Six Month NYC Moving Plan

November 13, 2015 4:14 AM

My wife are planning to move to New York in around six months. Assuming you had the $$$ & job situation figured out, what steps in moving are unique to that city, or things you wished you did before you moved there? Is there a good 'NYC basics' guide (things that tell you-- yeah you really should get a NYC driver's license, etc) that isn't geared to 22 year olds?

Examples of things I've read on here: figure out your commute before you move since it varies by neighborhood, apartments open up ~a month in advance, not usually earlier.

posted by sandmanwv to Work & Money (27 answers total)

Apartments will ask for three months rent in advance, not two. Brokers will ask for one months rent. Apartments will also go incredibly quickly - you sometimes need to be prepared to drop the deposit within days to hold the place, because if you don't, someone else will. NYC landlords tend to want 40x the rent as annual salary.

Think long and hard about where you'll be living and what the parking is like before deciding to get a car.
posted by corb at 4:23 AM on November 13, 2015

Definitely figure out your commute. Unless you have the dough to afford a parking garage, or if you are planning to live far out in Queens or Brooklyn, having a car here is not fun.

Also, really investigate the neighborhoods you are thinking of moving to. Visit them in the middle of the day and at night. Certain places (like the Financial District) become complete ghost towns after 7pm. If you have kids or plan on having kids, really see where your children would be districted to if you are planning on public school.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 4:52 AM on November 13, 2015

If you don't have laundry in the building, Id nearby laundry places, nthing figuring out your commute in advance, and just figuring out your nearby public transit situation in general.
posted by KernalM at 5:56 AM on November 13, 2015

Start spending hours on streeteasy if you haven't already and get a sense of how far your budget will go in various neighborhoods.

Unless you are mega-mega-rich, you will need to make a lot of compromises so figure out what your absolute deal-breakers are now (dishwasher? view of more than a brick wall? proximity to work/amenities? architectural charm?).

You can check out complaints about individual buildings on the NYC BIS website. Every building will have something weird (my apartment has the horrifying report "Tenant fell into pit" which...hasn't happened to me yet) but you'll want to know if there are regular infestations/ongoing construction sketchiness/hard-partying neighbors/etc. Looking at a bunch of buildings will give you a sense of what's normal and what's not.

The broker's fee really hurts but they can communicate with landlords and expedite the process in a way that would be hard for a civilian.
posted by The Giant Rat of Sumatra at 6:23 AM on November 13, 2015

Local laundry places will actually pick up and deliver your laundry which isn't too much more $$ than wasting time at the 'mat.

Don't ever look for a cool bar in Manhattan at Happy Hour. Just walk into the first place you see that isn't too crowded and looks like it has cheap-ish beer.

Cart food is great, cart coffee is better, cart bagels are shit.

Adding 10-15 minutes of commute to live near a park is a good idea. Doing the same to live near cool businesses is not.

Get a thick winter coat, boots, and a $30 umbrella.

Look up Subway directions on your phone before walking into the subway (especially if you have AT&T), otherwise you will get lost if you have to transfer. Try to stand near the subway map on the train so you can see what's coming up.

If you have a car, memorize this: http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/motorist/alternate-side-parking.shtml

Do as many touristy things as possible in the first 6 months you're there because after that you'll be too busy to care.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 6:37 AM on November 13, 2015 [2 favorites]

Best answer: You have to provide a tremendous amount of paper work when applying for an apartment. In addition to the application, you need two years' tax returns, a letter of employment, a recent paystub, references, and other things I'm forgetting at the moment. I had a folder with me with all of this when I went apartment hunting, along with my checkbook.

Also, there is no "thinking about it." Be prepared to make a decision about an apartment right there, on site.

That said, I've been incredibly lucky when apartment hunting. It simply hasn't been as bad as I had been warned. I've been here four years, and both apartments I've had were great and found within two viewings without too much run-around. Broker on the first, no broker on the second.

Also, this is trivial, but consider getting an ID NYC. It's a city ID card that's a little easier to get that a state ID or driver's license. It's official, and gets you all sort of benefits like free museum memberships.
posted by lunalaguna at 6:38 AM on November 13, 2015 [7 favorites]

I've moved to NYC twice. Buy yourself some time by posting on Craigslist. In the short-term housing section, post an ad for what dates you want a place and how much you're willing to spend. I put up a photo and got tons of responses. People have oddball spare bedrooms or they have to run out a lease. This is way cheaper than hotels. I got a room for a month in Manhattan for $500 and another in the Bronx for two months for the same. 2006 but try!!!

You don't need a drivers licence or a car. Put off buying that if you must.

Once you've got cheap housing for awhile, you can job hunt at leisure.
posted by Piedmont_Americana at 7:29 AM on November 13, 2015

It depends on how ritzy you want the apartment, and how wealthy you are. The apartments I lived in Brooklyn just involved a credit check, deposit, and writing a check.

