Apartmentalizing

The E. Village "doplex" aka "storage"

KCaps7 — Thu, 06 May 2010 12:05:05 PDT

Oh God. It's upon me. The apartment nightmares. Have begun the hunt, and let me tell you, the hopes for an awesome place downtown with enough "character" to make it affordable are rapidly and painfully dying.

Broker 1: thought our 2pm was at 2:30. Confirmed location to meet at 1:43. Informed me at 2:05 to meet her across the street at another building because the original apartment (which she couldn't even recall) had already rented. In the last 30 min, apparently.

Apt 1: a "doplex" (gotta love Craigslist spelling) on the 6th floor of a walkup. Apartment is a generous term. Downstairs was a 10x10 room with a sink, a bathroom, and a pulled-out-of-the-wall stove. Upstairs (aka "the bedroom") was a space so small it didn't even fit a twin bed.

Price: $2700/month, but "I'll give it to you for $2500."

Am now waiting on broker #2. For 35mins.

ACL's Bogus Journey Part 2: Second Ave. is NOT Chelsea

Flovelies — Wed, 05 May 2010 17:34:00 PDT

After our game of hide-n-seek in Union Square, I had begun to sense that logistics were not Roma’s strong suit. This hunch was confirmed when she informed us that our next stop would be 18th Street and 2nd Avenue (don’t worry, she assured us, we’d come back to Chelsea later. If we could still WALK.)

After stopping for watermelon along the way (which we paid for ourselves), we arrived at a lovely brownstone with a gleaming lobby. Much friendlier! Unfortunately, the tenant was not. In fact, she wouldn’t let us in, despite the fact that an open house was definitely listed for that day. Strike one.

Being our spirited selves, C and I bucked up and walked up to 24th Street and 3rd Avenue, C walking on the back of her tennis shoes because our masochist broker had no remedy for her blisters. While Roma had called that morning and confirmed our visit with “Ken,” the doorman didn’t seem to know “Ken,” or to care for that matter, and wouldn’t let us in. Strike two. Read on for Strike 3...

"I will recognize you."

Flovelies — Wed, 05 May 2010 11:47:31 PDT

In the last two days, I've emailed 27 different Craigslist posters. I've gotten a pretty good response rate, and have about 7 different viewings scheduled for the next two days. (Get excited, Apartmentalizers, for some depressing pictures of the "BEST DEAL YOU WILL FIND GOING FAST TRUE 1BR FOR ONLY $1700/MONTH"-type apartments)

One of the more sketchy responses I've gotten is from the poster of an apartment on Mott St. Now, I've ONLY searched in the "apartments by owner" section of Craigslist, and I've ONLY gotten responses from brokers, so riddle me that. Anyway, I'm meeting this poster tomorrow at 3:30 on the corner of Mott and Prince. I asked what the person looks like so that I wouldn't be approaching randos on the corner (far be it from me to appear like a hooker). The response?

"I will recognize you."

Um. How?

Now excuse me as I Google myself and change my Facebook privacy settings.

ACL's Bogus Journey into the Depths of NYC Brokerhood (Part 1)

Flovelies — Wed, 05 May 2010 07:59:30 PDT

You thought we were kidding? You thought we were just jaded New Yorkers who were giving brokers and the NY rental scene a bad name, huh? Yeah, don't lie. We know.

Well, with so many of our friends moving to NY this summer, we're getting flooded with amazing / horror-movie-ready stories. Take A, C, and L, three beautiful, intelligent, and, dare I say, optimistic (gasp!) women moving to NY. This past weekend they ventured to NY to find a space for the three of them. And lucky you, apartmentalizers, they chronicled their un-be-lievable journey! Over the next few days, we will be posting their hilarious (sorry ladies, it is) and painful experiences with the NYC scene. A big thank you to our fantastic guest bloggers!

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Saturday:

A: Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, C and I hit the pavement on Saturday afternoon. Our mission: hunt down and secure a charming 3-bedroom apartment in a prime location, where, along with the lovely L, we’ll embark on posh Manhattan lives full of debonair suitors, dogs that fit in purses, and eco-friendly cleaning services. Now, we three nice girls next door just need a Samantha in our lives. Being the savvy businesswomen and negotiators that we are, C and I set up appointments with not one, but two, brokers. (Mua-ha-ha, WE’LL show THEM!) Read on...

24 rooms in 344 sq. ft. (or Putting all of us to shame)

KCaps7 — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 06:45:11 PDT

Oh. My. GOD! This architect in Hong Kong created 24 rooms out of a 344 sq. ft. apartment with unbelievable sliding walls, the most creative combination of spaces, and gorgeous use of mirrors and light. I've never seen anything like this! Guy Kawasaki posted a video of it, but I've grabbed it so you can check it out here. I mean, if I could do that in NYC, I'd live like a queen!

$2300 Studio in W. Village

Flovelies — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 14:48:26 PDT

A friend of a friend has a $2300 studio available for rent in the heart of the West Village at the corner of Hudson and Bank Streets. There's great light, new kitchen and bathroom, 3 closets, a ceiling fan and airconditioning unit. It's in an elevator building with a part-time doorman and laundry facility.

