Choosing between 2 NYC apartments

[alliswell]

Chelsea. You moved to New York, not Near York. The Financial District is not Manhattan, it's where Manhattan works. I lived at Broadway and Wall for two years, so I know what it's like. Don't even think about it, especially with your commutes.

 

[Ambulance Chaser]

Why not Midtown? Too expensive? Too touristy?

 

[Nahmeanz]

just like everyone else said, live in Chelsea...my brother lived on wall st., it was depressing

 

[alliswell]

Originally Posted by Ambulance Chaser

Why not Midtown? Too expensive? Too touristy?

A place to work, not to live. Don't live anywhere that doesn't have a grocery store. Even in New York you'll have to have food in the fridge at some point.

 

[raley]

There were a couple of options in Midtown, but I didn't really like it too much. I like the feel of the West Village/Chelsea village area a lot. The buildings are smaller, it feels more "neighborhood" like, which is a comment I kind of laughed at earlier but one that I seem to care about. Unfortunately it looks like we are in kind of a bind. There is another application in on the Chelsea place, and they don't seem overly satisfied with our qualifications (funny, since the Financial District place got us qualified no problem and the rent we needed to qualify for there was without the 2 free months, was around $500 more).

So now, with me leaving the country tomorrow night for the next three weeks, and my girlfriend in Atlanta, it looks like we are going to have to sign for the Financial District place tomorrow to ensure we are not homeless, unless this other place comes through for us sometime in the morning, which seems unlikely

 

[grimslade]

Originally Posted by raley

There were a couple of options in Midtown, but I didn't really like it too much. I like the feel of the West Village/Chelsea village area a lot. The buildings are smaller, it feels more "neighborhood" like, which is a comment I kind of laughed at earlier but one that I seem to care about. Unfortunately it looks like we are in kind of a bind. There is another application in on the Chelsea place, and they don't seem overly satisfied with our qualifications (funny, since the Financial District place got us qualified no problem and the rent we needed to qualify for there was without the 2 free months, was around $500 more).

So now, with me leaving the country tomorrow night for the next three weeks, and my girlfriend in Atlanta, it looks like we are going to have to sign for the Financial District place tomorrow to ensure we are not homeless, unless this other place comes through for us sometime in the morning, which seems unlikely

Sorry about that. Is the FD place at all close to Tribeca, or is it way downtown?

EDIT: Welcome to NY househunting!

 

[raley]

It's pretty far away, the place is on Wall Street. This hunt is really stressful. I'm leaving town for 3 weeks so now we are considering coming back around June 26-27th and looking to get a place for July 1, since on second thought my girlfriend really doesn't want to live in the Financial District. Does this seem feasible, or is this cutting it too close considering I start work on July 9?

 

[gdl203]

That sounds pretty much impossible.

Is the Chelsea deal dead? Can't you help your case by sweetening the deal and offering to pay several months in advance/escrow, or something to that effect ?

 

[raley]

Maybe we'll try that tomorrow. I think that the landlord doesn't like that we are trying to make them act so fast, and since they have another applicant they can afford to be selective. We'll see how it goes tomorrow. If we do end up having to live in the Fidi, at least it is only for one year, so we can be sure our next place is one that we really like.

 

[grimslade]

Landlords in NY can always afford to be selective. But they also like to move fast and sign the papers. I'd see if you can sweeten the deal somehow.

 

[blank]

If you're looking to live in a brand new luxury building in the Financial District, how much, on average, is a similar luxury/modern apartment in Chelsea?

And by the way, live in Chelsea. The streets of the Financial District get eerily hollow at night, and there's nothing at all outside your door.

 

[Toad]

Originally Posted by raley

free breakfast
There are apartments that offer free breakfast? I've never heard of such a place before, and I live in NY. Must be in a totally different class.

 

[SoCal2NYC]

My old building (the Helena 601 W 57th) used to have free continental breakfast in the mornings.

 

[samblau]

My building allegedly has "free breakfast" which has turned out to be nothing.

NY landlords and real estate agents are awful. How do they keep a straight face when they tell you that $3500 for a 1-bed is a "good deal"??? I should go become a broker if thats the case.

 

[mps23]

i've never heard of free breakfast in a nyc apartment bldg. are you sure this isn't a holiday inn? the breakfast seems like it might be "continental" - meaning crappy.

otherwise, i would go with the chelsea apt. you don't want to move around nyc - it's not like LA where you can get up and move at a whim with ease.