<p>The CC folks have helped me twice before, so I’m asking for ideas once more. D is graduating and moving to NYC in July. She has a roommate, and they would like to live in the Financial District, Battery City Park, Soho, TriBeCa or West Village (lower Manhattan west side). We have all the paperwork together, and I can be a guarantor if necessary.</p>
<p>Here’s my question. If at all possible, they would like a no fee rental. If they can’t find anything, then they will have to use one. They have 3 days this weekend to find a place. I’ve been all over Streeteasy, NYbits, etc. So, do any of you NYC folks know any no fee buildings in these areas? They would like to stay under $4000 per month (that us their upper end, lower would be better).</p>
<p>Any suggestions would be much appreciated. They are in finals right now, so I’m trying to set up some appointments for them. Oh, and please don’t suggest Brooklyn, Jersey City, etc. They are not open to it. Thanks!</p>
<p>I don’t have any specific suggestions about apartments…but I do have a suggestion. They need to have all possible documentation with them…job contracts, income verification, and money for a deposit…which can be first and last months rent plus one additional month. The most well prepared renters get the places. If they see something they like, they need to be very prepared to act on it ASAP, or someone else is likely to snatch it up. There really isn’t the opportunity to day “I want to think about it until tomorrow”…because someone else will rent a good place today.</p>
<p>If you are going to be a guarantor, they will also need all of YOUR information.</p>
<p>Now…hoping someone has some ideas of places.</p>
<p>Thanks Thumper. They have everything ready, and I already gave my D everything in case I need to be a guarantor. They are ready to jump as soon as they find a place. I’m just hoping they can find a no fee rental. Those broker fees are much higher than the real estate commissions we pay here in the Midwest. If they have to, they will, but they would like to try on their own first.</p>
<p>You do realize that these are among the most expensive places in NYC to live right? Unless you are extremely financially sound, Soho shouldn’t even be on the list. You are talking about at least 5,000 plus. Maybe a studio will go for around 4,000, but for that location, don’t look for anything else. She needs to rethink her list of places she wants to be. Also, it’s very hard to get apartments in lower Manhattan because a lot of buildings that have apartments have them open to being completely purchased. Not rented. Brooklyn right now seems to be her best bet. You could get something less than 4,000 in an extremely trendy and very safe neighborhood. Also, she could live down by where the Brooklyn Nets play which is essentially only one train stop out of Manhattan. When looking at downtown Brooklyn, there is essentially now difference between the two. She will get the city feel without the city price. Brooklyn is gentrifying and it is no longer the place it once was. Also, if she were to live in the neighborhoods she has right now, the cost of living would be extremely high. So you would be talking about paying more like $5,000 per month for her rather than in Brooklyn where you would likely pay $3500 for EVERYTHING. I think she needs to rework her list. Also, more young people live in Brooklyn, specifically Williamsburg. Where she wants to live is home to more people in their 30s and up.</p>
<p>Also, I recommend Greenpoint. It is extremely safe and has gorgeous views of the city. It also has great transportation. I should also note that lower Manhattan doesn’t really have great night life. All the fun stuff if on the Upper West Side. </p>
<p>TriBeCa is by the water so it has nice views of Jersey, but the traffic down there is a pain and there aren’t many trains over there…</p>
<p>I have a great website to reccommend. Padmapper.com is a great starting point. Just try to filter out Craig’s List. Also, some of this listings have low prices, but that is because those rooms are shared with about 6 or 7 other strangers. Make sure you check the filter that has pictures. Other than that, good luck! </p>
<p>I would love to talk to you in PM. I am a NYC resident and even though I am in high school, I know where all the hotspots are and where the best places to live are. I travel all around Manhattan and Brooklyn and some of Queens. The Bronx is scary and Staten Island is just too far lol. </p>
<p>Unless they absolutely need to be in those neighborhoods for job commute reasons and the jobs are highly renumerative(i.e. Ibanking), most of those areas with the exception of West Village or Soho are mostly pretty dead at night. </p>
<p>I see that every time I go down there for past HS alum meetings or to enjoy battery park on nice evenings. If I’m an undergrad or fresh out of college grad looking to be around similarly aged people, those would be the last neighborhoods I’d consider unless long hours and job requirements make it an absolute necessity. </p>
<p>I would strongly recommend looking in Brooklyn as many of its neighborhoods are becoming centers for undergrads and 20-30 somethings looking for a vibrant neighborhood scene with folks similar to themselves. </p>
<p>I’d also recommend looking further uptown in Manhattan as that’ll not only open up possibilities of lower rents, but also vibrant neighborhoods with more undergrads and 20-30 somethings. Some off the top of my head include Washington Heights, Harlem/Morningside Heights, Yorkville.</p>
<p>If you consider Queens, Astoria is definitely one great place with a vibrant undergrad/young professional scene with plenty of restaurants, bars, and musical performance venues. Several younger college alum friends enjoyed their time there when they were fresh graduates. </p>
<p>I disagree with SugarBubbleTea with the generalization that the Bronx is scary. There are nice parts…especially in the north and west(Riverdale). However, I would rule it out as it’s likely to be too far. </p>
<p>Since you’ve read NYBits, they have a list of no fee apts in each of the areas you mentioned. Why would they consider Battery Park (not convenient to subways, no night life) Financial District (no night life)?
