I finally got a @&$!ing apartment in NYC

[Merkwurdigliebe]

Finally! Today I made a down payment and got me a pair of sweet keys. No more nights in this raritan new jersey hotel. I'm moving in tomorrow until the beginning of October. Its mainly a base for finding another place later. I gather its easier after school starts. Yes new York is huge but new students mainly compete for the cheapest places so it isn't crazy. The place is great. Its about 4 blocks south of the Bedford ave L train stop. I've got my car with me and I'll see how that goes. Obviously some people are keeping cars in the city so it can't be that bad. The place is great though and there is even a cat! She was a real sweetheart too. Crawled up to me instantly. I have only looked for 4 days so I guess I've been lucky. I had a look around and said id take so that was that! Now i just need to familiarize myself with the neoghborhood. It was either there or a place in astoria. I liked astoria a lot btw but not for someone my age. Astoria was cool though.

Now i just have to figure out what the deal with my future roomate is. Hopefully he'll come through. If not i think ill simply look for someone to get a place with. I feel that this would would work out best as we'd be equals going into the rent rather than someone else dictating rule to me. Ive always hated that about craigslist ads. They are always so specific about what they want or not. The worst is when they stipulate that the person shouldnt be at home a lot! Its crazy!

Ps i wrote this on an iphone so excuse the typos

[Alice The Goon]

Good for you!

One of my dreams is to live in NYC, just for one year. One year, that's all I want. Can I come stay with you? I won't make a mess and I'll be very quiet, really!

Sigh. You're so lucky.

[Panurge]

You left Denmark? - But it was so nice to know there were dopers here, too. Now we're only 3 or 4 left, I guess :(

Well - congratulations anyway. I wouldn't mind living in NYC at all - that place has got 2 or 3 times as many people as all of Denmark. Crazy. Hope you enjoyed your stay here, and all the best!

[Cartooniverse]

I lived in Astoria for about 7 years. Adored the area. In some ways I do miss it, though upper Astoria was slowly becoming seriously dangerous. Bedford is cool too. Yes, people do keep cars in NYC. A few hints:

1. Remove the hubcaps.
2. Get a Club. Yeah, they're cliché but they may stop a kid from trying to jack your car.
3. Memorize the alternate side laws, signage on all of the blocks surrounding your apartment, etc. A part of your life and free time will be dedicated to free parking. Embrace it. People go and sell their NYC car because the time spent moving it around cuts into their lives.
4. Explore in all directions- every neighborhood has high and low points.

Congrats !!! You'll find folks at school who live in your area of Brooklyn and voila- instant social circle.

[kittenblue]

I'm confused...you're getting an apartment for just a month?

And you forgot to give the most important bits of information...how big is it, and how much is the rent? We Clevelanders can't feel better about our economy until we hear how much stuff costs elsewhere. So...one bedroom? Studio? Two Bedroom?

[Hello Again]

3. Memorize the alternate side laws, signage on all of the blocks surrounding your apartment, etc. A part of your life and free time will be dedicated to free parking. Embrace it. People go and sell their NYC car because the time spent moving it around cuts into their lives.

At the same time, alternate side parking is often suspended for no clear reason out-of-towners can understand -- typically Jewish or other religious holidays. If you tune your morning radio to NPR (96.3 FM) on their morning programming you will hear the weather and the local news, including whether alt-side parking is in effect that day. Also, you will suddenly find the song Dance, Soterios Johnson, Dance (http://www.jonathancoulton.com/songdetails/Dance,%20Soterios%20Johnson,%20Dance) hilarious.

[velvetjones]

I want to live in NY too! My husband is skeptical that we'll ever be able to make the move.

Have fun in the big city and, yes, details.....we need details......how big is the place? How many bedrooms? How much is rent (if you don't mind my asking)?

[Cat Fight]

Good luck! (especially with the car...)
When looking for your next place,especially on Craigslist, make sure whoever's renting you the place is the legal landlord or legal owner. Sounds silly, but just because a guy has the keys doesn't mean you won't find yourself on moving day in the company of eight other people who put downpayments on the place.