Things have changed a lot in NYC over the past few years, though, so maybe it's more complicated, especially if you're rich and looking for luxury.
posted by gehenna_lion at 7:31 AM on November 13, 2015

Something I wish I had remembered when looking for my current apartment in Queens: if you're an attractive tenant, you actually can negotiate both rents and broker's fees (if you're using a broker). I got the landlord to come down on the rent by $200 a month when I agreed to sign a two-year lease. However, I forgot to negotiate the broker's fee, and that mistake cost me several hundred dollars. So keep in mind that if you look good on paper, you do have a bit of leverage; it's actually not all that easy to find good tenants.
posted by holborne at 7:49 AM on November 13, 2015

Best answer: NY State drivers licenses will, for some bizarro fucking reason, not be good enough to get you on a domestic flight after next year. So yeah, unless you plan on driving a lot there's not much reason to bother with the DMV right off.

Aside from the excellent suggestion above to find a temp place for a few months while working on finding a long term place, my single most valuable advice about apartment hunting in NYC is this: whatever your standards are for how you would like to live? Lower them right now. Do you think a bedroom should have a closet it in? Not anymore. Do you think a bedroom should be bigger than a federal prison cell? Say goodbye to that silly notion. Do you think a kitchen should have ample counter space for preparing actual family meals? You are wrong.

If you find you are having trouble finding an acceptable apartment it's not that you're not looking hard enough, or didn't get there early enough, or didn't have a notarized character recommendation from your kindergarden teacher 30 years ago, or whatever. It's because either your standards are too high or your price range is too low. It is up to you to decide which one you are willing to negotiate.

I have gotten apartments through family friends, through doing all the legwork myself from listings, and through a realtor. The easiest is of course to know someone, but if you can afford it I will always recommend a realtor.
posted by poffin boffin at 7:54 AM on November 13, 2015 [5 favorites]

Also in the event you are looking on the Upper East Side do NOT under any circumstances believe anything anyone tells you, realtor, landlord, whoever, about the subway being finished soon or indeed within our lifetimes. They are lying liars who lie.
posted by poffin boffin at 7:55 AM on November 13, 2015 [4 favorites]

poffin boffin: "NY State drivers licenses will, for some bizarro fucking reason, not be good enough to get you on a domestic flight after next year. So yeah, unless you plan on driving a lot there's not much reason to bother with the DMV right off. "

Plain ol' NY drivers licenses are subject to this crap, but a NY Enhanced Drivers License will be just fine on flights. Make sure that when you do go to get your license changed over, that you get the enhanced version.

Of course, now I'm kicking myself that I didn't get the passport card along with the passport booklet last time I renewed that.
posted by Liesl at 8:14 AM on November 13, 2015 [1 favorite]

If you can afford it, a good broker is worth the cost, but lots of them are shady. If you get a bad vibe from one, don't be afraid to walk away.

Sometimes you can get good apartments with less hassle by looking up management companies directly. A lot of people I know who live in Queens have had success with this, for some reason.

If you see an acceptable apartment, be prepared to take it immediately. Your definition of "acceptable" is also probably too high. Come up with a few big dealbreakers and be ready to settle on everything else.

That said, I've never had anyone ask me for tax returns or references when applying for an apartment - though having some references handy couldn't hurt. Usually a credit check, a deposit, and some kind of proof of employment and income (typically a letter on your employer's letterhead and/or a recent pay stub) will suffice. I've also never applied for an apartment that asked for three months' rent in advance, though I have heard of such things. First month's rent + one month's security should be enough in most circumstances. If you go with a broker, many brokers charge some percentage of the annual rent (often 12% or 15%), which works out to a little more than one month's rent.

I would plan on keeping your driver's license current even if you don't drive. Everyone I know who has let it lapse wound up regretting it at some point.

Check your commute on the subway. If you do bring a car (highly not recommended in Manhattan, in the other boroughs it depends) note the parking rules and how much street parking is available in the area. Visit your prospective neighborhood at different times of the day.
posted by breakin' the law at 8:16 AM on November 13, 2015

Response by poster: 0 interest in having a car,but would it be helpful (in Brooklyn) to have one for a week or two while stocking up place?


Do places care if stubs are from out of state companies? Will be moving for new jobs (or may be keeping old ones).
posted by sandmanwv at 8:21 AM on November 13, 2015

0 interest in having a car,but would it be helpful (in Brooklyn) to have one for a week or two while stocking up place?

Eh, not really. Just get ZipCar.

Do places care if stubs are from out of state companies? Will be moving for new jobs (or may be keeping old ones).

I don't know the answer to this exactly, but if you show them a pay stub for a job that you do not currently have, that could be a problem. If it's an out of state company that transfers you to New York and you are still employed there, I'd imagine that would be OK.
posted by breakin' the law at 8:26 AM on November 13, 2015 [1 favorite]

If you aren't employed at the time you sign your lease they will likely ask you to show proof that you can pay the entire year's rent and then some. It may be up 50x the monthly rent.
posted by poffin boffin at 8:29 AM on November 13, 2015 [3 favorites]

Best answer: W/r/t the car: I'd say keep it for 1-3 months for two reasons.
(1) It will be useful to furnish your apartment.
(2) Use it to explore and chart your new environs! There are some great adventures in food and culture that are a pain to get to via transit. Both in the far reaches of the outer boroughs and in lower hudson valley suburbs.

