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This Sunday, more than 50,000 runners from all across the world will line up for the New York City Marathon.  Now add to that all the cheering fans and spectators and you have one gi-normous event that covers 26.2 miles and all five boroughs of New York City — Staten Island up through Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, across to Harlem in Manhattan, and ending in Central Park. It all starts at Ford Wadsworth on Staten Island, with professional women beginning at 9:20 AM, professional men at 9:50, and all other runners in waves after that.

Watch it live!

Television coverage begins at 9 AM on Channel 7. But why watch on TV? You’re in a NYC rental apartment — go out and join the fun! If you are a college student or first time renter, you shouldn’t miss this opportunity to watch one of the greatest spectator events in the world.

The weather — with light winds, cloud cover and a moderate 60 degrees (albeit a little on the warm side for November) — should bode well for the runners, and it’s perfect for being outside and watching the marathon. Renters in No Fee Rental’s Upper East Side apartments are closest to the action on First Avenue along miles 16 and 17. And it’s a quick walk across Central Park to the finish line area for our Upper West Side tenants. Note: the NYC Marathon finishes at 68^th Street in Central Park, but for security there is a frozen zone, so plan in advance to meet runners away from the frozen zone.

Speaking of frozen, that’s one way to talk about the traffic on Marathon Sunday. We strongly recommend that you give yourself extra time to get around, and opt for either walking or subway. Surface transit will be slow!

And if you are lucky enough to have received a number to run in the 2015 New York City Marathon, No Fee Rentals would like to wish you the best of luck in your run. This is certainly one day it’s nice to know that your rental apartment isn’t too far from the finish line!

We know. When you think of New York City you think skyscrapers, Fashion Week, museums, fabulous food, and even more fabulous people. But did you know that Manhattan is also home to two wild and wicked Halloween traditions? So get out of the studio apartment, grab your roommates in the multi bedroom share, say hasta la vista to the two bedroom for a few hours, and join the fun at the Greenwich Village Halloween Parade and the Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade.

Greenwich Village Halloween Parade

New York City’s 42^nd annual Village Halloween Parade kicks off at 7p.m. on Saturday, October 31^st.  You have to see it to believe it! The event is billed as “the nation’s most wildly creative public participatory event in the greatest city in the world”.  Only those in a costume of their own making can be in the parade; enter on 6th Avenue at Canal Street between 6:30pm and 8:30pm.  This year’s theme is “Shine a Light”, but really, any creative costume of your own imagination will do. (Bonus: there’s prizes for the best costumes!) If getting into costume isn’t your thing, than make sure to watch. In addition to thousands of costumed New Yorkers there are also hundreds of puppets, 53 bands with all kinds of music, dancers and artists.  It is a true New York spectacle and super, super fun!

Keep in mind though, if you are going to be in Greenwich Village on Halloween night around parade time, crossing streets will be a little tough. Please add extra time to get where you are going.

Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade

Dogs, costumes, parades – put them all together and you get one of the wackiest and woolliest New York City traditions: the Tomkins Square Halloween Dog Parade. This year the parade kicks off on Saturday, October 24^th at noon and runs (pardon the pun) until 3p.m. A dog turned into a tarantula or tricked out as a British biker — the competition is ruff for the prizes. CNN calls it “the largest dog costume parade in the world” with hundreds of dogs in costumes and thousands of spectators. No need to register. Just show up and enjoy the festivities and the fur!

photo credit: Halloween Parade 2014 via photopin (license)

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 14^th 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, 74^th 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.

Let’s face it. Apartment rentals in Manhattan are space challenged. Where you used to have lots of room for all your “stuff” — probably in the house you grew up in — now it has to fit into a studio apartment or multi bedroom share. Whether it’s clothes, athletic equipment, or accessories (just how did Carrie Bradshaw fit all those Manolos into her Upper East Side closet?), there’s some tricks to fitting it all in.

Your new best friend: the tape measure

Measure every wall, window, and closet…twice! There is no room for error. Even an inch can make a huge difference in whether an item fits. Also, measure the dimensions of door frames, stairwells and elevators. It’s not going into your rental apartment if you can’t get it in. As you are figuring out your furniture, you’ll want to have a light weight tape measure handy. A word of caution if you are buying off of Craig’s List: measure items yourself before you buy them!

Your new point of view: Smaller scale

Your ambitions may be huge, but your square footage is not. What works in a Florida condo is going to be a huge space hog in your Chelsea one bedroom, so scale down the size of your selections. And don’t worry if you don’t have seating for 12. This is New York City – all those restaurants, bars, and clubs right outside your front door are designed for getting together with groups of friends.

Your new love affair: Multipurpose furniture

We love any kind of furniture that does more than one job.  The ever trusty dining table/desk/buffet server.  Couches and bed frames with storage compartments.  Nesting tables. Anything on rollers. Ikea has made multi functional furniture one of its specialties, and Pinterest is chock full of ideas.

Your new storage location: Walls

Maximize floor space by hanging things from the walls: bicycles, folding chairs, lofting beds. But remember, this is rental apartment, so any holes made in the walls will have to be repaired once you move out. You also need to make sure the walls in your apartment can bear the weight of whatever you are hanging. We recommend you check with your building manager before you start swinging a hammer.

