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I was recently offered a job in NYC that I would love to accept....but I would need to find a place asap.
1. I have no kids so I dont care about schools.
2. Im not worried about being in a trendy area with lots of nightlife....I like to go out for a couple drinks 1 or 2 days a week but thats about it.
3. I think I could afford rent from $1000 to $1400 a month.
4. I have a car that I would like to bring with me.
5. Im female so Im looking for something fairly safe.
6. I would be ok with up to a 40 minute subway commute (at the most). 7. I'll be working on Varick St. in Soho.
8. I have a dog and cat I'll be bringing with me.
Ive gone on Craigslist to look at apartments and possibly look for a roommate but it seems like a lot of the ads are scams. Does anyone have any suggestions on neighborhoods? Should I just pay a broker to find a place? Anyone have suggestions on ways to find a good roommate? Thanks!
It might be hard to find a place that allows you to have both a dog and a cat.
As far as the car is concerned- street parking can be a nightmare and parking garages are expensive. One thing you can do is try to find a cheaper parking lot/garage even if you have to take the subway to get to your car. That's what I plan on doing. Or decide if you can really afford to bring the car at all. Insurance can also be expensive.
For that price range in Manhattan the only areas you can afford on your own are probably Washington Heights, Inwood, and Harlem- all of which have some safe areas and some that are not. Since you need to find a place soon looking for roommates or a place where you can just rent a room may not be feasible but otherwise it would be a good option. You may want to look at the other boroughs. Craig's List is tough because there are lots of scams. Try Trulia.com, newyorktimes.com and streeteasy.com as well.
A broker will definetely help but be prepared to pay 15% of a year's rent to the broker, plus your first month of rent and a one month security deposit to move in. Some landlords will require your last month of rent upfront as well. There are some "No Fee" apartments where the landlord is paying the broker's fee, but I have found that most brokers advertise those just as a teaser. When you call them they tell you that there are only a few of those and that you are competing with too many people for those places, etc, so you should allow them to show you fee apartments. Also keep in mind most landlords require 40-45x the rent in annual income. That should tell you how much your rent can be.
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