Forum
« New Floor for Small Space Repairing Frozen/Burst Pipes »
August 27, 2009
From Boston to Brooklyn by 11/1
hello - i will be relocating from boston to brooklyn within the next 2 months.
i'm familiar with various reputations near prospect park. i am on a tight budget so am looking for a studio under $1100. don't laugh!
i know this will require being in not the most preferable areas.
can anyone tell me what areas in bed-stuy are relatively safe? and anywhere else for someone on a low budget. i've heard that once 'bad' neighborhoods are not so treacherous--everywhere is becoming gentrified. i know finding a place on my budget will be tough, but am optimistic that i'll find something i can live with, as a starter apt. i'm just trying to avoid a roommate situation. i'm in my 30s now and unless it's through a friend, i'm not going there.
i know about realtor gimmicks, etc. boston is not that different, so can handle my own, even in NY.
any realtor recommendations?
thanks much!
Comments
look @ sunset park. really safe (check out NYPD statistics for 72nd precinct) you can get some nice size apartments for a really good price. and youre a between park slope and bay ridge, depending on your poison.
Posted by: guikazoid at August 27, 2009 11:47 AM
I've done quite a bit of research on this topic, and you should (with a little luck) be able to find a studio on that budget in Prospect Heights which is very close to Prospect Park, pretty safe and has some really great retail/bars/restaurants on Flatbush Avenue and Vanderbilt. It's a terrific neighborhood.
I'd try Ideal Properties. They have an office on the corner of 7th Avenue and Berkeley Place.
http://www.idealpropertiesgroup.com/
Posted by: 11217 at August 27, 2009 11:51 AM
thank you both! this is very encouraging. i'm thinking that it could be possible to talk a $1200 rent down to $1000. we'll see what happens.
Posted by: hollifer at August 27, 2009 12:28 PM
Welcome, hollifer.
Rents are falling but you can't wait. The willingness to pay a fee will find you something nice and quick. Beware of Ideal Properties though. They are completely legitimate and professional but not necessarily exclusive. Many of their listings are merely taken from craigslist or other sources (door-to-door talking to supers) where you can get them yourself, avoiding the costly fee (but again, no time).
I don't know. $1K/mo plus fee should easily afford you something in Clinton Hill, Prospect Heights or maybe even Fort Greene, an epicenter of nondo-gone-rentals (maybe no studios but they might take your competitors away with the lure of 1 BR's). Many developers offer no-fee but the cost might be inherent in the rent.
Good luck. And get ready to buy in a few years. Deals of the century.
***Bid half off peak comps***
Posted by: Brownstones Half Off at August 27, 2009 12:59 PM
You can find one bedrooms in Stuyvesant Heights for less than $1,200. Four were just rented in a newly renovated building in what is about the nicest part of bed Stuy, a 4 minute walk to the A train.
I don't know of any in particular that are available now but I know www.brownstonemgmt.com oftentimes has some
Also check www.bedstuyblog.com
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at August 27, 2009 1:14 PM
try sunset park, safe and affordable
Posted by: guikazoid at August 27, 2009 1:35 PM
you also might want to think about queens. jackson heights is inexpensive and there's lots of food and another amenities.
Sunset park is a good option. crown heights @ franklin also seems like a pretty good option, but it's still a little rough around the edges--good bars though.
Posted by: slick at August 27, 2009 1:41 PM
Kensington is right by the part as well and you will be able to find a 1 bedroom for 1,100 if you look around. I am with BHO on walking around and talking to supers. A couple of my friends found great apartment that way with no fees to brokers. When they signed a lease, they slipped $100 to the super.
Posted by: Kensingtonian at August 27, 2009 2:49 PM
part= park (prospect)
Posted by: Kensingtonian at August 27, 2009 2:49 PM
Sorry I don't have a specific brokerage to recommend to you, but you might want to post this inquiry to the Lefferts group at yahoogroups.com. (That's the online community group for Prospect Lefferts Gardens -- or PLG, for short -- which borders the southeast side of Prospect Park.) Frequently there are posts on the group regarding news of upcoming and/or currently available listings in the area. Also, some looking to move to the nabe often post there just to the kind of advice you're seeking.
IMO, PLG is one of the more "preferable" of what some would call one of the "not the most preferable areas." (I beg to disagree!) It's certainly close to the park. I would think you'd be able to find a nice studio or 1br in PLG within your price range.
