help finsing a sublet! (Madison: sublets, apartments, rentals)

[ilovemegan]

ok 3 of us are staying in new york city from july 28th - about august 12, and we must stay within a max of about 10 blocks to walk to 8th avenue between 34th and 35th or 36th because i must be there every day, so ive been looking at sublets and hotels and i need a price of 240$ or under a night, and we wanted to be able to cook or have a fridge, so i know youve posted like craigslist but could you please give me specific examples of places also if you know of anything farther then wat i had said but is very good and reasonable and has some way for me to get there in 10 minutes please let me know asap!!

[mead]

You want an apartment for a little over 2 weeks? I mean sure it might be possible, but this sounds kind of crazy.

Look into Hostels. I know, I know, it may seem very "european," but in this situation it would probably be the best choice. Perhaps you could find someplace with weekly rates. Also the YMCA runs some cheap hotels in the city. I think the nightly rates are $50-$100 per night depending on which one you pick. However the Hostels are generally only about $25 per night. So if you and your 3 friends can find a hostel that has a 3br room, you could just buy out the room for $75 and keep it for the two weeks.

I also wouldn't limit yourself to being within a couple blocks of where you are going to work. The location you mentioned is right next to Madison Square garden/Penn station. So you can live anywhere along the A/C/E & 1/2/3 subways. In addition the PATH from New Jersey goes right there as do Commuter Trains from both New Jersey and Long Island.

So in reality you've got plenty of options.

[ilovemegan]

thanks so much but..what is a hostel?

[mead]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hostel Its kind of like a dorm, but for people who are traveling. Like I said, if you are going as a group you could probably by the room out for yourselves and just share it for the two weeks.

Trying to rent an apartment for that short of a period of time doesn't really make any sense in my mind.

Maybe someone else who disagrees will chime in though.

[ilovemegan]

so wait, isnt that what sublets are for..people renting out their places for a few weeks?

[mead]

Most sublets I've seen last a couple of months. Sometimes you'll see one for just a month. Thats just been my experience though.

Did you look here: http://newyork.craigslist.org/sub/ ?

[ilovemegan]

yes, i looked theere and ill continue looking but,so do you think its better if i just find a hotel?

[mead]

Well it depends on how much you are willing to pay. Staying at a hotel in the city for 2 weeks is going to be insanely expensive. Thats why I reccomended the hostels to you.

If you do want to stay in a hotel look for some of the YMCA hotels that are in the city. Also check and see if the Salvation Army runs any hotels/hostels in the city. (I'm not sure whether they do or not).

You might also want to consider finding a cheap Motel 6/Super 8 that is located somewhere by a train station. Then you could just take the trian to Penn Station. Because the address you listed is literally a block or two away from Penn Station.

[UpstaterInBklyn]

Hi All

Long time lurker, first time poster.

I was in a similar situation last summer, when I received a 2-week consulting gig (which turned into a full-time job, allowing me to relocate to NYC - but that's another story for another thread).

There are lots sublets available for two weeks or less. Some people even rent their apartments out for the weekend while they are away. Last summer, while my wife and I were job-hunting here, we rented a studio in Chelsea for three days while the occupant was out of town, and I rented a one-bedroom on W 58th St. for two weeks for the consulting job I mentioned.

It's not cheap when figured on a monthly basis, but less than hotel on a daily basis. Three people might be tougher to manage and may be subject to closer scrutiny from the owners/occupants than a single person or couple.

A website called sublet.com lists these kinds of rentals [hope that dosen't violate the commercialism policy - I have no vested interest]. The thing about sublet.com is that you, the sublet-seeker, pay a fee of about $100 for three months of access to contact information for the apartment owners (you can browse for free). This system is actually kind of nice, because you're not caught up in the craigslist free-for-all and are much more likely to get an actual response from the owner.