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[Dkg]

I think Allanah could give you the best advice.

[shemalejunky]

Just for interest's sake....what is rent in NYC? i.e. decent 2BR in a decent neighbourhood. Just want to make some comparisons.

[beatmaker]

Expensive as hell! In Manhattan, anywhere below 110th St, you're looking at anywhere between $1800-$3000 per month for a small 2 bedroom apartment. Above 110th St, which are primarily Latino and/or Black neighborhoods you're looking at $1500-$2300 per month for a nice 2br in a renovated apartment building, in an upcoming (gentrified) neighborhood. In the outer boroughs (Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island) in so-called nice neighorhoods, you're looking at $1200-$2200 per month. You can find the best bargains in Queens and the Bronx. Some neighborhoods that I think a young, white female would feel comfortable living in are, Queens: Kew Gardens, Forest Hills, Bay Ridge, Astoria, Flushing (mostly Asian, but some whites), Sunnyside, Rego Park, and Woodside. The Bronx: Pelham Bay, Morris Park, and Bedford Park. In these neighborhoods, you can get something nice, in a cozy working class neighborhood for $1200-1500 per month (2 BDRM). An apartment broker can get you an apartment, in a neighborhood that's to your liking with a cheaper rent, but you'll have to pay a month's rent as a broker's fee. One tip: Rent from older private homeowners, who own a two-family home. Some are looking for some extra money since they're on a fixed income and own their home "free and clear". They tend to offer good deals on rent, unlike a professional landlord who owns multiple units and are well aware of what the market will tolerate rentwise. The only negative to this type of situation, is that they live right above or below you and we all know how older people with lots of spare time can be nosey. They also will be at your door like clockwork to collect rent versus living in a large apartment building and mailing your rent to the property owner's management company. If you tend to pay bills late, this might not be the ideal situation for you.

Check out the housing section on http://newyork.craigslist.org to see prices and some pics of apartments, to get an idea before you move. However, be careful with apartment brokers on Craigslist, as some some scam artist have took many people to the cleaners. Make sure they have an office you can actually visit and call the office on their business card, to make sure it's an actual office (not just a voicemail or he/she is the only one who answers the line).

Good Luck!

[AllanahStarrNYC]

oh angela
it's a process dear


i can put u in touch with some brokers
but be prepared to have w2's, proof of work, bank statements, employment letter, and pay stubs.

gettin an apt. in manhattan is definately a process you have to be prepared for. just make sure u girls are prepared and it should be ok.

[flabbybody]

beatmaker's post was right on. Most all the areas he mentioned in Queens and the Bronx are safe and short subway rides from the city. The attractiveness of actually living in Manhattan is way exaggerated.

[scroller]

One thing in beatmaker's post: Bay Ridge is in Brooklyn (not Queens), isn't it?

[jmt]

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[AllanahStarrNYC]

ok i would say florida does have SOME redeeming qualities in the south of florida- but i am not sure sarosota or ft. meyers are exactly nice places to live. central floida is actually quite hideous in my opinion- but hey different stroke for different...........

[BeardedOne]

ok i would say florida does have SOME redeeming qualities in the south of florida-

The only thing I liked about that state were the hot and cold running lizards and the polydachtyl (Sp?) cats of Key West.

As for NYC, try and find a friend or family member that lives in a rent-controlled apartment. NYC leases (At least they used to) work like a chain letter: New tenant adds name to bottom of list, as old tenants/rommies move out, name moves to top of list, etc. As long as one of the "original" tenants occupies the flat, the rent can't be increased by more than certain percentage of the previous year's lease.

I knew people in a fairly nice Brooklyn neighborhood that were paying about $500 a month for an enormous apartment while their immediate neighbors were paying close to $2500 for the same floorplan. It's why landlords hate rent control.

[jmt]

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[shemalejunky]

Thanks for the interesting info, beatmaker.

[beatmaker]

One thing in beatmaker's post: Bay Ridge is in Brooklyn (not Queens), isn't it?

Your right Scroller, I meant Bayside. Actually, Bayside public schools have the highest elementary school test scores of all Queens school districts.

[beatmaker]

Oh Yeah, Riverdale is a safe and economical area located in the Bronx. I'd say the most affluent Bronxites live in Riverdale. However, it's longest subway ride of all the 4 Bronx neighborhoods I mentioned.

[xxMelania4uxx]

Im from The Bronx, and Riverdale is quite nice but far, Throggs Neck & Little Italy in The Bronx Is Very Nice i use 2 live there and I LOVED IT! Besides Fordham University is soo close and its Patroled on the reg.. which is excellent.

But if u New 2 NYC i would say Queens and Some area of Brooklyn(Park Slope) are best because there close 2 The City, and is not 2 Costly.

[scroller]

why would you wanna leave sunny florida for cold, expensive, overcrowded nyc?