Posted by: Brooklynista at August 27, 2009 2:57 PM
thanks again! more very useful info. i may be renting the basement of my friend's home in NJ for cheap for a couple of months. that will get me to NY and then i'm figuring that i can explore these neighborhoods to get a feel and it will give me more time, rather than scrambling from boston to find a place.
forgive my naivite, but how do you approach supers? i know some buildings may have signs with a number, but i can't think of how else you would do that.
i would LOVE to buy in a few years. i do have a personal goal to do that. i hope there are some deals then.
Posted by: hollifer at August 27, 2009 3:12 PM
I don't know why you would bother with brokers in that price point. While there will be fewer apartments available in November than the summer, you will have less competition then too. Craigslist (obviously) will have most owner-leased apartments. As far as supers (and this is more from back in the day when friends would rent apartments in Washington Heights and Harlem by this method) - you ring the bell labelled "super" and ask if any apartments are available or about to be available. Pretty labor intensive, and the opposite of using a broker.
Posted by: Putnamdenizen at August 27, 2009 3:17 PM
Hi,
I will actually be renting out a studio in my building available at that time; please email me at argenti_2009@yahoo.com if you are interested in discussing.It's a beautiful space and will fall within your price range.
Argen
Posted by: argentina at August 27, 2009 3:20 PM
You could easily rent a studio in Bay Ridge for that much. I have even heard of some lucky people getting one bedrooms for 1100.
Posted by: italiana71 at August 27, 2009 5:55 PM
I just finished my apartment search in Bay Ridge and I can wholeheartedly confirm that you can easily get a 1 bedroom for $1100 a month. Granted they are a little outdated and dingy, but lots of sq footage for the $$.
Posted by: bowl of dicks at August 27, 2009 6:28 PM
how did you find a place in bay ridge? could you tell me what the basic feel is, the demographic?
how long does it take to get to lower/mid-town manhattan?
thanks!
Posted by: hollifer at August 27, 2009 7:08 PM
hollifer, proximity and travel time to lower/mid-town manhattan is better from Kensington than Bay Ridge. You can find a one bedroom for 1100 or under. Look at building on Ocean PKWY, starting at Church Avenue until about 18th Avenue. If you have any direct questions, feel free to email me at BKJester3@aol.com.
just a disclaimer: I am not a broker of any kind so I am not soliciting in anyway.
Posted by: Kensingtonian at August 27, 2009 7:46 PM
People will tell you that Bay Ridge is this and that and the other. And I will tell you that it is all three. Here is a link to an article that I think sums it up nicely:
My husband's commute to midtown averages about 50 minutes but we live two blocks from the R train. If you live far from the train it could take a bit longer. Lower Manhattan will take you less time obviously.
We moved here from Park Slope about 4 years ago and love the nabe because of its diversity, resturaunts, and its proximity to many parks. And of course the cheaper real estate.
Good luck in your search. Brooklyn has many great neighborhoods so you may want to check out a few to decide what you like.
Posted by: italiana71 at August 27, 2009 7:50 PM
Yes, the commute from Bay Ridge can be a dog. But one major thing Bay Ridge runs circles around Kensington with is amenities aka 3rd Avenue.
Posted by: bowl of dicks at August 27, 2009 8:16 PM
BOD, in that you are right. Not sure about other amenities but with Restaurant choices in Bay Ridge, Kensington cannot compare. I think other things like diversity and relative safety are pretty similar between the 2 nabes. Not sure if the OP is looking at schools as well.
Posted by: Kensingtonian at August 27, 2009 9:23 PM
another vote for Bay Ridge. One of the safest neighborhoods in NYC. None of you mentioned the express bus which (although a bit expensive)gets you from the north end of Bay Ridge to lower Manhattan in 15 minutes.
Posted by: rickintheridge at August 27, 2009 9:35 PM
"Not sure if the OP is looking at schools as well."
probably not since OP is looking for a studio..
Posted by: bowl of dicks at August 28, 2009 6:59 AM
just me. no kids. just a cat. the only concern i have is lack of subway access in bay ridge. i most likely will be getting a job in manhattan. i've read other sources saying that there are some good buses (as noted here also) that get you to manhattan relatively quickly.
i'm also a single girl, so don't want a neighborhood that is too family oriented.
everyone has posted great comments, and i appreciate that! great forum. i've been on here before and there's always intelligent, mature posts.