As for asshole NY roomies, Gawker has a great feature about them called Live With a Douche (http://gawker.com/news/craigslist/live-with-a-douche-prospect-park-251506.php)

An example:

Small BR with hardwood floors, high ceiling, no windows, elevator building, shared kitchen, dining area, and no living room.
the place is spotless and bug free. I keep the doors and windows closed at all times so bugs can't get inside. the furniture is new and you must keep it that way. you will need to sit on a cushion or a piece of cardboard. you cannot sit directly on the furniture.

i am a firm believer in "stink ass" which is basically the ability of bad smells to transfer onto other objects. the smell can soak into furniture and make it smell even after someone gets up.

you cannot bring food into your room because sometimes ants will get it.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is what $900/month gets you in Chelsea.

[Hello Again]

Good luck! (especially with the car...)
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is what $900/month gets you in Chelsea.
Its a mystery to me why people want to live in trendy shitholes when the same money buys you a perfectly nice handwood floored, rent-stabilized, elevator-building, utilities-included, no-roomates place in Queens or Brooklyn.

[Merkwurdigliebe]

Lol I gotta check that out.

A club? I'm not totally sure its required. I drive a stick which is apparently a huge carjacking deterrent in itself. Hubcaps? Theyll steal the shitty plastic ones I have? I can't say I care if I loose them but I guess I'll take them off.

Ok the place is nice. It has two bedrooms which I'll be sharing with some girl and I dunno how big my room is. I'd say 15 m2.

And why did I leave Denmark? Well I wasn't allowed a work visa. I'd have loved to have stayed.

[Stranger On A Train]

2. Get a Club. Yeah, they're cliché but they may stop a kid from trying to jack your car.The ClubTM wouldn't stop a kindergardner from stealing a car. They're ridiculously easy to defeat by at least four methods, and only serve to deter someone who steals a car on impulse. There are brake pedal locks like this one (http://www.autobarn.net/unautx.html) that are somewhat more effective but not unbeatable.

Stranger

[mack]

Good for you!
One of my dreams is to live in NYC, just for one year. One year, that's all I want.
Heh. When I came here I thought I'd be in and out in six months. That was 17 years ago.

I found interesting work that actually paid well, the music scene, a band, met my wife, this place is the land of opportunity. There's a lot to put up with but I can't bear to leave, either.

About the car - get NY plates. Out of state plates may make your car a target. If you're not sure about whether parking rules are in effect, dial 311 or visit NYC dot (http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/home.html).

[Panurge]

And why did I leave Denmark? Well I wasn't allowed a work visa. I'd have loved to have stayed.

Yeah, sorry about that. As you probably know, our current government likes the idea of Fortress Denmark. What use could we possibly have of you foreigners anyway :rolleyes: .

At least your car will be a lot cheaper in NYC...

[Cartooniverse]

The ClubTM wouldn't stop a kindergardner from stealing a car. They're ridiculously easy to defeat by at least four methods, and only serve to deter someone who steals a car on impulse. There are brake pedal locks like this one (http://www.autobarn.net/unautx.html) that are somewhat more effective but not unbeatable.Stranger

--coughing-- Perhaps that's what they use in Pasadena........ :D

Agreed- it will only stop the impulse thief. But lemme tell you- I lived in NYC a VERY long time. I had a Club on the car. Twice the windows were popped and nothing was taken because they couldn't steal it. Finally they came in the middle of the night, put it on a flatbed and towed it away lock stock and barrel. That's how badly they wanted my ride.

They're only easy to defeat if you're an idiot and you lock it with the lock mechanism facing out towards you. ( A popular method is shoving Dust-Offtm into the lock upside down and jetting in liquified freon, superfreezing the lock. Then smash it with a hammer and it comes apart.). I never did that. I always, and still to this day, lock the Club on backwards so the lock is facing the dashboard.

Impossible to reach the lock mechanism that way. :)

A bedroom 15 feet square is VERY NICE sized bedroom. That's the size of some studio apartments in NYC !! Nice find.

[Duke of Rat]

--A bedroom 15 feet square is VERY NICE sized bedroom. That's the size of some studio apartments in NYC !! Nice find.

Almost big enough for a single chair, not quite big enough for a loveseat or futon.




(Yeah, I know...it's supposed to be 15 square meters)

[Cartooniverse]

Almost big enough for a single chair, not quite big enough for a loveseat or futon.




(Yeah, I know...it's supposed to be 15 square meters)

Actually, what I wrote reflects what was apparently a misunderstanding on my part. I posted ( and you quoted ) " 15 feet square" which is quite different than 15 sq. ft. 15 square meters is still small. 15 feet square is 15 feet on a side- a hell of a nice sized room for NYC.