Lol... the funny thing is I'm from further north, and since I moved to New York I've been sweating my nuts off. I couldn't possibly live in a place any warmer than NYC!

[GIZELLEAZURE]

HEY WELL IM A BROKER AND I USE TO WORK FOR CITY PAD REAL ESTATE. I STRONGLY WOULD SAY DONT GO WITH CITY HABITATS FOR YOUR OWN GOOD WHEN I FIRST STARTED IE DELT WITH THEM AND THEY'RE NOT GOOD.. IF U LIKE WE CAN TALK ABOUT SOME PLACES JUST LET ME KNOW WHAT YOUR LOOKING FOR AND ILL GET A COPY OF WHAT IO HAVE AND U CAN COMPARE IF U LIKE..JUST LEAVE ME A MESSAGE AND ILL ASSIST U ..MUAHZZ HOPE ALL IS WELL

[south ov da border]

Fort Myers is a horrible place to live. Nice to visit but not to live. MIami's ok some places, I've been gone for a year. Don't miss it too much. If I could afford it, NY would be my residence...

[jmt]

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[BeardedOne]

I lived in Hells Kitchen throughout the mid 90's, north of Edelweiss and the Munson Diner on 11th. It was $300 a month for a two bedroom. But my roommate was somehow grandfathered in on someone else's rent control deal. Those situations are not common.

Yah, this is what I mentioned. I know of one apartment that friends lived in down in Brooklyn in the early 80's where, if I knocked on the door now, I would most likely know the current tennants (Or be only one degree of friends/relatives from them).

[Paladin]

Well, how did the trip to NYC work out???

You are going to find that securing a decent place to live in NYC (I lived there for 3 yrs and I moved TO Florida, thank you Florida bashers) is going to be 1: VERY expensive - more than what was quoted) and 2: difficult to find and get "approved" especially if you can't show regular income, tax forms, etc. NYC was the only place I ever lived where the future tenant has to pay the rental broker. Every place else I've ever been in its the other way around.

And I LIKE living here in FL - let's see you new york city clickers take your boat out on Jan 1 each year - that is if you can dig it out from under the smow - and how many of you go to the beach in Jan-Feb up there or driving with the top down in the winter?? (that reminds me - i have to see the shop about my snd convertible - I want to drive it by Jan)

Good luck, you are going to need it.

[Shining Star]

To clear up a few points: to get onto a lease of a person who is rent stablised (rent controlled apartments do not have leases normally), you have to be a close relation of the tenant of record (spouse, child, grand child etc), and have lived there for at least one year, IIRC. Depending upon the building landlords are NOT happy about extending rent stablised leases to anyone, and expect a fight in terms of verification.

As for finding an apartment in NYC, for prime areas of Mahnattan in increasingly every where else, expect to be gone over with a fine toothed comb. Credit checks, background checks, court record checks, employment history checks, previous landlord references, etc.

Having a good job on paper with lots of money is not the easy way to an apartment either. Lots of recent college grads/MBA grads pulling down good money still either have to have their parents co-sign a lease or just decide to buy an apartment instead.

Back when times were "tight" for landlords, there were some willing to rent to trannies and other girls, and look the other way about "income". Complaints from other tenants and LE action has pretty much stopped that. Also many girls would move into an apartment, work (with all the problems that causes with traffic and all) but never pay the rent. After three months or less they would be evicted but the landlord never got his money and the building/apartment gained a reputation, so now most won't bother.

[MONSTADIQ]

go to craigslist.org......... they have alot of good apartments with no broker fee

[house]

Can we please try to encourage her to come to ny instead of telling her about florida?? Ok good! 2 beautiful babes are asking and let's answer. PARK SLOPE. It's the perfect place for someone new or old to nyc. Rent is very decent and you can get apartments in many of the very nice brick buildings full of busy and not at all nosy people going about their own business (likely in manhattan). Its a trendy neighborhood in a very nice part of brooklyn full of restaurants and bars and just a few minutes from manhattan. Its full of 20-30 somethings in law school, art school, medical school, sculpture school, etc. Ultra liberal by the way. Theres a MASSIVE and well known and well stocked library nearby and an amazing museum and of course the PARK (prospect park) which is beautiful and huge. Best of all, there are lots of subways scattered about. Welcome to NY (spring or whenever). Try craigslist, or find a broker and just tell him park slope because you can't beat the location or price.

[rprince]

Hi, well I live in a private house in the Bronx one bedroom real nice, nice neighborhood and all, and my rent is $700 bucks, love it. I would never try to move down in Manhattan, and lets get real, you best have good credit and you need to have good income coming in or they will throw you out on your ass. Just being real. 200 a week aint making it. you whould have to have five roomates to make up what you are talking. Hope you find what you are looking for.