Tag Archives: apartment search

The apartment that got away

I know I said I was staying put, but then the rent went up and I started looking around.

The pickings were slim, as always given that it’s NYC, but I kept looking. It seemed like a good opportunity to press RESET, perhaps lower my rent and maybe even go back to Manhattan. As I’ve said, I love Williamsburg, but the L train occasionally challenges my sanity. It would also be nice to have more friends closer to home.

I saw a few “one bedrooms” that were actually studios with a funny wall built to awkwardly break up the space. Like this.

Via Bond

That seems to be the trick of the moment. Years ago, before NYC realtors used the internet much for posting their listings, tricks included not telling you the apartment location and making you meet them on a nearby corner (so you wouldn’t try to see the apartment independently and avoid their broker’s fee).

Then I saw one apartment that was a possibility. Continue reading

Welcome back, Fatty Cue

Once I zeroed in on Williamsburg during my apartment search, I used Fatty Cue as a spot to regroup and refuel.

I loved this beef brisket sandwich.

Fatty Cue

And this cocktail, the Malay michelada.

Fatty Cue

I was bummed when the restaurant suddenly closed, and stay closed for a long time.

But Fatty Cue is back. Yay!

Here’s a preview of the reopened spot by Maryse Chevriere on Serious Eats.

Related posts:

The hunt (entry #5 about finding an apartment in NYC)

I could have called this post “The runner-up.” This well laid-out alcove studio in Chelsea was my back-up apartment for if I didn’t get the Williamsburg 1 BR.

The layout of the N series showed me that living in an alcove studio wouldn’t be a real hardship for me. A similar apartment is available for December if you happen to be apartment hunting. While $2650 might sound pricey to non-New Yorkers, trust me: this represents good value for a Manhattan apartment in a “good” neighborhood. And by good I mean not boring, not isolated, etc.

250 W 19th

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The hunt (entry #4 about finding an apartment in NYC)

Are you bored yet? If so (or if not) say so in the comments. It’s lonely over here! I see that you’re reading but no one leaves me notes…

Moving right along, I gave moderate consideration to this apartment in a cond-op building. Of every Manhattan (not Brooklyn) apartment I viewed during my hunt, this unit featured the nicest fixtures of all. At that time, I was considering increasing my upper rent limit to $2800 so the broker wisely showed me the rental she called a unicorn.

242 East 25th Street , New York NY Condop

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The hunt (entry #3 about finding an apartment in NYC)

Still with me?

Based on size alone, any one of the five available 1 BR apartments at 340 E. 29th Street (also known as Berkley Park) should have been my top choice. Right?

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The hunt (entry #2 about finding an apartment in NYC)

Would you like to see some of the apartments I didn’t take? OK then! Here’s one.

95 Christopher Street in Greenwich Village

I looked at three studios (two with the same layout, one with a different), all around $2850 per month. Sample listing with floor plan here.

Yes, almost $3000 per month. That’s rent, not a mortgage payment. You don’t get to keep the place.

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The hunt (entry #1 of 72 posts about finding an apartment in NYC)

I have tweeted ad nauseum about my hunt for a New York City apartment, and the difficulty of finding one while still based in Washington, DC. Enough of my twitter friends have commented on the process that I thought I’d share information about why the hunt is so challenging.

Backing up a little…

I have wanted to move back to NYC – my spiritual home if I, in fact, have anything spiritual – since the moment I left. Each time I returned to Manhattan for work or to visit friends, I tried (and failed) to remember how I managed to move away (for my career) without having some form of a breakdown. I suspect I was numbed by the fact that my move to DC happened just 20 days after September 11.

9/11

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