After much searching (and all the crap that entailed), I determined a few things:
1) I have big, Texas-sized furniture
2) There are few neighborhoods that have big enough apartments in my price range to fit all my stuff
3) The West Village smells like urine, whether canine or human, I'm not sure
4) I'm beginning to not like change as much as I used to
And after the initial discussion with the management company of my building was fruitless, my second attempt was more successful. (It's all who you talk to...) So, I'm moving down a few floors to a very-slightly smaller apartment in my current building. I lose my view, but also the echoing construction noise from Ground Zero. I get to keep the convenience of a washer/dryer in my apartment, garbage disposal in my sink (very rare here), the doormen I know and love, the excellent building manager who is a sweetie, the gym I'm used to, and all the knowledge I've obtained about my existing neighborhood for a cheaper rent. Overall, I'm happy.
I've already lined up boxes, movers, cable and electric, and I've already started to pack. I'm moving next Saturday, the 5th, so my Labor Day holiday will be spent getting all settled in.
Oh, and if this change weren't enough, my office is moving this Friday, too! While I don't like having to shuttle between the two offices now at Times Square and Union Square, and while I detest Times Square and all the hawking advertisers and the hoards of people, I will miss Union Square's great shopping and farmers market. The new office is slightly closer to my home, so no concerns there. Just more change.
Showing posts with label apartment hunting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label apartment hunting. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Monday, August 03, 2009
Apartment Hunting
Looked for apartments all weekend. Ugh. It's exhausting.
Although I have a very nice apartment now -- complete with good square footage, washer & dryer in apartment, doormen, and a great view -- the management company wants to raise the rent (again) and the construction noise from Ground Zero is still annoying from 7 a.m. until 11 p.m. (They do not have to abide by the noise ordinance for NYC because technically the property is owned by Port Authority.) Plus, many places in Manhattan are making great deals. Including, actually, my current building -- I learned they are giving a couple months free rent and lower rent overall to new tenants. It just doesn't apply to existing tenants, so the existing lot (me included) are leaving in droves.
I'm currently on the border of the Financial District and Tribeca, and I decided I wanted to try and get into a different neighborhood. I looked at places in Chelsea, Tribeca proper, Midtown West, Upper West Side and the West Village. I love the West Village and would love to live there, but the places I can afford aren't big enough for my Texas-sized furniture.
I got a lot of shit from brokers when I mentioned my king size bed. I originally bought the bed frame and accompanying furniture when I was in my last long-term relationship. Unfortunately, we broke up shortly after we purchased it (on my credit), and I got the furniture while he kept the mattress. I ended up buying a terrific mattress -- the same one Westin uses for their Heavenly Bed -- and absolutely love it. Since I had just paid it off before moving to NYC, I didn't want to get rid of it. And now, I'm even more attached to it.
Then there's the cat. I've had Sabrina her whole life, which next month will be 16 years. She's my loving companion, and I'm treasuring what I realize are her golden years. (If I'm lucky, she'll live to 20.) So the bed and the cat are not negotiable.
I started on Friday night after work, seeing a couple of places. Then all day Saturday, from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. I didn't even eat lunch. After church on Sunday, I saw a couple more. And Monday at lunch, two more. One of which I'm hoping will be my next pad.
I've put in my application and paperwork, including 2 recent pay stubs, 2 bank statements, 2 last tax returns, and a letter from my employer confirming employment and salary. Keeping my fingers crossed it all goes through... (and if it does, I'll tell you more about it!)
Although I have a very nice apartment now -- complete with good square footage, washer & dryer in apartment, doormen, and a great view -- the management company wants to raise the rent (again) and the construction noise from Ground Zero is still annoying from 7 a.m. until 11 p.m. (They do not have to abide by the noise ordinance for NYC because technically the property is owned by Port Authority.) Plus, many places in Manhattan are making great deals. Including, actually, my current building -- I learned they are giving a couple months free rent and lower rent overall to new tenants. It just doesn't apply to existing tenants, so the existing lot (me included) are leaving in droves.
I'm currently on the border of the Financial District and Tribeca, and I decided I wanted to try and get into a different neighborhood. I looked at places in Chelsea, Tribeca proper, Midtown West, Upper West Side and the West Village. I love the West Village and would love to live there, but the places I can afford aren't big enough for my Texas-sized furniture.
I got a lot of shit from brokers when I mentioned my king size bed. I originally bought the bed frame and accompanying furniture when I was in my last long-term relationship. Unfortunately, we broke up shortly after we purchased it (on my credit), and I got the furniture while he kept the mattress. I ended up buying a terrific mattress -- the same one Westin uses for their Heavenly Bed -- and absolutely love it. Since I had just paid it off before moving to NYC, I didn't want to get rid of it. And now, I'm even more attached to it.
