What airlines will get me from Phoenix to New York City with three adult cats?

Optimus Chyme — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 12:44:11 -0800

What airlines will get me from Phoenix to New York City with three adult cats? Failing that, can you recommend anyone who does live animal shipment? I moved to New York and left my cats with sitters in Phoenix while I found an apartment. I have an apartment now and would like to retrieve my cats. My plan was to a) fly back to PHX and fly them back out to NYC with me or b) have them shipped out here via a live animal transport service.

I know, for instance, that Southwest doesn't allow pets at all. What airlines are the most pet-friendly?

With respect to shippers, I got an eye-popping $1500 estimate from Precious Pet Transport, which I will be happy to spend if there are no other options available. Do you know of better or less expensive pet transport companies?

Flying back and renting a car is out of the question due to time and cost constraints; my research indicates that it would be the most expensive option other than building them a rocketship out of gold.

I am open to any suggestions or advice you may have. Thank you!

How can I move to San Francisco with my wife without ruining my life?

christopherbdnk — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 23:47:00 -0800

I'll be in San Francisco for a week, how should I plan for moving there four months later and should I move elsewhere? My wife and I are both 22 and we'll be in San Francisco for around a week in October. A few days of my time will be occupied with work, so I expect to have maybe four solid days of experiencing the city, deciding if I want to move there, and looking at possible apartments.

I looked at a few of the other questions asked which were similar to this, but it seemed like the specifics are different and the answers should be as well.

I'm from the Northeast and my wife is from South Carolina. For her, a city like Boston/Cambridge (where I was most recently living) is fantastic and so much better than where she has been living (Columbia). For me, I've lived there for the last four years and a lot about it is a bit too conservative for me. I'm pretty sure I won't have the same problem with San Francisco, and there are things I like about Boston, that it's a big city with a pretty small feel, relatively safe (my friends don't mind walking home at night), and a lot of exciting and youthful things to do.

I've loved what the intellectual community of Cambridge offers, between MIT and Harvard the weekly programming for the city is just amazing. I'd really miss this if there wasn't anything to replace it.

In short, this is what we're looking for:

Costs: 1br/studio for < $1400
Area: Active, young, diverse, weird, but not, uh, too "Burning Man." A place that's intellectual and challenging like Cambridge but also thriving and young like Allston or Greenpoint, maybe without the gentrification.

I'm most familiar with Boston and New York City, so, here are a few questions:

* If I want to live in the equivalent of Jamaica Plain, Allston, Harvard Sq. or Greenpoint, where should I look in San Francisco?
* Does it make sense to look in Berkeley? Where?
* Are there any good vegan restaurants to check out?
* I hear it's just a bit hilly, is it easy enough to ride a bicycle around?
* What else should I know? Are there good San Francisco apartment utilities other than craigslist?
* Should I live elsewhere? Austin? New York? Seattle? Portland? A job is not a problem, we're both established and only need to live in the US (sorry Montreal, Lausanne).

This will be the first place we've ever lived together without one of us moving in with the other. It's always an option for us to just move back to Boston until September so that we have more time to look for the best place to live. In September, also, a friend of ours will be moving in with us as well and we'll need to locate a 2 BR. Since I've attended college in the last four years I've lived in 13 different apartments/houses, so I'm really, really eager to live in one spot for a few years and actually feel like I'm at home. I hope that will be SF.

Help me pick a route into Manhattan

rustcellar — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 22:25:11 -0800

NYC Move: I'm driving a UHaul from Brooklyn to Morningside Heights in Manhattan. What's the best route? Alright, the big move is here. We're going from Bay Ridge to the Columbia area in Morningside Heights. What's the best route? We're driving a 14' UHaul truck (described here). Google Maps sends us on the BQE, through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, and up the West Side Highway all the way to 92nd street. I gather trucks aren't allowed for part of the West Side Highway, so how far can I go (I'm getting conflicted information) and what should I do when I can't use the highway?

This will be around 7:30 pm on a weekday, if that makes a difference.

Many thanks, MeFi New Yorkers!

Gifts for new NYC-er and future journalist

greta simone — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 11:22:24 -0800

Care package ideas for a new journalism grad student and New Yorker- A good friend of mine is starting the Journalism graduate program at NYU this fall and has just moved to Astoria, Queens. I was hoping to send him some fun items to ease his transition, but mostly just for fun. He's not a candy or gadgets kind of guy, and I don't have a lot of money to spend, so I was thinking more along the lines of things he can use and/or read to enhance this new leg of his life.

