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Moving to Brooklyn — Brooklynian

Moving to Brooklyn

bella donna
bella donna
edited November -1 in Brooklyn and Beyond

Hey,

My husband and me are moving to New York (with our cats). He will study in Manhatten (Jazz Music). So far we were recommended to move to Williamsburg or Park Slope. He wants to be close to public transportation to get fast to school, I want a safe neighborhood, he wants Jazz clubs, I want organic food. Our budget is max. 1700 for 1 BR (less is okay, too:). Can anyone recommend something and what areas should we not move to? We've been to New York in winter and went to Williamsburg to see the neighborhood. The area we saw was very Orthodox and, well, depressing. So are there any recommendations? It doesn't have to be Brooklyn, but so far it seemed to be the place that fits our needs best.

We are also trying to find an apartment without a broker to go easy on our budget - is there anything useful beside craigslist?

Thanks for the help!

Comments

  • booklaw
    booklaw

    You should be able to find a one-bedroom apartment in Park Slope for $1700 per month. Park Slope is a much prettier neighborhood than most of Williamsburg (although not every part of Williamsburg is as dreary and as depressing as what you apparently saw). Consider also Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill and Prospect Heights.

    As with any New York real estate listings, take neighborhood descriptions with a grain of salt. Google neighborhood names to learn the generally accepted boundaries of the neighborhood, and use Google Maps or Mapquest to see whether the listed apartment is truly within that neighborhood. Real estate agents and landlords often stretch those boundaries (or simply lie) to get renters into apartments in questionable areas.

  • tateinbk
    tateinbk

    Supposedly it is possible to find an apartment without a broker, but it seems unlikely. My complete guess is that with the economic downturn landlords want complete checks run on prospective renters and hiring brokers is the easier way to do this.

    If you find a "no fee" broker, it often just means his fee is split into 12 sections and tacked onto your rent. If you find a rent stabilized building it would be better to pay the broker on the side and start with a lower monthly rental amount so as to keep the numbers as low as possible when your rent for the next year is calculated.

    So basically, resign yourself to using a broker and consider yourself very lucky if you find a place without one.

    I would guess that you saw the Orthodox part of Williamsburg and not the hip, happening part. Do you really just want to live off the L though?

    I second Park Slope or Prospect Heights.

  • l keys
    l keys

    I"m a proud PH'er and I definitely recommend our neighborhood. Talk about new things poppin' up every day! I live in a 1-bedroom and pay less than $1700, and it's a rent stabilized building. Guess what? No broker fee--found it through craigslist. I have up to 10 subway lines within 10 minutes (walking) and that certainly is a major highlight to living there. I never want any transportation to be far from where I live. Therefore, definitely check out Prospect Heights and I"m sure you'll fall in love :) Cheers!

  • armchair_warrior
    armchair_warrior

    nothing wrong with williamsburg, its a great area, i still irate about my parents 2-2(just bro and me likes area) vote on not buying the williamsburg house vs the parkslope house. i really like williamsburg, fits with me more. but park slope all 4 of us(bro,me,parents) agreed it was a nice place.

    my parents didn't like the people of the area. they were like these people dress strangely lol. they must be criminals(my parents are uneducated folks straight from the chinese country side)they saw tattoos and fashion differently. huge conformist to white society what is acceptable. they don't realize being a dress like those kids are actually being conformist since everyone dress the same lol.

    they still think i need a hair cut LOL.

    anyway its a great area :p right off the first(most first stop) few stops of L train.

    i likes prospect height park slope too lol. disclosure :p. i do own in both areas.

  • whyfi
    whyfi

    The parts of Park Slope and Prospect Heights that are close to GAP are very, very convenient as far as public transportation. I haven't had a need to look at the going rents in the respective areas, but I would expect that the PH side of things would be a little more reasonable.

  • bella donna
    bella donna

    Thanks for all the replies. My husband went yesterday to several brokers in Park Slope that told him we won't find 1 BR for 1700. Maybe a studio.So we are looking now online again. And it seems that we decided against Williamsburg.

    We will also continue trying to find something through a broker but our problem is not only our budget but also that we don't have a bank account in the States yet, and that means no credit score. And as far as I understood it would be easier without a credit score to rent directly from the owner?

    It is the second time that I move to another country and it always takes some time until you find out how things work. :-s (Really don't like that credit score thing...)

    Anyway, thanks again. And - I will be back (with more questions probably).

  • landlord
    landlord

    Don't believe the brokers. I am a park slope landlord and recently rented one of my 1 bedroom apartments in the middle of park slope for 1650. I placed an ad on craigslist, and of course there is no brokers fee. However, the apartment rented very fast (they always do) so you have to be quick when you see something you like.

    I don't have any apartments available now but if you keep on looking, I am sure you will find something. It just takes a lot of work. Additionally, be very careful when answering ads for a park slope apartment....most are not really in park slope and those that are tend to be very very small (studio's that were converted to 1 bedrooms or apartments that were cut in half). Always ask for the exact address and the square footage of the space.

  • trumystic
    trumystic

    Dont believe these people that say you must use a broker. Using a broker can save you time and money but it doesnt mean its the only way to find a an apartment in NYC. You *can* find an apartment on Craigslist you just need to put in the time to find it. I have found 2 really great and below market price apartments on Craigslist without paying fees. Also if you have less than stellar credit or no credit you need to be prepared to offer several more months in rent upfront when you sign the lease.

  • my2cats
    my2cats

    It is true that you can find an apartment without a broker, but in highly desirable areas like Park Slope it is much harder. You have a lot of fraud for apartments in Park Slope also listings that are really in SUnset Park or Gowanus written as if it is Park Slope, and the real apartments get rented out really fast. So if you have time to sift through all of the crappy listings you can get to the good ones, but it will take a lot of time.

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