I love the light and, since I am such a West Village devotee, I could not think of a more ideal location in NYC for an apartment. (NY Mag neighborhood analysis & Park Slope be damned!) So close to subway, amazing restaurants & bars, the Westside Highway park, and Meatpacking.

Best of all, you would NOT have to involve a broker! (How often can Katherine and I complain about brokers before it gets annoying?) The apartment's available for rent now (unfurnished) and you can do a 1 or 2-year lease. Board approval is required for the renter. Email rehanany@gmail.com for more info or to see the place.

AOTD: Training to hike Kili? Rent This

Flovelies — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 09:28:35 PDT

As Katherine was complaining yesterday, when you read a rental listing, you almost always find a catch. But this is the MOST ABSURD CATCH I have ever seen. Browsing listings the other day, my eyes popped out of my head when I read about this "sensational 2200 foot three bedroom" in a gorgeous pre-war building right off Fifth Ave in the West Village (see pics). Price? Only $3,995! I immediately knew there had to be a catch--it's hard to get even a decent 1-bedroom for $4,000 in the West Village. So I really respected the Prudential broker when I read (their caps not mine): "THERE IS A CATCH!" But I was not expecting this:

"The rental will take place during a time in which elevators are down and being replaced, porters hired to help with packages and this apartment is on the 11th floor in the building. Best for gymnastic-type person who loves exercise."

While 3-bedrooms with these views and square footage in the W. Village is unheard of for $4k, I can't imagine stumbling home drunk at 2 a.m. from a bar and having to climb 11 flights. Or, worse yet, leaving the apartment to discover it's raining and having to trudge up--and back down--11 flights of stairs AGAIN. The apartment better be nice because I think I would become a virtual hermit in it.

Unfortunately, most HBS-ers have already climbed Kilimanjaro, but if you are a "gymnastic-type person" or looking to lose weight, you should consider living here for the summer. I might visit you--if you can get the porter to carry ME up the stairs.

Broker nightmares...and we're off

KCaps7 — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 19:59:01 PDT

My dear Apartmentalizers, that time has come. The time when my hair rapidly goes gray. The time when I'm too busy to go to Carmine to, ahem, cover up the grays. The time when I truly believe that brokers have conspired to drive me crazy. Way back when we started this blog, we bitched and moaned about our terrible broker experiences. In fact, Anne was ready to get rid of the whole profession altogether. Well, I was coming around to the idea that they provide value, especially when you're buying or selling a place. But my recent foray into Craigslist real estate reminded me once again how mind-numbingly frustrating a sleazy broker can be.

Over the next couple of months, we will be looking for apartments in New York. We'll do our best to go the new york craigslist > housing > apts by owner route, but there's a pretty high likelihood that I'll get sucked into that 12% commission for the apartment that I absolutely MUST have.

So, tonight I engaged in my usual Craigslist voyeurism, an activity that consists of putting in my max budget and checking out what's out there. I always find gems - I guarantee this will end when it's time for me to actually rent something. This time, I found the apartment above... big right? It's in Union Square (fantastic area) and it was listed for $2300/month. The listing boasted a gym, library, billiards, concierge...even a CINEMA. So, I bit the bullet and emailed the contact. I knew it was a broker (his phone number is plastered all over the images.)

I email, tell him I'm interested, and that I'd want it starting July 1. Not sure why I was surprised by his response. Read more...

AOTD: Real Estate P0rn - the $60M apartment

Flovelies — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 20:48:50 PDT

I mean...OH. MY. GOD. A $60M, 9800 sq. foot apartment in the newly-renovated Mark Hotel is now up for sale in NYC, according to CNN. I just can't imagine what on earth is worth $6600/sq ft (assuming that the floor is not, in fact, encrusted in diamonds). I'm guessing I'm just not the target market for this. Because, well, I don't have a ton of Picasso's, and, as the broker says about this manse: "It's especially nice for someone with an art collection. Unlike many modern buildings, which have so much glass, there's a lot of wall space for paintings." No, definitely would not want too much glass. Damn modern buildings and their whole "natural light" shtick.

So what else can I get for a cool $60mil + $30K monthly charges?

This space is ideal for the we're-too-rich-to-get-divorced-but-we-kind-of-hate-each-other couple, as it comes not only with his-and-her bathrooms but also his-and-her bedrooms: "The master bedroom suite consists of his and her baths, his and her closets, even his and her bedrooms, which are separated by a partial wall with fireplace that has hearths on both sides." She gets a bigger bathroom and closet, he gets a bigger bedroom.

Oh, and you can get room service from the Jean-Georges restaurant in the hotel's lobby. 'Cause that makes it totes worth it.

Check out the video tour of the apt.

Regretsy amazingness

Flovelies — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 14:46:15 PDT

My love for Etsy is pretty clear. I mean, I talk about it here, here, here, and here. But I don't think you need to be an Etsy lover to appreciate the amazingness that is Regretsy, a site dedicated to finding the weirdest stuff being sold on Etsy, with the tagline: "Where DIY meets WTF." I mean, AH-mazing. See Exhibit 1:

Or Exhibit 2: It's even more amazing...