The hunt for a sublet in Manhattan
So, just back to Walnut Court from Manhattan where I was shopping for an apartment to sublet. Dave says I should get a cardboard box and stake out a place in Central Park and now I know why people do and I wonder how much they have to pay for this? This is a city where even staying at the YWCA or women's residence will cost you over $1300 a month, consisting of a small room and shared bathroom and facilities. This is a city where the average rent downtown for a studio or bachelor will run you $2,500 or more in a half decent neighbourhood, and this price usually gives you just one room with a kitchenette, and bathroom, and utilities are extra, in addition to other fees. This does not guarantee laundry facilities, any view, or that it will be bigger than a shoe box or clean. This is a city where buying a small condo apartment will probably cost you over $500,000 to $750,000 at least.
To sublet for five months, I took two routes, one was the broker route(very typical and popular in NYC), which helps you find a decent spot but charges you one month's rent usually for 3-6 month period and a application fee. Besides this, there are usually certain fees for apartments and interviews for co-op apartments, and then utilities are usually on top around $200 monthly. I visited many apartments the size of my bathroom with two people living in it or a few in sizes larger. Now, I know why the show Friends was so popular and accurate of friends having to share together to make it in NYC and the constant struggle to find a better and cheaper apartment that you see in shows like Seinfield. If you go to craigslist, the on-line board for everything you could imagine, and to NYC you'll see hundreds of ads for room mates and you'll get the picture, like four people in an apartment looking for fifth in one bathroom apartment and the rent is usually over $1000 for the one person. I don't know how people make it as the salaries are usually no different than at home. So, it was quite the interesting adventure with the broker through different neighbourhoods, like East Village, Greenwich Village, Midtown, Upper West, etc. My favourites to date were Greenwich Village and Upper West, where I think I found a studio but more on that later. And, each apartment we visited was usually a total mess of a number of people staying in one place and piles of clothes everywhere with no open floor space. You get the usual line from the broker like, "you have to imagine what it would be like without the dirt, clothes off the floor, more light, or (fill in blank)" Or, we went into another apartment after much notice and knocking, and telling them we were coming in, and I noticed that there was something moving under the covers. At first, I thought it could be a rat and then I noticed to two heads peaking out from under the covers. The agent didn't look very startled but I backed away to the door in embarassment while she tried to show me calmly the rest of the apartment and its features. I guess nothing startles you as an broker in NYC.
The other route is through the on-line listings like craigslist, which everyone and their brother, referred me to. It is the place to look for everything and for temporary sublets alone there are usually hundreds of postings a day. This is the free-for-all place for everyone, including brokers, to post their offerings for accommodation. I usually looked for sublets of apartments with no broker fees and in areas I wanted to be in. I realized you can't do this too early as most apartments that are any good or opportunities are being scooped up almost that day so you have to really be on the ball and on-site. I arranged a few in advance and I had better luck with those people that were looking for good, reliable and trustworthy tenants for their places. You almost feel like you're going on a first date or interview when you introduce or meet the owners of prospective places as you really have to sell yourself and sound like you're Mother Teresa, but with time for cleaning skills. Though, amazingly, on-line and in person I met some very interesting people, some even from Canada. NYC certainly attracts a variety of interesting people. Look through the ads and you'll see something typical like five people, one a comic book artist, one a product development expert, one a theatre director, and a stewardess, looking for fifth person to share "x" spot. Imagine what the ad would be like in Ottawa... two public servants looking for third public servant to share house in Bank South.
After walking about 10 hours a day, trying to navigate through the maze of the NYC subway system and gritty steam room areas waiting and changing for trains (have yet to master the transitions, very tricky!), and getting first-hand training in how to understand what the addresses really mean and how to say it in NYC lingo to a cab driver, Caroline is finally getting a sense of the city. Caroline in the City, catchy title for a show?
So, after all this, I think I may have found a studio on the Upper West Side. A Japanese photographer has a 1920's basic studio and is in London on an assignment until next year. I'm in e-mail communications with her so we'll see if it works out and of course I'll keep you posted.
To sublet for five months, I took two routes, one was the broker route(very typical and popular in NYC), which helps you find a decent spot but charges you one month's rent usually for 3-6 month period and a application fee. Besides this, there are usually certain fees for apartments and interviews for co-op apartments, and then utilities are usually on top around $200 monthly. I visited many apartments the size of my bathroom with two people living in it or a few in sizes larger. Now, I know why the show Friends was so popular and accurate of friends having to share together to make it in NYC and the constant struggle to find a better and cheaper apartment that you see in shows like Seinfield. If you go to craigslist, the on-line board for everything you could imagine, and to NYC you'll see hundreds of ads for room mates and you'll get the picture, like four people in an apartment looking for fifth in one bathroom apartment and the rent is usually over $1000 for the one person. I don't know how people make it as the salaries are usually no different than at home. So, it was quite the interesting adventure with the broker through different neighbourhoods, like East Village, Greenwich Village, Midtown, Upper West, etc. My favourites to date were Greenwich Village and Upper West, where I think I found a studio but more on that later. And, each apartment we visited was usually a total mess of a number of people staying in one place and piles of clothes everywhere with no open floor space. You get the usual line from the broker like, "you have to imagine what it would be like without the dirt, clothes off the floor, more light, or (fill in blank)" Or, we went into another apartment after much notice and knocking, and telling them we were coming in, and I noticed that there was something moving under the covers. At first, I thought it could be a rat and then I noticed to two heads peaking out from under the covers. The agent didn't look very startled but I backed away to the door in embarassment while she tried to show me calmly the rest of the apartment and its features. I guess nothing startles you as an broker in NYC.
The other route is through the on-line listings like craigslist, which everyone and their brother, referred me to. It is the place to look for everything and for temporary sublets alone there are usually hundreds of postings a day. This is the free-for-all place for everyone, including brokers, to post their offerings for accommodation. I usually looked for sublets of apartments with no broker fees and in areas I wanted to be in. I realized you can't do this too early as most apartments that are any good or opportunities are being scooped up almost that day so you have to really be on the ball and on-site. I arranged a few in advance and I had better luck with those people that were looking for good, reliable and trustworthy tenants for their places. You almost feel like you're going on a first date or interview when you introduce or meet the owners of prospective places as you really have to sell yourself and sound like you're Mother Teresa, but with time for cleaning skills. Though, amazingly, on-line and in person I met some very interesting people, some even from Canada. NYC certainly attracts a variety of interesting people. Look through the ads and you'll see something typical like five people, one a comic book artist, one a product development expert, one a theatre director, and a stewardess, looking for fifth person to share "x" spot. Imagine what the ad would be like in Ottawa... two public servants looking for third public servant to share house in Bank South.
After walking about 10 hours a day, trying to navigate through the maze of the NYC subway system and gritty steam room areas waiting and changing for trains (have yet to master the transitions, very tricky!), and getting first-hand training in how to understand what the addresses really mean and how to say it in NYC lingo to a cab driver, Caroline is finally getting a sense of the city. Caroline in the City, catchy title for a show?
So, after all this, I think I may have found a studio on the Upper West Side. A Japanese photographer has a 1920's basic studio and is in London on an assignment until next year. I'm in e-mail communications with her so we'll see if it works out and of course I'll keep you posted.
posted by Caroline at 8:45 AM
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