Posted by: hollifer at August 28, 2009 10:17 AM
Like I said, feel free to email me. I know of a building right by me, Webster Avenue and Ocean PKWY that a friend of mine looked for studios in a couple of months ago and they were going for $850-$900 a month but were on the smallish side. I am sure you can get a one bedroom in the building for 1,100. No brokers involved, just the super.
Posted by: Kensingtonian at August 28, 2009 10:23 AM
hollifer, if you want to meet some new friends, Open Thread is a good way to start. We BROWNSTONERS get together once in a while for drinks. Come over to the dark side anytime you like :o).
P.S. there is a bunch of ladies with cats on here so you'll definitely have a lot to talk about.
Posted by: Kensingtonian at August 28, 2009 10:26 AM
I vote for Prospect Lefferts Gardens as well. Easy commute and good transportation. Prospect Heights is definitely maybe as well. Even try down Eastern Parkway close to Franklin stop a bit over the border into Crown Heights. I also like Kensington, but I don't think the commute is any better than from Bay Ridge because its on the FG train side. I prefer the other side of Ocean Pkwy and Coney Island Ave (South Slope/Ditmas Park) that might be worth looking at. Not much nightlife down there though but Cortelyou Road is kind of cool. Just thinking about the F and G makes me want to gouge my own eyes out.
The best advantage to using a broker at the price point you are looking at, is sometimes owners can be a touch flaky about taking your deposit and getting you the lease. Of course I don't mean any one here :) The broker will keep the owner moving to score the fee...and if you are coming from Boston, that may be well worth. Sleeping in the Hotel Chelsea waiting for your cell phone to ring, only to find out the apartment has been rented to someone else is not fun. Even better might be to find a share through Craigslist for a short time...a few months. Then you can physically get acquainted with a neighborhood before signing a lease.
Posted by: HoneysuckleWeeks at August 28, 2009 10:37 AM
kensingtonian - thanks for your kindness. i may get in touch with you soon. there's a lot that went on this week, so have much thinking to do. i'm just too drained today to think straight.
luckily, i have a friend in NJ close to the city that i will be able to stay with for a couple of months. my temp gig in boston ends in oct, but i may leave earlier, which will make job searching and apt. hunting easier. i don't need a large palace, but something that will fit a queen bed, small dresser, small kitchen table, love seat, coffee table, tv/stand and one of those large cube ikea bookshelves. maybe a chair and side table too.
my present concern is getting someone who will rent me a place without a job. i do have savings that will cover $1000 rent for a year or more, if needed. plus, i'll be collecting unemployment again after this gig is done. i'm always seeing how you must make 40x the rent. well, there may be a job that is a step below my last one that won't be 40x the rent, but a good opp. nonetheless. i'll wait tables, if i need to. that may be a good way to meet people.
definitely cannot do the broker's fee. the fees in boston are half month rent or whole rent, but i hear nyc is way more.
so, any thoughts on renting to the unemployed?
how about parking? how often is alternate parking in brooklyn? is it the same in all areas? 2x a week/more? here in cambridge, it's 1x/month and somerville it's 2x/month.
thanks!
Posted by: hollifer at August 28, 2009 11:02 AM
I too highly recommend Bay Ridge -- especially if you're a young single girl. It is a little further to Manhattan, but just jump on the R train and you'll be there in 35 - 50 minutes (depending on where you're going). It's a very safe neighborhood (I think safter than Kensington), with many restaurants, bars, etc. It's really a neighborhood that is on the rise. I just moved there from Carroll Gardens and, while I was very reluctant to leave my previous neighborhood, I ultimately couldn't be happier with my decision. Definitely consider it. Good luck!
Posted by: bkoriginal at August 28, 2009 11:23 AM
hollifer, I think if you go through the super, the requirement for 40x rent and such are not strict. I know that my friend who rented in the building is a medical school student and has no income at all and pays for her apartment from the student loans and didn't have a problem getting the apartment. I know some are stricter then others. I never rented, always owned so I can't tell you exactly but anecdotally, none of my friends had problems from what I know.
Parking is not bad. Alternate street cleaning is once a week anywhere by my house. It's twice a week on some of the bigger busier streets.
Bkoriginal, you are making idiotic statements. I am single and young (28) and Kensington has great restaurant and bar options and my friends from Bay Ridge come here as often as I go to there for bars and restaurants. Also I wouldn't say Bay Ridge is safer than Kensington unless you lived in both or can show me statistics of robberies and assaults in both neighborhood that back up your statements.