Small spaces can present challenges, but they are also an opportunity for creativity. We’ve been surprised by how much some of our tenants can fit into their rental apartments without compromising livability. It’s just another part of the New York City experience.

There’s a classic ballad that goes, “Autumn in New York, why does it seem so inviting.” We can’t think of a better place to be than out and around New York City when the leaves start to change and the air turns crisp. Of course, there are the parks. For our No Fee Rental tenants in Greenwich Village, the East Village and West Village, Washington Square Park and Tompkins Square Park are at their most beautiful and just steps away. For our renters on the Upper East and West Side, Central Park’s winding paths, lakes, zoo and Sheep Meadow (and no, there are no sheep in Sheep Meadow) are glorious. You can’t rent an apartment in New York without taking a boat out on the Lake in the middle of Central Park – it’s magical! And for everyone there’s the incomparable High Line, the elevated park that runs from the Meatpacking District to West 34^th Street, with its sparkling views of the Hudson River.

New York is the Center of Culture

New York City abounds with culture in the fall. It’s no surprise with so many rental apartments around Greenwich Village, one of our favorites is the Washington Square Arch Fair on Sunday October 4. Heading into Chelsea is the new Whitney Museum of American Art, which became an instant must-see for every New Yorker. Don’t forget The New York City Film Festival that runs through Oct. 11. Tickets are still available. And, there’s also tons of street festivals. Check out Time Out New York for a weekly listing.

New York City Iconic Structures

If you haven’t walked over the Brooklyn Bridge, now is the perfect time. Talk about an incredible photo op! On the other end of Manhattan, in Washington Heights, there’s one of New York City’s gems: the Cloisters. The museum, gardens, and views are a peaceful and wondrous retreat inside the world’s busiest city.

Go by Foot, Boat, or Bike

New York is a walker’s paradise so grab your sneakers and get going. You’ll be star struck by Manhattan’s beauty in fall’s golden glow. We recommend you explore the quaint streets of Greenwich Village or Chelsea’s historic district. The Union Square Farmer’s Market is a vibrant mix of the traditional and the trendy. Rest your feet and take a Circle Line cruise up the Hudson.  Or grab a Citibike and explore the city on two wheels.

Octoberfest!

Beer on the Pier in the Financial District runs until Oct. 5, and there’s still time to head over to Citi Field for Octoberfest Night with the Mets. From Oct. 2 – 11 Bavarian bier haus Zum Schneider brings Oktoberfest to the East River.

As much as you may be loving your New York City apartment rental, it’s time to expand your horizons beyond your studio, grab the roommates from your two-bedroom apartment, get everyone together from your multi bedroom share. It’s autumn in New York and there’s nothing else like it.

Let there be light. Not so fast says Con Edison, “First, you need to set up your electric account.” You say, “Who is this Con Edison guy?” Welcome to the world of New York utilities.

And it’s not just electric that you need set up in your rental apartment. There’s also cable, and, if you have a gas stove, you may want gas too.

Here’s a few simple steps to make getting started in your New York City apartment a lot easier.

Step 1: Know your utility providers:

http://www.coned.com — Con Edison for electric and gas

https://www.timewarnercable.com/en/residential.html – Time Warner Cable (TWC)  is the cable company for areas where No Fee Rentals has buildings. For Internet, TV, and phone

http://www.verizon.com/local/new-york-fios — Verizon for cellular phone

http://www.att.com — AT&T for cellular phone

Step 2: Figure out what you really need

Even though there’s a stove in your apartment, it doesn’t mean you are going to cook. If your idea of food prep is microwaving or going online for take-out, and your apartment comes with a gas stove (versus electric) you can save money and choose not to hook up gas. There are plenty of NYU students and young professionals who go this route. Really need hot water? Use the microwave or get a Keurig.

Landline? Unless you are going to use your printer for faxing, you probably don’t need a hardwire landline. And in a multi bedroom share, everyone simply uses cellular.

Step 3: Determine whose name goes on the bill

Every tenant in a rental apartment should be on the lease, whether you are splitting a one bedroom convertible or a multi bedroom share. However, utilities take only one name. Decide before you sign-up whose name is going on which account.

Step 4: Move Quickly

There’s 1.6 million people squeezed onto this island we call Manhattan, and everyone needs their electric, gas, Internet. Our advice: as soon as you know when you will be moving in, arrange to have your utilities set-up. For electric and gas, the time to set up an account can be relatively quick and started online.

Move really really quickly for Internet if you are a NYU student or are renting an apartment around NYU – There’s a crush of students moving into Greenwich Village, the East Village and West Village, especially around Washington Square Park and Waverly Place at the end of August and in early September. If you can’t live without wi fi or cable TV, make sure you get on the TWC installation schedule ASAP.

Step 5: Be Prepared

For Con Edison, you may need to show your lease if the prior rental apartment tenant didn’t cancel service. Be prepared to fax/scan & email a copy to your lease to Con Edison to prove tenancy.

For Time Warner Cable, one of the apartment tenants needs to be around on installation day. You also need to notify your building agent about your TWC appointment in case the installer needs to access the roof or basement to finish installation. Also, ask your building’s leasing department for your building’s TWC rep contact info. The TWC rep will help expedite installation and, since you are a No Fee Rentals tenant, the will also waive the installation fee. (Use the savings to celebrate your new NYC apartment!)