Then there's the cat. I've had Sabrina her whole life, which next month will be 16 years. She's my loving companion, and I'm treasuring what I realize are her golden years. (If I'm lucky, she'll live to 20.) So the bed and the cat are not negotiable.
I started on Friday night after work, seeing a couple of places. Then all day Saturday, from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. I didn't even eat lunch. After church on Sunday, I saw a couple more. And Monday at lunch, two more. One of which I'm hoping will be my next pad.
I've put in my application and paperwork, including 2 recent pay stubs, 2 bank statements, 2 last tax returns, and a letter from my employer confirming employment and salary. Keeping my fingers crossed it all goes through... (and if it does, I'll tell you more about it!)
Monday, July 23, 2007
The Apartment Search
Looking at apartments is rarely fun, but NYC puts its own spin on it. For starters, apartments go very quickly, so I have been advised to decide quickly. One person told me, "If you see something you think you MIGHT like, take it."
I'm still trying to fight the shock at sticker price and small spaces. Basically, I will be getting 1/3 of the space I have in Dallas for 3 times the cost. But hey, no car payment or insurance...
"Luxury" is a term used loosely here. Some of the places that boast "luxury apartments" should not be able to print that word on their signs. There should be some level of standard for "luxury."
Brokers are NY's special gift to renters. You have to use a broker to even get in to most of the buildings, and a broker's fee is typically 15% of your annual rent. Like realtors, some are more palatable than others, and I received many suggestions to use more than one.
I got two referrals for brokers. The first is a friend of a new coworker, and he was great. Very low-key, nice and knowledgeable about the area we were in. He showed me some terrific places, (definitely what I call "luxury"), but they were more than I had originally thought I'd spend. According to NY standard, I can afford it on my salary, but it still seems like a lot to me.
The second broker was actually a colleague of the person I was referred to, who happens to be in Florida on vacation this week. This colleague is a skinny, petite, NYer who looked and acted like a character from a movie or Sex and the City. She obviously misjudged me - what is important to me, the standard of living I'm looking for, and what I can afford - and she showed me these old, run-down buildings that were pretty lame. Well, one had a nice view of the East River. The closets were insanely small, and she tried to convince me that this is standard for anything I'm going to see. Unfortunately for her, the luxurious places I had seen previously with the other broker don't meet her description.
I decided to go with the nicest place I saw. It's a brand new building (still finishing construction, actually), so I'll be the first one to live in my unit. The doorman wears white gloves (!), there's a fitness center and lap pool, and it's in a great neighborhood, Tribeca. The name is a syllabic abbreviation of "Triangle Below Canal Street." My 1-bedroom apartment has granite countertops, a washer and dryer in the apartment (unheard of in NYC), and beautiful marble tile in the bathroom. The windows in the living room and bedroom look southwest. From my view, I can see the new construction going on at the World Trade Center and see some of the Hudson River. It definitely feels like luxurious living.
I'm still trying to fight the shock at sticker price and small spaces. Basically, I will be getting 1/3 of the space I have in Dallas for 3 times the cost. But hey, no car payment or insurance...
"Luxury" is a term used loosely here. Some of the places that boast "luxury apartments" should not be able to print that word on their signs. There should be some level of standard for "luxury."
Brokers are NY's special gift to renters. You have to use a broker to even get in to most of the buildings, and a broker's fee is typically 15% of your annual rent. Like realtors, some are more palatable than others, and I received many suggestions to use more than one.
I got two referrals for brokers. The first is a friend of a new coworker, and he was great. Very low-key, nice and knowledgeable about the area we were in. He showed me some terrific places, (definitely what I call "luxury"), but they were more than I had originally thought I'd spend. According to NY standard, I can afford it on my salary, but it still seems like a lot to me.
The second broker was actually a colleague of the person I was referred to, who happens to be in Florida on vacation this week. This colleague is a skinny, petite, NYer who looked and acted like a character from a movie or Sex and the City. She obviously misjudged me - what is important to me, the standard of living I'm looking for, and what I can afford - and she showed me these old, run-down buildings that were pretty lame. Well, one had a nice view of the East River. The closets were insanely small, and she tried to convince me that this is standard for anything I'm going to see. Unfortunately for her, the luxurious places I had seen previously with the other broker don't meet her description.
I decided to go with the nicest place I saw. It's a brand new building (still finishing construction, actually), so I'll be the first one to live in my unit. The doorman wears white gloves (!), there's a fitness center and lap pool, and it's in a great neighborhood, Tribeca. The name is a syllabic abbreviation of "Triangle Below Canal Street." My 1-bedroom apartment has granite countertops, a washer and dryer in the apartment (unheard of in NYC), and beautiful marble tile in the bathroom. The windows in the living room and bedroom look southwest. From my view, I can see the new construction going on at the World Trade Center and see some of the Hudson River. It definitely feels like luxurious living.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)