Posted by: Kensingtonian at August 28, 2009 12:06 PM
Ok, Kensingtonian, if you grew up in Brooklyn, I can accept your point of view (it's your opinion). If you're not from here, you're the one who is making idiotic statements. When I was growing up, until very recently, actually, Kensington was NOT the safest area around. My parents grew up near there, and it definitely was not the best neighborhood. I would agree that Kensington is on the upswing, but, really, get real. Bay Ridge has always been quite safe.
Posted by: bkoriginal at August 28, 2009 1:06 PM
Street parking in Bay Ridge will become a source of aggravation for you. I would avoid unless you can afford to put your car in a garage. I lived with a car in Brooklyn Heights for sometime, and believe it or not, i think BR is just as difficult. I am also a single female and again, I can not say enough positive things about the nightlife options in Bay Ridge. It's all right there, no need to walk far etc. Kensington pretty much relies on Cortelyou Rd which is across CIA. no thanks. But Cortelyou does have that liberal, hipstery vibe, which of course Bay Ridge has zero of.
Posted by: bowl of dicks at August 28, 2009 1:36 PM
Bay Ridge is not over run with hipsters but these times they are a changin. There was a march up 4th ave to Congressman McMahon's office in support of health care reform. And it was a hipster march indeed.
But what I like about Bay Ridge is that there is a little bit of everyone and everything here. I laugh at friend of mine who said she was leaving Park Slope because she was sick of looking at people who looked like just like her. I still think PS is a great nabe but you know different strokes for different folks.
So make sure you check out a few nabes to see where you would like to be. But I bet no matter which one you choose you will be happy. Every brooklyn neighborhood has something to offer.
Posted by: italiana71 at August 28, 2009 2:37 PM
italiana, hmmmm. I am still trying to find a drinking spot in BR with some hipster content. any suggestions? thx!
Posted by: bowl of dicks at August 28, 2009 4:13 PM
bkoriginal, wasn't born here but lived in Kensington for 18 years. That should make it enough to judge don't you think? Again truly pathetic statements. What was BEFORE doesn't concern the OP. What is it NOW does. 20 years ago you wouldn't step foot in the village or LES in Manhattan cause it was full of drugs and prostitution and look what it is now.
I am done with you and your idiocy.
Posted by: Kensingtonian at August 28, 2009 7:39 PM
People are too used to thinking about what families need and want on this blog! Bay Ridge is okay for a single woman if you already have a large social network in NYC and/or won't be going out at night much. But you being new to the city you should do all you can to live in a neighborhood with a greater concentration of singles and some kind of nightlife. Bay Ridge is desolate at night because it's so family oriented. Even by 8-9pm everybody is at home there. You should consider looking at ads from similarly 30-something single people looking for a roomate to share an apartment. Even if you only stay a year or so it gives you a new friend and a way to meet more people. Also, don't dismiss how long it takes to get to and from Manhattan when you're new to town and single and are going to be going out at night. When I was new to NYC and rented in Bay Ridge, late at night I would take a cab home the subway was so scarce and slow at night. Cabs to Bay Ridge from Manhattan become pricey if you're doing it at least once a week.
Posted by: traditionalmod at August 28, 2009 9:12 PM
You can get a very very very small studio in Manhattan for 1100.
Posted by: mopar at August 28, 2009 10:25 PM
^^ above 125th street
Posted by: bowl of dicks at August 29, 2009 8:16 AM
i agree. i know a few people, but i will need to live in an area of people like me, especially being new to the area. i won't be going out all the time, but at least when i first move there, i don't want an expensive hike back to my place. i'm not rooming with someone unless they're around my age and it's through a friend. i had a roommate for years and it was fine, but i just don't want to do that anymore. it was the same situation when i moved to boston--i'm not from here. bay ridge sounds great, but i'm thinking for down the line. i think it may be a little too far out. i would like to concentrate on that northwest corner, and just on the other side of the park. and, like suggested, there is inwood/wash hts/west harlem that i'm also looking into. my friend is from inwood, so i'm quite informed. that area has also become very gentrified. now is good time to be there. there are definitely rents under $1100.
Posted by: hollifer at August 29, 2009 8:44 AM
I have a friend, a 30-something single woman, who got a nice full one bedroom, windows in every room, just South of Columbus Circle in Midtown for $1600 a month. And it's not a dump either. I would think a studio could be had there for $1100-1200.
