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When it’s time to find a rental apartment in Manhattan, there’s a lot of factors to consider. Here’s what should be on your list to help narrow your great rental apartment search.

• Budget – Before you do anything else, first figure out how much you, or you and your roommates, can comfortably afford. Also factor in whether utilities such as gas, electricity, and water are included in your rent or are extra.
• Location (or as it’s otherwise referred to: location, location, location). You know what you need to be near – college, job, subway, train. And once you know how much you can afford on rent, it helps narrow down the locations.
• Noise – Streets are quieter than main avenues, which have buses and trucks trundling by. Also consider what’s in your neighborhood – late night bars or clubs may be cool when you’re hanging out at them, but can also interfere when you want to get some sleep.
• Size – If you are living alone, a studio or one-bedroom may be your options. Two people can live in a two bedroom or a one bedroom apartment – sharing the bedroom or converting the living room into a bedroom. In the latter case, look for listings with a convertible one or a wing two bedroom. Multi bedroom shares can accommodate 3 to 5 renters depending on the size of each bedroom.
• Laundry – Classic brownstones and walk-up buildings usually don’t have on-site laundry facilities. If you are a college student, this is less of an issue than for families with babies or young children.
• Air Conditioning – If you are going to be in New York City for the summer, you may want to check whether your apartment has A/C. This is especially true in older buildings. We also know that many of our tenants are very comfortable with just fans if they are out most of the day.

Come Prepared

Attractive rental apartments go quickly so if you see one you like, you need to be prepared to act. And if you are coming from out of state, it’s super important to have these documents on hand so that you don’t lose any time! Here’s what you need to seal the deal:

• Proof of employment/enrollment – The rental office will request a copy of your enrollment certification letter from your school if you are a college student, or an employment verification letter if you are employed.
• Tax return – If you are employed, our office will need to see a copy of your tax return. We also require a guarantor for every applicant (see August 17, 2105 blog posting) so make sure to also have a copy of your guarantor’s tax return.
• Sample lease – You can request a sample lease in advance of viewing rental apartments so you know what will be required. Tenants often find it helpful to review the lease in advance.

Our last word of advice is to be prepared to compromise. Not every apartment is going to have absolutely everything you want, regardless of how much you are willing to spend. No Fee Rentals offers a wide range of rental apartments so that you can weigh factors and find the apartment that you can call home.

Thanksgiving is the time for celebration, gathering, eating, and reflection. And so we wanted to take a minute to wish all our No Fee Rental tenants a joyous Thanksgiving and share our list of things to be thankful for. But of course, we had to give it our own New York City twist.

We are thankful for our…

• Abundance of choices – from markets to shopping to dining to entertainment to the arts to sports – New York City offers more choices than ever dreamed possible.
• Health and for being surrounded by the best medical and research centers in the world.
• Green spaces — from Tompkins Square Park to Central Park to the Highline, how wonderful it is to live in a city where there are so many options to enjoy being outdoors and active.
• Diversity of people from across the country and across the globe. It keeps New York vital, and interesting, and brings a wealth of new ideas. Everyone has a place here.
• Opportunities – If America is the land of opportunity then New York is its center. Whether through higher education or employment, New York gives people the chance to improve their lives and their futures.
• Mass transit to get us where we need to be without breaking the bank. It may not always be pretty, or as prompt as we would wish, but compared to other cities, it pretty darn good … and it goes everywhere.
• Safety and New York City’s finest and bravest, the men and women of the New York City police and fire departments who keep us safe and are there when we need them.

And last, but not least, we are thankful for you, our tenants. Thank you for choosing No Fee Rentals for your rental apartment. We appreciate the opportunity to serve you and will continue to do our best to meet all your needs.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Oh the wonder! The awe! The elves! The New York City holiday season officially kicks off on Thursday, Nov. 26^th with the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. This New York tradition has been around since 1924 (89 years!) and has inspired millions of families and a classic movie, Miracle on 34^th Street. You’ll be giving thanks that you are renting an apartment in Manhattan when the floats, balloons, and celebrities come marching through.

The Stats — It takes a city like New York to put on a parade this spectacular!

• 8,000+ participants
• 16 giant character balloons
• 27 floats
• 12 marching bands
• 1,300 cheerleaders and dancers
• 1,000 clowns
• 2.5 miles
• 1 Mariah Carey — this year’s headliner
• 20 other celebrity performers

The Route

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade begins at 9am at Central Park West and 77^th Street. This is a fantastic viewing opportunity for our No Fee Rental clients in our Upper West Side rental apartments. The parade continues down CPW to Columbus Circle where the parade turns onto Central Park South on then to 6^th Ave. to 34^th Street and Macy’s Herald Square. The great part about this central location is that it’s convenient to virtually all No Fee Rental buildings and our rental apartments – especially those in Murray Hill, Waverly Place, Washington Square. You can walk or take any one of seven train lines to the Herald Square Station – D, F, N. Q, R, B, and M.

The Giant Balloon Inflation

One the most special parts of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is the Giant Balloon Inflation from 3pm to 10pm on Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving. The Giant Balloon Inflation takes place in the areas surrounding the Museum of Natural History beginning at 79th Street and Columbus Avenue. To be this close to the giant balloons is incredibly memorable. You don’t have to be a kid to enjoy it. We guarantee, your friends on Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat will light up seeing you up close with SpongeBob, Hello Kitty, and Snoopy. The balloons can be as high as a 5-story building!

New York is a special place, and no more so than when Santa lands his sleigh to kick off the holidays. Give thanks — you have a NYC rental apartment and the parade is coming to town!

photo credit: Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade via photopin (license)

With the beginning of daylight savings time, it’s getting dark a lot earlier. But don’t let this put you into the wintertime blues. New York is fabulous after dark! Get out of your rental apartment and experience some of the best nightlife in the world! Here’s a few ideas for fun after the sun goes down.

The City of Lights – U.S. version

Paris may be officially known as the City of Lights, but here in the states, New York City dazzles with light at night. Let us recommend the sky high views from The Empire State Building, the observatory at One World Trade Center, and at Top of the Rock (30 Rockefeller Plaza) to see the lights of Manhattan. If you want to make it extra special, go at dusk and watch the skyline change from majestic breathtaking color to inky black and see the lights grow in intensity. If it’s intensity you are after, nothing beats the energy of Times Square at night. The billboards, the buildings, the illuminated bright pink staircase – it’s colored light and images on steroids.

The Happiest Hour(s)

When the sun goes down, the happy hour lights up. Whether you have a studio in the East Village, a two bedroom in the West Village, or a multi bedroom share in Chelsea, there’s a restaurant or a bar with a happy hour near you. Happy hours usually run from 5:00 – 8:00pm, but some establishments have extended happy hours that can go as late at 10pm.

The Club Scene

Some of the best NYC clubs are right near some of No Fee Rentals’ downtown buildings. In Greenwich Village, Le Poisson Rouge is hot. In Chelsea, crowds flock to Marquee. The Meatpacking District’s Le Bain and Cielo are hugely popular, while Pacha and Space Ibiza in Hell’s Kitchen bring their international reputation stateside.

Seasonal Specials

With the holidays coming, New York really ramps it up at night. The Union Square Holiday Market opens on November 19^th. Catch the glow! Or try ice skating at Wollman Rink in the middle of Central Park – it’s open until 10 PM most nights, while The Rink at Rockefeller Center stays open until midnight.  These are iconic NYC venues that you have to experience at least once.

It’s dark, yes. But look on the bright side – there’s so much to love about New York – day and night.

photo credit: ‘Urban Jazz’, United States, New York, New York City, Saxophone Player, Highline via photopin (license)