After that ditch it for all the familiar reasons (parking, transit, insurance, traffic, etc.)

W/r/t the Apartment (don't get discouraged - but I think that the below are good reality checks):
(1) You will 100% want to provide a letter from a local employer stating your salary.
(2) If you can get a no-fee apartment, wonderful. But plan on paying a broker fee, which will be substantial and infuriating. In my experience, most brokers don't even do any work, outside of letting you into the apartment for viewing. Depending on your base rent, save enough to lay out $4-8k for first month, security, and the fee.
(3) As a rule of thumb, I'd say if you can afford to pay more than $2,000 per month, then you can afford to let your commute be a primary decision in your location. Otherwise, you'll likely need to spend either more time commuting or money renting than you'd prefer.
posted by voiceofreason at 8:54 AM on November 13, 2015 [2 favorites]

My best commute advice is: a place that is further out but closer to the train beats a close place far from the train.
posted by dame at 11:27 AM on November 13, 2015 [2 favorites]

Oh I forgot to add: NYC has bedbug problems. Check the bedbug registry to see if the apartment building has had them recently before you move in.
posted by corb at 11:40 AM on November 13, 2015

Everybody will handle this differently, but I tend to look at by-owner apartments with my ID, SS card, and cash for deposit/1st month on me. Most of the time, the LL doesn't want the money right there, wants to run your credit, etc., but more than once I've just taken out the money and signed the lease there in the basement. Just keep the money in your bra, money belt, etc., not in your wallet, obviously. Why f up the deal? At a minimum, be prepared to go to the bank for cash and do the deal before 5 that day. Even if it doesn't turn out to be necessary.
posted by 8603 at 12:04 PM on November 13, 2015

A lot of these apartment rules are pretty out there. Three months rent upfront? 2 years of tax returns? I lived all over NYC for over 15 years and the most I was ever asked for were two paystubs and two months rent (first month and security.)

Do not have a car. Just don't. It will be a huge pain in the ass and a giant expense for basically no benefit.

Don't overestimate how far is okay to live from a train. 10 minute walk is about the max I would ever recommend. And also avoid the dreaded bus to train living situations.

Show up an hour before any apartment viewing and scope out the neighborhood. That way, if you like the apartment, you can tell the landlord or broker that you like the place and want it without worrying about: laundry, grocery, drugstore, etc. etc.

No reason to switch over your driver's license when you move here. It's really expensive and without a car it doesn't matter. I would just wait until your current one is going to expire and do it then.
posted by Automocar at 12:12 PM on November 13, 2015 [2 favorites]

Seconding the recommendation to check out StreetEasy to get a sense of what you can get with your budget. Things might not be as bad as some have portrayed here, depending on how much rent you can afford.

If you are working in Manhattan anywhere near the A or 1 trains, consider Inwood.
posted by merejane at 1:26 PM on November 13, 2015

Nobody's mentioned this yet, but get rid of all your things. I bet you none of your furniture will fit properly in an apartment if it's normal American furniture. I'd suggest selling your sofa, dining table, etc., and waiting to get smaller-sized apartment furniture. It makes living in a small space so much more bearable. There's a huge Craigslist network in NYC too, since people are always moving and finding their furniture doesn't fit anymore, so once you're here you can score some deals that way. Don't worry about bedbugs.
posted by hyperion at 5:23 PM on November 13, 2015 [1 favorite]

How to rent an nyc apartment
posted by lalochezia at 5:34 AM on November 14, 2015

If you have friends in new York already and can afford to live near them, it's not a bad idea to look for places in their neighborhood or on trains that get you there easily. It can be hard to hang out with friends living in Brooklyn if you live on the upper west side, for example.
If I were moving here now I'd factor in shortest commute possible to work and access to friends very highly, quiet neighborhood / building, over most other considerations.
posted by ch1x0r at 11:34 AM on November 14, 2015 [2 favorites]

In helping my kids to rent apartments, I was always amazed by the absolutely strict adherence to the "end of the month" move out/move in. Is this still a thing?

Where I live, you can move on any day of the month if the apartment is available and you pay prorated rent for that short month, but in NYC, you have to move out on the last day of the month and then move in to the new place on the first. I don't understand what everyone does with their all their stuff during that overnight, nor do I understand how the landlord can do any cleaning between tenants.

Maybe it's because there is always someone ready to move in, so they don't have any time where the apartment is just sitting empty. Maybe it's only for students?

Could someone local chime in to let us know if this is still a thing or not?
posted by CathyG at 2:00 PM on November 16, 2015

Plenty of leases run from the 15th of the month. It is not unusual to pay for 2 weeks of rent, or even a full month, on an old place or a new place in order to work out the timing.
posted by poffin boffin at 5:52 PM on November 16, 2015