moving: specific questions, & details. up to 2,200 rent for 2 bdrm, commute OK (Union: real estate, apartments)

[Parbo]

First of all, thank you for looking! I have been looking through a ton of threads trying to piece together info, but I thought I should just ask. If this exact question has been asked, which I dont doubt, I would love to have the link. I am trying to help a friend with an apartment search

So: he's a 23 yr old single male moving to NYC for a new job paying about $61,000. His friend is also starting a new job there and they want to share a two bedroom or 1 bdrm + den.

They can pay up to 2,200 (1,100 each) + utilities. They want a safe(ish?) area within a 30 min commute of manhattan (I'm not sure where the offices are located, but I can update later).

They will likely not have a car so a neighborhood grocery store would be good. Nightlife is important, they dont need to be in the middle of everything but since drinking is a favorite past time it should be within a short cab ride of the bar scene. Cheap, and good, places to eat out would also be a plus. Diversity is appreciated.


They need an apartment by January 10th and will have few opportunities - maybe a weekend or two- to go to the city to search before then.

Questions:
+ what neighborhoods should they be looking in?
+ do many apartments have washer/dryers in the unit? they want to avoid laundromats
+ is it possible to find an apartment without a broker? Would that be the best option considering they have little time and cannot physically be there to search very often?

[adambos]

In NYC you have to earn 40X the monthly rent in verifiable annual income. With the combined income of the two they could technically go to 3k per month, which will get them an ok 2 bed in the city.

You dropped some signifcant clues that NY is a totally new expereince. (i.e. a short cab ride to the bar scene, are washer/dryers in units, and a 30 min commute from manhattan. All questions that would probably make sense in any other city but are just a little off in ny.

First of all, if they dont live in manhattan they're probably going to be a minimum of 30 min from the city. Even Bedford ave in williamsburg door to door to union sq will take 30 min, or astoria queens. Getting around NYC can be time consuming and commutes can be grueling. Time spent will be dictated by where in the city they work, or where you're heading obviosuly. A cab ride to the bar scene? Manhattan is one giant bar scene to a certain extent. Sure, there are neighborhoods that tend to be thought of as party areas, lower east side, the village, meatpacking, etc, but almost all neighborhoods have some sort of a bar scene. Washer and dryer in the unit? If you want to pay 4500 for a 2 bed, then maybe. A lot of BUILDINGS will have laundry in them. You can most certianly find a place without a broker. Doing so from outside the city is bit trickier, although in this market, I wouldnt pay a brokers fee. Checkingwith friends to see if there are open units is always helpful. You deal with the landlord directly. Living here is unlike any other city. There are compromises you'll make. space is limited. All that said, its the greatest city in the world, and I wouldnt live anywhere else!

[Parbo]

Thank you for your quick response! NYC will definately be a new experience for them, and for myself when I plan to visit and sponge off of a free place to stay. A longer commute probably wouldnt be an issue and its good to know that there is plenty of social outlets in most areas.

[Henna]

Originally Posted by adambos

First of all, if they dont live in manhattan they're probably going to be a minimum of 30 min from the city. Even Bedford ave in williamsburg door to door to union sq will take 30 min, or astoria queens. !

What you said about Bedford Ave is incorrect. I once made it from my friend's place near Bedford Ave to the INSIDE of a friend's apartment in Union Square in 12 minutes. Yes, that particular day I was lucky and arrived at the station when the train was pulling in, but even if I hadn't, 5 minutes to wait for an L train is not an unusual wait. The ride from Bedford Ave. to Union Square is 5 minutes.

Edited to say: point taken, though. When you're looking in outer borough neighborhoods, you have to figure into the commute time the time to get to the subway track, time to wait for a train (at Bedford ave in the morning I have heard that sometimes you have to let a train or two pass because the morning rush hour is so crowded) and then on the other end you need to factor in the walk time to get to your destination. So a 12 minute ride on the train can translate into a 30 minute commute pretty easily depending on start and finish locations and how far they are from the subway.

To answer the OP's question, I am wondering if Hoboken, NJ might be a good place to look into. I have not been there myself, but it sounds like it might fit what they are looking for in terms of a young post-college bar scene and the commute to Manhattan for work is supposed to be very easy.

Williamsburg, Brooklyn (mentioned above) is also hopping with bars and people in their 20s.

But do find out where their offices are because this makes a big difference in terms of what areas people might suggest.