So....which is it? :)

[Merkwurdigliebe]

its probably more like 14 square meters. Being a temp spot though. I dont really get to call it
home.

[descamisado]

. . . . 3. Memorize the alternate side laws, signage on all of the blocks surrounding your apartment, etc. A part of your life and free time will be dedicated to free parking. Embrace it. People go and sell their NYC car because the time spent moving it around cuts into their lives . . . . Damn you, Cartooniverse. I came in specifically to post this one and you beat me to it! :D

All I've got left to say is, "Welcome to New York (residency), Merkwurdigliebe!

Here's a Welcome Wagon Gift.

The Alternative Parking Calendar (http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/motorist/scrintro.html#calendar2007). (Hello Again's suggestion is good, but this way, you know ahead of time. This, along with memorizing the Alternative Side Rules, can save you a lot time, such as not moving your car when you don't really have to.)

2. Other Helpful Parking Tips (http://www.orchardst.com/parking/chatter.html). Pay special attention to how to read traffic reg signs. NYC made a great effort to make to them less confusing a few years, but I still had to learn the hard way.

[Sampiro]

Pardon the hijack, but just something I've wondered: how long does it take to get from Brooklyn to downtown Manhattan by subway? I know there are tons of variables, but just in general, assuming that the B'lyn apartment and the place you're going in Manhtn. are "reasonable" distances from the subway (i.e. not right on top of an entrance and not 'as far as you can get in NYC from a terminal entrance'). About how much would a B'lyn to Mht. commute cost by cab and are cabs standardized in fares?

[descamisado]

Pardon the hijack, but just something I've wondered: how long does it take to get from Brooklyn to downtown Manhattan by subway? I know there are tons of variables, but just in general, assuming that the B'lyn apartment and the place you're going in Manhtn. are "reasonable" distances from the subway (i.e. not right on top of an entrance and not 'as far as you can get in NYC from a terminal entrance'). About how much would a B'lyn to Mht. commute cost by cab and are cabs standardized in fares?NYC Subway Map (http://www.mta.info/nyct/maps/submap.htm).

I live near the Nostrand Avenue Station in Brooklyn on the Blue Line (the A Train), which is right above and to the right of the large tangle of lines near the eastern border of Brooklyn. I work in Manhattan and, therefore, transfer to the Green Line (4,5,6) at Brdwy-Nassau/Fulton Street and go north, disbarking at Grand Central Station. It's takes me about 45 minutes, door-to-door, including picking up coffee, etc.

The OP's train line is the the grey line (the L), going straight across the river from 14th street. Since his is the Bedford station in Brooklyn, he can get to Manhattan a hell of lot faster than I can, but from what I hear, his train comes infrequently.

A cab ride from where I work to my home is metered and is around $17-20, with tip.

[Cartooniverse]

Your questions is tough, Sampiro. Brooklyn is HUGE. Asking how long it takes to get from Bay Ridge to Times Square is very different than asking how long it takes to get from DeKalb Avenue to Times Square.

The frequency of trains really does have a huge impact. I lived on various lines in Queens while I lived in NYC and I was lucky. They were all extremely heavily travelled. While that meant that after a rough day on set I might stand going home, it also meant that I rarely waited for a train.

At first I was in Forest Hills. At that time it was the E or F to 71st-Continental. Then it was the Woodside stop on the #7. ( Insanely crowded trains. ) Then it was the end of the line in Astoria at Ditmars. At that time it was the N or R going out to Astoria.

Upside? You will be rather safe until very very late at night. There are just too many people on the trains. I'd routinely train it home at 1 am or 2 am and at least in the middle cars, there'd be plenty of folks riding.

45 minutes from Nostrand ain't bad at all, 5-4 Fighting. How far do you go once you get outa GCT?

14 square meters is 42 square feet. That's roughly an 8 x 5 room. That's..... snug. A roll-up futon may be in your future. :D

[Cartooniverse]

Damn you, Cartooniverse. I came in specifically to post this one and you beat me to it! :D

One is pleased to be of service. ;)


All I've got left to say is, "Welcome to New York (residency), Merkwurdigliebe!

Might be time for a NYC DoperDinner?.....

[Hello Again]

It's takes me about 45 minutes, door-to-door, including picking up coffee, etc.

From my parents' neighborhood in Brooklyn to the Wall street area is about 15 minutes. New Yorkers don't usually call a commute "long" until it gets up about an hour though. A commute under 30 minutes is considered extra nifty and a bonus.