Posted by: traditionalmod at August 29, 2009 9:55 AM
Inwood/Wash Hts are good places to look in that price point (w/o roommates). But you'd be sacrificing amenities and nightlife. Whatever, everything in NYC is a trade off and you need to establish some basic priorities first. Sounds like this thread is helping you do that. Good luck! BoD
Posted by: bowl of dicks at August 29, 2009 11:32 AM
Traditional mod - I wish everyone was home by 8:00 - 9:00. Have you ever been down third ave at aroun midnight? You don't know bayridge very well. It is full of bars and supper clubs and it is not deserted by 9:00. Hell,even when a group of us moms go out for drinks we still out after 11.
BOD- I'm a mom so I don't know many bars in the area. But I do know that a lot of the resturaunts that the hipster type hang out in:
Le Petite oven
Le Maison du Cous cous
Tanoreen
St. Germain
Well those are the ones my artys farts friends go to anyway.
If you're looking to meet younger people may I suggest joinig the BayRidge Food Coop? I belong to it and there are ove 1000 people singed on- lots of younger people who moved from the known hipper nabes of brooklyn looking for cheaper rent. check out www.foodcoopbayridge.com to sign up for newsletters and events.
Posted by: italiana71 at August 29, 2009 5:27 PM
Italiana, we get it, you love Bay Ridge. I really like it there too. I lived a whole year there. So yeah actually I do know the scene. Which is why I'd never recommend it to a single person who is new to the city and doesn't know many people yet. Singles wouldn't be interested in only going out in Bay Ridge and never leaving the neighborhood. So pointing out local offerings doesn't do any good. Anybody who goes out in Manhattan and returns home late even just once or twice a week would be miserable at the hour or longer it takes to get home when the R is so slow and scarce late at night. Bay Ridge is very appealing to families. That's who it should be recommended to. Which is totally okay. Not every neighborhood is right for every demographic.
Posted by: traditionalmod at August 30, 2009 3:33 PM
who the eff goes out in manhattan on the weekends?
Posted by: bowl of dicks at August 30, 2009 6:37 PM
I only offered because BOD asked for them in an earlier post in the this thread.
I also said in an earlier post that each nabe has something to offer everyone so she should check out a few nabes before deciding. So traditional - I agree with you.
Posted by: italiana71 at August 31, 2009 9:40 AM
thanks again all for the advice and insight. it's been extremely helpful.
i lived in a town just outside boston for a few years that is considered a young family neighborhood--so comparable to bay ridge. it was fine for a year, but my roommate and i were getting ancy after that and wanted to be closer to boston. i sense that bay ridge is lovely, once you've been lived in the NYC area for a few years. i realize that my budget limits my ideal place to live, but it sounds like i could get my own place (sans roommate) closer.
i'll be living in the area by/in oct. so plan on looking for places for nov/dec. do you all think i'd be able to find something for a dec move-in? options will be fewer, but i suspect so will competition. i have a feeling that rents will be the same, and maybe as time goes by and landlords still have empty apts., i could get an even sweeter deal--the winter special.
thanks again!
Posted by: hollifer at August 31, 2009 12:07 PM
hollifer, you'll have a good shot. People move in and out all the time so you are probably good to go. I highly doubt that rents will magically increase from now to October/November when you're looking.
Posted by: Kensingtonian at August 31, 2009 12:28 PM
hollifer just be aware that apartments for rent in NYC don't usually appear until 1 week, 2 weeks max, before they are ready for occupancy. so don't fret when you start looking oct 1st and can't find anything for dec 1st move in. it is always a last minute deal.
Posted by: bowl of dicks at August 31, 2009 9:50 PM
also, i'm wondering what the laws are in NY to increase rent at lease renewal. say, i get a deal on place where i pay $1000, when in a great economy goes for $1200. can a landlord increase rent that much? in my over 10 years of renting, my landlords increased just a small percentage.
i also heard that 'rent stablized' in NY means rent barely increases if it's under $2000--that all apts. are considered 'rent stablized' if under $2000.
please lend some insight. thanks!
Posted by: hollifer at September 1, 2009 9:39 AM
> all apts. are considered 'rent stablized' if under $2000
This is absolutely false.
Read up on the guidelines here: http://www.housingnyc.com/
Good luck in your search.
Posted by: DitmasSnark at September 1, 2009 11:55 AM
Post a comment
Please be patient while your comment is published. It may take a moment.