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My husband and I are looking to move to NYC from FL. We have 2 medium sized dogs. We will be making approx $100k after taxes. Where should we be looking to find a place?
Think of it as if you were the landlord:
If you had the option of renting to a couple without dogs or one with dogs which would you rent to? I think it's easy to draw the conclusion that they would take the ones without. The problem with owning pets here is that apartments fly off the market even with outlandish fees and many restrictions in place. One of the reasons for this is that NY rental laws favor tenants so much so that once you get the keys it is extremely difficult to have tenants evicted even if they (or their dogs) are an absolute nightmare. Frankly, I would not rent in a building with dogs either above, below, or adjacent to me. Even if they are well behaved it is easy to hear them scurrying along the hardwood floors.
You will see a number of rental ads which state 'cats or small dog OK'. Their definition of small is usually 20 lbs. Generally you will face hurdles getting into a building that is pet friendly but they are out there. Just be ready to plunk down a very sizable security deposit or other non-refundable pet fee. The only great living option is a single family home or a very ritzy co-op/condo where, for some reason, they don't seem to find pets an issue.
We had the same concerns moving from Connecticut to NYC with two 60 lbs dogs. It will take some looking but it can be done. We found a two bedroom apartment in Astoria, Queens which is close to Astoria park, a great dog walking spot. I suggest checking out neighborhoods close to dog runs, it's also a good way to get connected to other dog owners. Good luck!
I don't know what lifestyle your dogs are used to, but city dogs have it great! When Loretta came to live with me, my suburban dad said it was unfair to have dog living in a city. Was he kidding?! She loved walking past the sidewalk cafes, or touring the neighborhood to walk past every window through which she'd ever seen a cat. She had a regular, informal playgroup* in Central Park, and for one hour every evening got to romp with them. This is so much better than the life of the poor suburban dog I grew up with -- isolated to her own yard, not well socialized with other dogs, no strangers slipping her tortilla chips.
*I'm sure you'll find one in a park near wherever you end up.
I am just curious, when you have to go to the vet or somewhere, what do you do for transportation? I found that a lot of cabbies don't like taking dogs, even if they're in a crate. I have a small poodle mix and got rejected once by a driver when he saw me coming out with my crated dog. Hmph!
It's true, though... the city is awesome for doggie socialization!
I needed to transport my 50-pounder once when it was raining torrents. It was hard finding a cab under any conditions. So I stood there waving a $5 bill and indicating to the driver that it was just for him. It worked. Counting for inflation, I'd probably pull out a $10 today. But other than that very rainy day, I never had a terrible time finding a willing cabbie. One or two might pass by, and you have to allow for that, but it was not a major challenge, maybe because mine was the cutest dog on the Upper West Side.
Animals are permitted on public transit as long as they're crated. Mine was too big for that.
My vet, btw, was within walking distance, my dog never too sick to make the trip by paw.
We decided to keep our car just for that reason... transporting the dogs. It also helps when stocking up on groceries, helping friends move and weekend escapes from the city. You might try calling a car service and requesting a pet friendly driver. There used to be pet transportation services around but I haven't seen their vans around lately, still could be worth looking into.
Pet Taxi still exists. You can google it and any number of services pop up.
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