The only thing I know I am going to get is one of those city-specific Moleskins for New York. He's been reading up on the history of the city (mostly via internet research) and reading some book of interviews of prominent journalists (not sure what it's called). I would like to try to find a book or two in the same vein of these topics to send- any recommendations? He's really interested in learning about his new neighborhood as well.

Lastly, any other suggestions of the non-book variety are welcome. Thanks!

Moving to NYC!

jckll — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 05:31:26 -0800

Moving to New York City. Give me some advice you wish you had been given! I'm moving to Manhattan at the end of this month to start a new job (or, more accurately, first real job out of undergrad). I have an apartment already, UWS, so I don't really need any apartment-hunting advice (although if you have some nuggets for the future, feel free to share). I don't have any specific questions, but I figure there are lots of people on here who have moved to the city and wished they had done things a little--or a lot--differently, and I'm hoping to get some of that insight.

I'll take any advice, from the practical (how to get my stuff there, where to buy furniture) to the metaphysical (how to prepare my aura for Manhattan, what books to bring). Lay it on me.

How do I find a good mover in NYC?

Afroblanco — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 18:38:24 -0800

How do I find a good mover in NYC? I'm moving from one apartment to a different one in the East Village. I don't have a lot of stuff (think big bed, big TV, and a bunch of boxes) and would move it myself, except that I'm moving from a 6th floor apartment to a 5th floor one.

It seems impossible to find a good mover on the internet. All the reviews on Yelp and Citysearch seem like obvious astroturfing. Plus, lots of my friends have had issues with movers charging them more than they said they would.

So, AskMe, I turn to you. How do I find a good mover in this city? Also, if anybody knows - how much should I expect to pay, assuming that I do all the packing myself?

Is finding an apartment in NYC without going there to see it an option?

makonan — Thu, 29 May 2008 19:42:02 -0800

Relocating from St. Louis to New York (Queens/LI border). I need to find an apartment to move into July 1st. How screwed am I? Here's the lowdown:
After four months of interviewing and multiple flights and hotel stays, I've finally been hired for this job. It starts in five weeks. Due to prior commitments including two out-of-state weddings, my current job, and studying/sitting for my board exam, I really, really do not have the time to fly out there for a fifth time this calendar year to hit the pavement looking for an apartment. I'm seriously at a point where I basically need to just pick something based off photos, send over a wad of money and then haul myself and my stuff there at the end of the month. The whole prospect of apartment hunting in the NYC area is daunting enough as it is, but am I making it even worse by trying to do it remotely? Am I fooling myself by thinking I can trust a property management company or a broker to find something for me? I've heard enough Craigslist horror stories that I'm not really sure I should bother looking at it anymore. Am I wrong to dismiss it as a viable option at this point? I have a few phone numbers for property management companies and will start making calls tomorrow, but I'd love to hear from anyone who has been through this and can give me any tips, or tell me that there's no way in hell this is going to work, or anything.

Help me feel I made the right decision in moving to NYC.

HotPatatta — Tue, 20 May 2008 08:14:04 -0800

How did you adjust to living in New York City? I just got here and I'm feeling incredibly overwhelmed and uncertain about my decision to move here. Any advice? I don't officially move until June 16, but I'm here this week to check out apartments. The shuttle driver who drove me from the airport to my friend's apartment cut off a taxi and the two drivers rolled down their windows and started shouting at each other. At the time I thought it was humorous and "so New York", but now I realize I am actually going to be living among people like this. I'm from California and the culture is so much more relaxed and friendly there. A deep sense of doubt is consuming me.

This city is overwhelming. I have only one friend here and I'm wondering if I made the right decision in leaving all my friends and family to be here. I'll be living on a teacher's salary (~$45k) and I'm worried I'll be stuck living with a creepy roommate in a tiny apartment because I can't afford anything else.

Reassure me, MetaFilter. Hold me.

