This has *got *to be sneak bragging. But I covet your position so intensely, I’ll allow it.
I’m sure if you check in with me at the mid-point of my stay, I won’t be bragging. (where’s the head explosion emoticon?) 
Do you have a balcony?
I don’t think so.
I live seven streets north of you, and I have been here since last September. I have not noticed any safety issues.
Edit: Someone mentioned safety possibly being an issue in the Columbia area, north of 110 street. I attend Columbia, and I did not notice much difference between 110 and 120 street, and the rest of northern UWS. My experience in this area is limited to the area west of Morningside Drive, however.
Is this where you will be staying?
If so, they aren’t apartments. It’s an extended stay hotel that was a former hostel. They redid the place a few years ago and put in bathrooms and mini kitchenettes in the rooms. Instead of staying for a night or two, you stay for a month or more.
The pictures here are fairly accurate:
http://www.gogobot.com/central-park-inn-new-york-city-hotel
It really won’t matter much because most people your age only go home to sleep or bathe and change clothes. There is too much to see and do in NYC to spend much time sitting in a room. For one of the most expensive places in the world, NYC offers an insane amount of free things to do.
http://www.nycgovparks.org/events/f2013-06-22
Search for the free events only, and extend the dates. That’s just for the next couple of days. 339 events from free Zumba classes, canoeing in Central Park, Pilates, an ecology cruise, you name it. The pay events are very modestly priced. An unlimited Metrocard and the NYC.gov website will be your new best friends. When you come here, really live here. It’s one of the most wonderful places in the entire world. You will be on an island where nearly anything you could possibly want to experience is right here. Don’t be one of those people who doesn’t even scrape the surface.
I don’t think so but I’ll ask. Here’s a street view of the places:
Those buildings are numbers 4 through 12 West 103rd. That block is a mix of condos and apartments. No alarm bells are going off for me.
Check on ACRIS to make sure the person you (or your company) are paying for the apartment actually owns it.
P.S. You don’t use a laundromat. You drop off and pick up. They charge by the pound.
Oy. I hang 2/3 of my laundry to dry. How does one navigate that particular “special order” hahahaha! This is going to be awesome!
I think there are probably some coin-op laundromats around too. But the wash-and-folds are everywhere in NYC.
Go to a dollar store (Jacks is the best one) and buy two bags, one light and one dark. Toss your dirty laundry in the appropriate bag. Once a week on your way to work, drop off the bags. On your way home, pick up your freshly laundered and folded laundry. It looks and smells exactly like mom did it for you, except you have to pay. Other than that, it’s a magical experience.
You could go to a dry cleaner, couldn’t you? I’m sure those will also be plentiful.
I live on 134th and Amsterdam and love it. The Upper West Side is a great area and I think you’ll feel very safe.
Fairway is an awesome grocery store and they’ll deliver your groceries for you after you shop. There’s one located on 72nd (or 74th? I can’t remember) and Broadway and one on 132nd and 12th Ave.
You’re super close to both Central Park and Riverside Park. Amsterdam Ave and Columbus Ave have lots of restaurants and bars to check out.
As for laundry I use a service that comes to my apartment to pick it up then delivers it back to me the next day all clean and folded. Much easier than dragging it to the laundromat, although having it picked up makes it pricier obviously.
The 1 train is local, but you’re one stop away from 96th St. where the express trains stop, so you can get anywhere downtown very quickly.
There are lots of little dogs all over the city and I think it’s adorable that so many of them wear little shoes, scarves, vests, or other outfits.
I can’t think of anything else, except as one last suggestion I would check out the Natural History Museum which is up there. I ditched work one day to go and really enjoyed it. I don’t recommend ditching work unless your employer is ok with stuff like that.
ETA: Forgot to mention that you’ve also got very easy access to Target which is at 225th St, right off the 1 train in Marble Hill.
Last week, pbbth, her adorable baby, her friend and I went to the Museum of Natural History, and it really is awesome. I had pbbth there, and she is like a walking encyclopedia of the museum, so that added to the experience, but I’m sure it is still a great visit, even without a tour guide.
referring, I think, to Jack’s World on 32nd street. As I used to say, it’s Jacks world, we just live in it. It’s a pretty good dollar store if you’re in the area, but not necessarily so much better than a neighborhood shop so as to justify a special trip. JMHO