# Apartments in NYC



## romo88 (Sep 12, 2010)

Not sure if this is the correct place to post but I could not think of a better spot. 

I am looking for apartments in nyc currently and have had trouble with the whole search scene on craigslist and various websites. I am trying to avoid paying a broker 15% of first years rent and was wondering if anyone knew of a good no fee broker. I am trying to live on the east side and am not too picky anywhere from LES to UES with a preference on the Murray Hill / Union Square / Gramercy area. Looking for a studio or 1 bedroom in the $1500 range. If anyone has a tip on brokers or a good place to search it would be much appreciated. 

Thanks


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## ctt (Dec 24, 2008)

From what I have been told, either way you're paying a fee for the broker. It's either coming in the form of increased rent, a portion of which your landlord pays to the broker, or in the form of a commission that you pay to the broker.


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## blue suede shoes (Mar 22, 2010)

Have you ever thought of placing an ad or two stating what you want, exactly as you did in this post? Maybe an ad on craigslist, and possibly another ad in a local publication, possibly, but not necessairly one of the major NYC daily newspapers. I have seen others do this, but have never heard about their results. 

You may also want to post your wants/needs on a bulletin board in a neighborhood store or office building. Health food stores usually have message boards. A lot of people do this in Philly.

Good luck.


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## Penang Lawyer (May 27, 2008)

Don't cross off the westside the areas from 72nd street to 90th are quite nice. You have two parks to chose from Central and Riverside. There are more subways. Try using the NY Times real estate sections. What about your college assn? Talk to everybody you know.


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## Apatheticviews (Mar 21, 2010)

romo88 said:


> Not sure if this is the correct place to post but I could not think of a better spot.
> 
> I am looking for apartments in nyc currently and have had trouble with the whole search scene on craigslist and various websites. I am trying to avoid paying a broker 15% of first years rent and was wondering if anyone knew of a good no fee broker. I am trying to live on the east side and am not too picky anywhere from LES to UES with a preference on the Murray Hill / Union Square / Gramercy area. Looking for a studio or 1 bedroom in the $1500 range. If anyone has a tip on brokers or a good place to search it would be much appreciated.
> 
> Thanks


15% sounds like robbery to me, but I guess it's what the market will bear.


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## godeacs (Nov 28, 2009)

When I was apartment hunting in NYC last spring, I found this site invaluable: https://www.padmapper.com/

It allows you to search within certain parameters (# of rooms, price) and then overlays the available apartments on Google Maps so you can see where everything is. Very helpful if you already have a particular neighborhood in mind. Now I'm in Brooklyn Heights and loving it. Good luck!


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## Canadian (Jan 17, 2008)

This might seem totally pointless, but when I took a job in a "big city" my boss told me which areas were safe, in walking distance of work and affordable. Other employees who were vacating their jobs due to various friendly reasons (ie weren't fired) would email him and he would pass on the info to the other interns.

Maybe you could email your boss and ask him what he thinks would be an appropriate place. Give him your budget and any other factors and see if he knows of any openings. 

Ironically, when I left that job, my co-workers were literally lining up to rent my space. I had a 1-bdrm+ den in a good neighbourhood and good rent (1050 utilities included all in CDN). I actually ended up telling my landlord to just rent it through traditional channels. 

When I was looking, I thought I'd found the right building, but as I came up for a second look, I saw the exterminators coming out the front door.

Thomas


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## godeacs (Nov 28, 2009)

Good advice - I definitely spoke with many NYC friends about their recommended neighborhoods before moving. There was also a good article in NY Mag last spring that compared many of the best neighborhoods in the city: https://nymag.com/realestate/neighborhoods/2010/65374/


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## ctt (Dec 24, 2008)

Thanks for that link godeacs, definitely helpful.


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