Parking a PODS/you-pack moving container in Brooklyn?

anarchivist — Tue, 06 May 2008 11:44:23 -0800

How do I get space to park a you-pack moving container (think PODS) in Brooklyn? I'm moving to New York from DC for a new job in a few weeks. I'm moving the bulk of my stuff using ABF U-Pack - I'm subletting for two months and need my stuff stored until I find more permanent digs. In DC, I know I need to get a permit for the moving container for space in front of my place, but how do I do this in New York? Digging around on NYC.gov hasn't given me any leads.

Moving from the Midwest to NYC. Help!

HeartAuntBee — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 11:33:38 -0800

I'm trying to make a big decision about a big change in my life. If all goes well, I could be going from working at a giant corporation and living in the midwest to joining a small internet start-up in NYC. What questions should I be asking the start-up? And I know cost of living in NYC is high. I'm looking at tripling my rent--at least! How much do I need to earn to be comfortable, with money in my pocket and in savings?

Moving belongings from NYC to Montreal

IrishEve — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 08:40:03 -0800

I am a UK citizen living in New York, planning tro move to Montreal in June. I'll be studying French on a study visa for 1 year whilst my permanent residency application is in process. I have some personal belongings, furniture and 2 cats in New York which I'm hoping my friend will drive up to me once I find an apartment. I already know I need to fill out duplicate lists of all my property for customs, and the cats need proof of rabies shots.

I have some queries about the logistics of the process for anyone who has done something similar in the past....

1. I don't drive - I think I need to meet him at the border with proof of temporary residence visa - any ideas of how to do this - can I take taxi to the customs office at the border and drive back to Montreal with my friend?

2. Will I get questioned about the amount of stuff I bring, it's not a whole apartment of belongings, but definitely a few large items, chest of drawers, captain's bed, table and chairs, lamps etc.....

Any comments or experiences with his would greatly appreciated!
I've read the "rules" but would love to get some feedback from people who have had experience....

Moving from Manhattan to the Outer Boroughs, help requested

incomple — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 23:21:59 -0800

My roommate and I are planning on leaving our filthy, shitty East Village apartment, to find something nicer and larger in Brooklyn or Queens. How do we go about making this move? We're likely making this more complicated than it should be... Our current lease is up at the end of the summer, but we want to start looking for places as soon as possible. Obviously, no unit would stay vacant for six months, so we can't look at properties now, but is it at all possible to set up an arrangement with a broker, who might know what rental properties will be available in six months' time? Have any of you ever done this? We're thinking that by August, when our lease is up, our search will be complicated by the plethora of students looking for housing. Hence, we want to find something, and ideally have a lease, before then.

Neither of us have ever had to deal with a broker, having inherited leases from friends, so we don't really know how to go about making the first move. Do brokers deal with specific neighborhoods, or can I just call up any broker in the city and get what we're after? Can anyone recommend any brokers or agencies from personal experience?

(If it's of any relevance, we're looking at basically anywhere in Brooklyn, ideally "brownstone" Brooklyn, that's less than a half hour to the city. We'd prefer not to go past Prospect Park, though I lived in the Lefferts Gardens area before and found it to be quite nice. Failing that, Astoria or LIC in Queens.)

My bleeding heart is shriveling up

zoomorphic — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 09:04:42 -0800

So I moved to Brooklyn, landed a great magazine internship in the city, and seem to be on the right track professionally. One problem: I'm restless and want to leave NYC. Will I sabotage my future as a magazine journalist by leaving Manhattan, the mecca of magazines? It's not that I dislike New York--there are times when I really, truly believe in this city, especially Brooklyn. But more often I'm wary that I'm wasting my youth in the bowels of the universe where I hate my commute, I hate tourists, I hate slow walkers, and I stare through any poor soul asking for change on the street. I'm bitter, neurotic, self-absorbed, and obsessed with work. Everyone in my office--and in a 5 mile vicinity--is the same way. Paradoxically, I also hate people who blithely write off these traits as merit badges for becoming a New Yorker. I moved here thinking I was happening upon a great literary community of engaged, well-read people, but little has turned up.

In short, my job makes me happy, the city doesn't. Thwarting my relocation ambitions is the sinking realization that I lack the self-discipline to freelance, making an in-house journalism job nigh imperative. So what happens if I move? I really love Chicago, but I can't think of any notable magazines or lit hubs there, except the Poetry Foundation and (yikes) Time Out Chicago. What else is out there?

Or should I wipe the city grime from my eyes and keep seeking out the elusive literati lurking in some Brooklyn nook?