May I suggest they also look in Midtown, like Murray Hill where it is more convenient to restaurants, stores,transportation. $4000 would get you a convertible two in a doorman building.
My kids love Manhattan, would never consider uptown, Brooklyn or NJ either.</p>
<p>Three days is not a lot of time to secure an apartment – especially if you haven’t lived in New York before. They might consider getting a furnished summer sublet so they can get a better lay of the land before committing themselves financially. </p>
<p>She and her roommate may have other reasons than proximity to Wall Street for their short list of neighborhoods, but I agree with other posters that they shouldn’t be so fast to eliminate. They should take the time to look at Brooklyn, Astoria, and other parts of Manhattan like Murray Hill, Chelsea, the Upper Upper West & East Sides. Look at one and two bedrooms, convertibles and splits, furnished and unfurnished, doorman and walk ups – see what features are indispensable and which are trade-offs.</p>
<p>I don’t think it’s out of the question to find an apartment downtown in their price range, but in many cases these apartments are passed from friend to friend. The longer you live in New York the easier it gets because someone you know or work with is always moving.</p>
<p>Thanks all for the suggestions. They will both be working very long hours, so they are not concerned with nightlife near them. They much prefer to be a short commute to work, and they will take the subway when (if, haha) they have free time. I know this will be a tough search, but I thought by limiting the areas, it would help since they have limited time. They could expand to Chelsea or midtown though. While Brooklyn might be hot and a great place for new grads, they do not want to live there. In a year, they could feel differently, but I’m just trying to find some places for them to start in their search.</p>
<p>Dumbo, you have taken the advice of others here before. They can ride a subway to work…and it’s what everyone in NY does. Especially if they have precious little spare time, they would be better off living in close proximity to some things to do…so they don’t eat up their precious free time getting there. What I’m saying…it might be better to be able to walk to a social life in the evenings than walk to work during the week.</p>
<p>Tribeca Pointe and River Terrace are also 2 buildings downtown that I believe are no fee. Think they are managed by Rockrose Property’s leasing office.</p>
<p>D1 lives in west village and works downtown. She works very long hours, so she much prefers to be closer to restaurants and bars. She said if she lived outside of Manhattan she would end up not going out. I definitely can see why OP’s D would want to live in Manhattan. </p>
<p>It is very hard not to pay for broker fee, and that’s why people stay for minimum 2 years. When you see something you like on streeteasy, it is better to call the listing broker directly rather than work through another broker, because by working with the listing broker he/she won’t need to split the fee and you would more likely get the apartment. </p>
<p>D1’s friends have found great values in lower east side and east village. Lower east side can be a bit sketchy and not as close to subway. I think she’ll be able to find a convertible 2 for around 4000, but no doorman, laundry and rooms would be very small. She’ll be able to find better values in Murray Hill. There are a lot of bars and cheap restaurants around the area.</p>
<p>I agree with oldfort that LES and East Village might be good places to look at as they’re cheaper (I have grad student friends that have found affordable apartments in these areas) and they’re better than Battery Park, Financial district, etc. for nightlife. Peter Cooper Villages / Stuyvesant Town is nearby, and they have no fee apartments. This is all on the east side though, and it seems like you’re looking for apartments on the west side.</p>
<p>Also, I think Battery Park and Financial District are actually relatively cheap, mostly because there’s very little nightlife so no one wants to live there.</p>
<p>From the research I’ve done, it looks like the FD has some apts in their price range that look nice. They have actually scheduled one day with a broker, as that might be the route to take. They want to live on the west side. D’s boyfriend lives in East Village, and it can take him up to 45 minutes to get to work. Now what they want and what they get might not be the same thing, but they are going to try. Thanks for the building recommendations. That is exactly what I need! </p>
<p>Surprised at the general negativity regarding Battery Park City. Battery Park area is gorgeous with beautiful outdoor space and it is right on the River. It has plenty of restaurants/bars and has all the necessary services such as grocery stores, dry cleaners, liquor stores. It is a short cab ride or subway to Soho, Tribeca, West Village and all the other hot spots. Battery Park has more of a residential feel and provides a nice respite from the noise and congestion of manhattan. I have lived all over the city and this was one of my favorite spots. And most importantly it is safe, so a great launching off point for 2 girls getting to know NYC. Financial District is a bit more remote and that would not be my first choice. </p>
<p>Would agree that Murray Hill is another good spot just for the sheer convenience of its location. But I find that area a bit boring although everything is a short cab ride away. Might find rents a bit more reasonable in this area.</p>
<p>Battery Park City is still pretty dead at night from what I’ve seen and it seemed to be populated mostly by older professionals and families who settled down. </p>
<p>Not that there aren’t younger 20-30 somethings there, but all the ones I’ve seen/known are either married with children or have admitted picking the area precisely because they wanted a much more quiet area than the more vibrant neighborhoods undergrads and fresh college grads usually prefer. </p>
<p>When we looked for an apartment for DS last March, it appeared the ones in the financial district didn’t come with a fee even though we went through an agent. I personally didn’t like this area because after 7 even the fast food places had begun to shut down, but he wanted to stay close to work. The efficiency he found on Wall St was about 2,600. Might have been a small sample, but the ones in the financial district seemed newer and better kept than, for example, the ones we saw in places like Soho that also came with a fee.</p>