How To Actually Find Your Dream Apartment in New York City

Earlier in February, my husband Michael came up with the idea of renting our apartment full-time on Airbnb and moving to a new place before our year lease was up. At the time, we were living in a small two-bedroom, 500 square feet apartment that we’d been renting out on weekends. Each room had a window that gave out to a bustling street under an elevated train track, so it got pretty noisy. It wasn’t perfect, but it was well-located (20-min ride to the city) and had a gorgeous rooftop, which is really what did it for me. When we listed it on Airbnb, the demand was high especially as spring came around.

So we did the math and realized we’d still make a good profit, even with the additional rent. And thus began our search. As much as he hates to do it, Michael is a seasoned veteran in finding apartments. From moving six times since coming to New York in 2010, he learned all the tips and negotiation tactics, and this time, he had a completely new strategy. Instead of going through friends, brokers or apps like Street Easy, we hit the pavement.

We were clear on what we wanted: a loft or loft-like apartment. We loved the open space and unstructured freedom a loft has, so we started wandering in parts of Brooklyn that have converted warehouses. Namely Bushwick and Wiliamsburg. We’d schedule walking dates to tour the areas and wrote down the numbers on buildings we were interested in. We then called the managers and inquired about open units. It was very much a self-guided process, and we weren’t sure it would work, but we saw seven different apartments and eventually found the one.

The new apartment is in a commercial and residential building, which also allows us to run our businesses from there (and write off a fraction of the rent as expenses). It’s also much bigger than our first place at 750 square feet for a slightly higher rent. We’ve been having so much fun filling it with plants and things we buy or build. Michael recently finished our bookshelves and set up my desk. He’s also building my “fashion closet” and working with me to set up our little corner studio.

If you’re looking to move and find your dream NYC apartment, here are the tips I have for you:

Get ahead of the competition

Had we waited until May when our lease was ending, our rent would’ve probably been a lot higher. Winter, as it turns out, is a good time to apartment hunt. To be honest, it might have been why we found this place because there weren’t 5-10 other people looking at it. There may not be as many apartments available, but there’s less competition, which makes it easier to find real gems at a decent price.

Do it yourself

I know it can be a hassle to look for an apartment, but if you have some time, dedicate a couple hours a week to do it because you’ll not only save on broker fees this way, but you’ll likely get the most budget-friendly deal. Apps like Street Easy and Zillow are a great place to start, but spend time doing some exploring of your own. Few of the lofts we looked at were listed online, so I’m convinced the best places aren’t always advertised.

Pick a neighborhood and hang out there

Doing it yourself also means getting to know your target neighborhood. Once you figure out where you’d like to live (or narrow down the list), plan a couple trips to spend as much time as possible there. Try a different coffee shop each time and do some people watching. Sit on an outside bench and observe what’s going on in the streets. Get lost on purpose. This will give you valuable intel on the demographics of the residents.

At one point, Michael and I considered moving to Jersey City, so we booked an Airbnb staycation there. What’s a better way to know a place than to live like locals? We visited the many bars and art galleries, experienced the nightlife, ate some good food and commuted by train. We also made sure to talk to people while we were there, from bartenders, cab drivers to gallery artists. We even met a landlord at one of the restaurants and he told us a lot about the city. He had been living in Jersey City for decades and was able to speak on the city’s urban transformation. It was great to have his perspective, and all these experiences gave us a real feel for the place. Even though we didn’t end up moving there, Jersey City has a special place in our heart.

Negotiate

Yes, you can (sometimes) successfully negotiate your way to cheaper rent. Suppose you find your dream studio in Fort Greene, but it’s going for a slightly higher price. When viewing the place and upon hearing the going rate, ask if there’s some flexibility in the price and offer to pay $100 or $200 less. If they say no, ask if the price could go lower if you paid the first three months upfront. Or if you signed a two-year lease (you’d need to be 100% sure about the place). Find different arrangements that could make your landlord more comfortable. It’s not always guaranteed to work, but it’s worth the try.