[TurtleCreek80]

Murray Hill. Upper East Side. Hell's Kitchen. Three great Manhattan neighborhoods for recent college grads that they are able to afford. Close to bars & everything else you need in Manhattan. Possibly walking distance from their offices if they're in Midtown.

As for laundry, some big buildings have laundry in the basement. Smaller buildings probably won't. There are laundrymats on every block or two. Or be lazy and send your laundry out with your drycleaning like many young male professionals do.

If they want a high-rise/ doorman building,Mod cut There is a company who will install a wall & door to make a second bedroom out of the living room space for a few hundred dollars. This is exactly what I did for my first apartment.

Yes, you can find an apartment without a broker. Check the NYTimes' real estate listings for no-broker rentals. You can also google Manhattan landlords or Manhattan property management companies and work from there.

They should be able to come into the city betwen now and 1/1 and find a January rental.
****Make sure they bring all the necessary (mandatory) paperwork in order to sign a lease:
-employment verification letter from new employer stating salary & start date
-past 3-6 months bank statements for checking and savings accounts
-letter of recommendation from current landlord
-past 2 years of W2's if they have worked full time
-ability to quickly get a cashier's check (not personal check) for 1st month's rent + security deposit equal to one month's rent
-$60-$100 for credit check/ app fee

[bmwguydc]

You have to watch the temporary walls, because they can violate the certificate of occupancy, and you're also responsible for damages caused by alterations to the apartment. The building must grant permission as well, and some landlords do not want the liability. There are temporary wall companies, but if they can afford a 2BR, I would just get a smaller 2BR as they would probably want a living space as opposed to just sleeping spaces.

The more affordable parts of the UES can be a hike to the subway, since they are very far east. For $2200-$2300, they could find a smaller 2BR (700-800 sf) in Midtown East (Murray Hill, Kips Bay, etc.). And, if they're working in Lower Manhattan, I'd also look at Brooklyn, since Brooklyn Heights is very convenient, and slightly less expensive than Manhattan.

If you know where their offices are, that can make a big difference in terms of neighborhood recommendation because it can be a hike from the far east UES to Times Square, for example.

[neonwattagelimit]

What you said about Bedford Ave is incorrect. I once made it from my friend's place near Bedford Ave to the INSIDE of a friend's apartment in Union Square in 12 minutes. Yes, that particular day I was lucky and arrived at the station when the train was pulling in, but even if I hadn't, 5 minutes to wait for an L train is not an unusual wait. The ride from Bedford Ave. to Union Square is 5 minutes.

While that's generally true outside peak hours, I've heard that commute time on the L train is wretched. Friends of mine who get on at Bedford say it is not uncommon for packed trains to roll right past the station at, say, 8 to 9 AM. One of them actually started taking the G to the A (he works downtown) because it's faster.

That said, I think we really need to know where the office is to get a good idea of the commute. I live on the south side of Williamsburg and take the J/M/Z, and my commute is about 25 to 30 minutes from the moment I leave my apartment to the moment I arrive at my desk. However, if they're willing to pay $2200 for a 2-bed, I'm not sure they'd want to live around here. And if they work in Midtown, the commute is not convenient.

Expanding the commute to around 35-40 minutes should give them plenty of options. $2200 can get you a pretty nice 2-bed in most parts of Brooklyn and Queens, save maybe Brooklyn Heights. You can probably get something in Manhattan, too, but I'm really not familiar with the Manhattan rental market.

[ohiogirl22]

Originally Posted by neonwattagelimit

While that's generally true outside peak hours, I've heard that commute time on the L train is wretched. .

I agree. I live near the 8th Ave stop and sometimes it takes FOREVER for it to leave. People come on the train and get off and come back on all while waiting for it to leave.

[Henna]

Originally Posted by ohiogirl22

I agree. I live near the 8th Ave stop and sometimes it takes FOREVER for it to leave. People come on the train and get off and come back on all while waiting for it to leave.

That's because it's the last stop!!! It's on a schedule and can't leave until it's the correct time for it to leave. Of course people have to wait for it to leave- -the two end points on any subway line are the only two stops on the line where the train is going to be sitting for any length of time with its doors open - hence why people are free to get in and out if they so choose "waiting" for it to leave.

[PsychDoc]

You definitely can find a 2-bedroom in Manhattan for $2200 or less in Murray Hill or Upper East Side. Just check out craigslist.org