Apartment Hunting in New York

New York Magazine presents comprehensive evaluations of 25 neighborhoods in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens. You’ll find a basic overview, tips on bargains, restaurants, some real estate analysis and related magazine features. Note that some information may be dated as the original article was written in 2003.

Brownstoner is a blog that covers Brooklyn “inside and out.” People looking to rent or buy in Brooklyn will find the site particularly useful, as it provides thorough coverage of various neighborhoods in Brooklyn and their real estate markets. You’ll also find some information about what it’s like to live there.

The New York Police Department provides crime statistics for the entire city divided up by borough and precinct. The information isn’t meant to scare you; in fact, sometimes just being aware of your surroundings and what to expect helps to keep you safe.

The Village Voice’s “Shelter” section features stories on individuals living in various neighborhoods in New York City, and also does “Close-Ups” on several neighborhoods of note.

CityRealty’s “Renter’s Guide” encourages you to hire one of the company’s brokers but also has some useful free information about renting an apartment. Don’t miss the glossary for an introduction to some of the jargon you may encounter when looking for an apartment in NYC.

Property Grunt is a blog by a self-described “soldier in the trenches of the Manhattan real estate war.” He reports on the real estate market but also shares stories about apartment hunting, New York life, and general financial issues.

NYC Rent Guidelines Board provides on- and off-line resources for finding an apartment in New York. Take note of the classified ads link, which lists all the local daily and weekly newspapers, magazines, and community press publications that advertise rental opportunities.

Craigslist is the place to go for classified listings in New York. You’ll find ads here for rentals, sublets, shared rooms, and more. Select your desired borough and search for apartments with or without a broker. Craigslist is completely free to use.

StreetEasy allows you to search for apartments to rent or buy by neighborhood, price, and school district. Registering for a free account allows you to keep your searches.

The NYC Affordable Housing Resource Center offers (not surprisingly) tips on how to find an affordable apartment in NYC. You’ll also learn how to impress a landlord, and find information on current lotteries and public housing.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has information on applying for subsidized rentals and public housing.

Rentometer comes to your aid when you’ve found an apartment you like but are wondering if it’s a good deal. Enter the address, the number of bedrooms, and the number of units in the building, and the site compares your rent with other rents in your neighborhood to find out if you’re overpaying.

The Educational Housing Service runs three housing centers in New York geared toward students and interns. You can apply for housing for either semester or for the summer. It’s a way to live off-campus but still reap many of the benefits of typical dorm life.

The 92nd St. Y runs the de Hirsch Residence student housing center, which contains a number of rooms for students, interns and young professionals. Benefits include maid service and access to a library with Internet access. The Web site has information about rates and applications.

Webster Apartments provides housing for women who are studying, interning or starting a career in New York. Residents live in a single room; maid service and two meals a day are included. Rates start at $240 a week.

International House offers housing for graduate students and people coming to New York to study in other programs. Apply for a short-term stay (under 20 days) or for a few months.

Polytechnic University , located in downtown Brooklyn, allows nonstudents to take advantage of its dormitories during the summer. Live inexpensively in an air-conditioned room with Internet access. Housing is available June 1 through August 5.

Long Island University’s Housing Application is for full-time students, but if you call the number listed on the site in late spring, you’ll find information about summer residence in Brooklyn for nonstudents.

NY.com , New York’s official tourism site, supplies a list of hostels in New York City that may suitable for long-term stay.

New York Habitat is an online real estate broker that locates temporary housing for as little as two nights and as long as “indefinitely.” Whether you’re looking for vacation housing, a furnished sublet, or a roommate to share a home with, the site has an extensive selection to meet your needs. There is a fee if you choose to book housing through the service, although you can get information about a rental free of charge.

Consolidated Edison (better known as Con Ed) is the company that will set up (and bill you for) your electricity. Its “becoming a customer” page explains how to get the lights turned on.

Keyspan Energy allows you to choose your region and then open an online account. However, you may need to make an appointment to set up installation in person.

Doitt , or the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications, has a complete FAQ on selecting and setting up cable service in New York City. You’ll probably find answers to more questions than you had in the first place, and you’ll also learn that Time Warner and Cablevision are the main New York cable companies.

DirectTV is a popular satellite TV provider. Learn about channels and services on the site.

Dish Network is another one service that offers satellite TV in the New York area.

Verizon is one of the two main phone companies for New York City. You can get information about setting up a new phone line on the site, as well as setting up your Internet.

AT&T also offers land-line and Internet service to New Yorkers. There’s a sign-up for new customers where you can learn about packages in your area.

The New York City Department of City Planning provides information and maps of licensed parking facilities in each of the five boroughs, including those near museums, sports facilities, colleges, hospitals, and government offices.

BestParking.com maintains orderly listings of parking garages in New York; maps of daily and monthly parking options are available with pricing and contact information. Choose daily or monthly parking and then search by neighborhood, address, or cross street to locate garages near you.

NYC.gov has a calendar of alternate-side-of-street parking schedules that can help you plan your parking accordingly (and avoid getting towed and ticketed).

The New York City Department of Transportation has a bunch of traffic cams to help you plan your travel and avoid (or try to avoid) huge traffic delays.

Gridlock Sam is a legendary character in NYC and has a column in the New York Daily News. At his Web site he discusses parking rules and parking tickets, posts driving shortcuts to Yankee Stadium, and even answers reader questions about NYC driving.