I take the LIRR from Queens (Kew Gardens) and get to Penn Station (34th & 7th) in about 22 minutes. LIRR costs about $1 more per ride than the subway (based on the monthly pass; for an individual ride it costs $3 more at peak times) and only goes into Manhattan from 4 stops in Queens.

Noting also, that it would be VERY unusual for a car to beat the train time-wise during Rush hours.

[friedo]

I live smack in the middle of Brooklyn, on the Brighton Beach line (B and Q). It takes me roughly 25 minutes to get from my place to downtown Manhattan, and about 45 to get to Times Square.

Previously, I lived in Astoria (which I miss dearly.) The N train to Times Square took about 15 minutes. To downtown, about half an hour.

Prior to that, I lived in Flushing. The #7 express to Times Square took about 50 minutes.

[descamisado]

From my parents' neighborhood in Brooklyn to the Wall street area is about 15 minutes. New Yorkers don't usually call a commute "long" until it gets up about an hour though. A commute under 30 minutes is considered extra nifty and a bonus.

I take the LIRR from Queens (Kew Gardens) and get to Penn Station (34th & 7th) in about 22 minutes. LIRR costs about $1 more per ride than the subway (based on the monthly pass; for an individual ride it costs $3 more at peak times) and only goes into Manhattan from 4 stops in Queens . . . . You're exactly right about what is usually considered a long commute. I envy you your commute.

I also forgot to add that I walk extremely fast (I will walk in the street if people are straggling along) and, Cartooniverse, I work in the Chrylsler Building, right across Lexington Avenue from Grand Central (I could actually go underground to my bldg if I wanted to).

I also know exactly which car(s) to ride in for the optimal transfer points/exits. It helps.

[Cartooniverse]

Oooooooh coolness. I have gone out of my way to take friends visiting NYC into the Chrysler Building just so we could ride an elevator. So they could see the utter beauty of Art Deco.

This was pre-9/11. Dunno if you can even get to the elevators without a building pass now.

That building is pure magic. And oh yeah, people would be surprised just how far they can get underground from Grand Central Terminal or Penn Station.

[Zebra]

Pardon the hijack, but just something I've wondered: how long does it take to get from Brooklyn to downtown Manhattan by subway? I know there are tons of variables, but just in general, assuming that the B'lyn apartment and the place you're going in Manhtn. are "reasonable" distances from the subway (i.e. not right on top of an entrance and not 'as far as you can get in NYC from a terminal entrance'). About how much would a B'lyn to Mht. commute cost by cab and are cabs standardized in fares?


Well, I live in Brooklyn and commute to roughly Mid-town. I get on at the Clinton/Washington Ave stop on the C train and my final destination is at 34th and 10th Ave. So I get out at 34th and 8th and walk the two blocks.

This takes between 30 to 40 mins, the variable is basically due to either wait time for the train to come or some short delays that may happen but on average, if I hit the subway entrance by 8:20 I'm walking in on time to work.

A cab fare to my place would probably be about $20 with tip. During the day, a cab ride would take much longer than the subway.

From Bklyn to Manhattan? Forget it. Cabs don't do much crusing in Bklyn for fares. If they take one out they generally head straingt back to Manhattan.

[Bambi Hassenpfeffer]

14 square meters is 42 square feet. That's roughly an 8 x 5 room. That's..... snug. A roll-up futon may be in your future. :D
14 square meters is about 150 square feet. 1 square meter is 10.7 sq ft, much the same that 1 square yard is 9 square feet, not 3 square feet.

And the more I write square, the weirder it looks.

[Cartooniverse]

14 square meters is about 150 square feet. 1 square meter is 10.7 sq ft, much the same that 1 square yard is 9 square feet, not 3 square feet.

And the more I write square, the weirder it looks.

Okay. So I did not properly grasp the concept of " 1 square foot" in the eight grade. So sue me. I was very busy flirting with Amy Jo. :D

150 square feet is a room 15 x 10. NICE sized bedroom. Wish mine was that large and I live in a free-standing house type of domicile.

You're right. I want to start pronouncing it " Skwa-Rayh " after reading it too many times.

[Abraca Deborah]

Congratulations on the find!

IMHO, the fact that it comes with a fully-trained, friendly cat is a bonus!!

Enjoy the adventure!

~D