Shelter. Food. Water. Some say that’s all you need to survive. But if you are renting an apartment in Manhattan, you’ll need a lot more to make life comfy cozy, if not clean. Here’s a few quick tips to what any NYC dweller with a rental apartment would consider the essentials.
Food
Welcome to the greatest place on earth for fabulous food and endless variety. Along with neighborhood markets, there are fantastic places to get fresh and prepared foods.
- Whole Foods, Union Square – If you live in the East Village or West Village, Chelsea, or Lower East Side, it’s worth getting to this Whole Foods outpost. The store is big, modern, and had a reoccurring role in Top Chef, New York.
- Trader Joe’s, East 14th Street – Known for great food at surprisingly affordable prices and a rockin’ wine store. Be prepared to wait in line during peak after-work hours.
- Union Square Greenmarket – Famous for fresh, sustainable veggies, dairy, and baked goods. Dozens of ways to say “yum!”
- Fairway, 74th Street – This Upper West Side location is where Fairway began with its renown selection of cheeses, baked goods, meats, and fish – fresh and smoked. It’s a New York institution not to be missed.
Fitness
While New York is a mecca for urban walkers, if you want to build up more of a sweat and for NYU students who want an alternative to the Coles Sport Center and the Palladium Athletic Facility, there’s the hot, hot, hot Soul Cycle with locations in the West Village, NoHo, and Union Square, as well as the new Peloton Cycle in Chelsea. For cross-fitters, there’s Brick New York in Chelsea. At the other extreme is the zen-derful Pure Yoga with locations on the Upper East and Upper West Side. Many of these fitness centers/studios offer student discounts so don’t forget to ask in you are an NYU student.
Clean Clothes
Whether you are living in a studio, one-bedroom, or two-bedroom apartment, space is at premium, so that last thing you need is piles of dirty laundry around. No Fee Rental elevator buildings usually come with coin-operated laundry facilities (remember to hoard your quarters!); our other buildings generally have a laundromat located close by. Then there’s also the app-based Cleanly and FlyCleaners to get your washing done.
Well-fed, well-toned, well dressed – in New York, that’s considered essential.