nyc apartment rentals

Make use of your roof

Sure, New York City apartments are tiny. However, there’s one awesome thing about living in an apartment building: Many of them have rooftops with stunning views, and you can escape to these rooftops during hot days to cool down, get some fresh air and relish the dazzling cityscape around you. If you’re not sure what you should do on your rooftop or need ways to take advantage of the space, check out some fun ideas below. Just make sure you have permission from your landlord to access and use the space before you go up there!

Set up a Garden

We all miss the greenery when we’re constantly surrounded by concrete sidewalks and steel skyscrapers. You can have a little patch of green of your own by starting a garden on the roof. Get large planters or a raised garden bed, fill it with soil, and plant seedlings. You can either tend to a garden of beautiful flowers, or you can grow fruits and vegetables of your own. Just make sure to add some chicken wire to keep out any unwanted pests. Ask your neighbors if they want to join you in planting or taking care of the garden. A shared rooftop garden is a great way to bond with and get to know the people who live around you.

Lounge in the Sun

If you’re someone who loves soaking up rays, get a lounge chair or two for your rooftop; then spend the hot days you have off work lounging in your swimwear or tank top, reading a book or magazine. Make sure you put on some sunscreen first, or get an umbrella so you can tuck away in the shade.

Add a Dining Table and Chairs

Sometimes the hot days are just too hot to spend outside in the sun. However, summer evenings in New York can be lovely and temperate. So, add a dining table and chairs to the roof. Cook dinner in your apartment, load up some trays, and enjoy it while you sit outside. Eating dinner outside on the roof is a great way to cool down after standing over a hot stove or oven cooking, and there’s no more romantic backdrop to a dinner than the twinkling lights of Manhattan, Brooklyn and beyond.

Screen Movies

Are you a movie buff? Consider setting up a projector screen — or using a big flat wall if your building has one on the roof. Bring up a project and an extension cord, and hook your computer up to project a movie onto your screen. Talk to your neighbors about joining you; you can have a regular weekly or monthly movie night for your community. Everyone who participates in the movie night can take turns picking movies, or you can theme your movie series by only showing movies of a certain genre or era — horror movies, film noir, 1990s rom-coms — whatever floats your boat!

If you are looking for an apartment in New York City with a rooftop you can enjoy, look no further than NoFee Rentals. Many of the apartment rentals from NoFee Rentals have roof spaces that are available to building tenants. In fact, many even have private roof decks that offer awesome views and great amenities like picnic tables, garden space and barbecue grills. Start your search now.

Making Friends in New York City

In 2012, I graduated from college and moved to an awesome New York City apartment. A dream I shared with many post-grads, I started an internship in the music industry and moved in with my childhood best friend.

I started at the new company and quickly discovered that I was the youngest person by about 10 years. I struggled to meet new people. My roommates both worked in sales at companies where everyone was a twenty-something, attractive, and always looking to party after work. I would tag along to their happy hours, but I always felt like I was hanging out with their friends, and never my own. In a city of millions, it is so easy to feel completely isolated—somehow, it seems, earbuds are a silent way of saying, “don’t talk to me”. Everyone is constantly texting, snapchatting or instagramming when out with friends, seemingly communicating with unseen masses of friends you don’t have. You’re not alone if you’re feeling like this, and it’s not the end of the world. Now, we have to actively make an effort to break through our phone screens and meet new people.

My mother lived in the city for over 20 years, so I would approach her regularly about my feelings of frustration. She would always say, “Just talk to people in the grocery store!” Maybe ideally, romantically, this could work. You know, you catch the eye of someone in the next aisle, flash a coy smile and then you’re on your first date! (Or is that just the movies?)

Let’s think about it realistically: imagine if I saw someone in the grocery store buying an avocado. What would my mother expect me to do? “Hey, you like avocados? I LOVE avocados, we should go out sometime!” This avocado-loving person would think that I was legitimately insane. I already get strange looks from people just for smiling when I walk past them (that or they think I’m hitting on them). I’m from the country! We smile at strangers! Weird right?

The biggest piece of advice I can offer anyone to meet new people in New York City is to not be consumed by your loneliness, and go explore. Foster your relationship with yourself—learn to genuinely love and enjoy your own company. Your own happiness will attract new friends and when you do, other people will be so attracted to your happiness you won’t be able to get them away from you.

Find reasons to get up and out of your NYC apartment. If you work remotely or are a student, find a cute coffee shop in which to study. Bond with someone through sarcasm and apathetic disinterest. Instead of ordering take-out, find a quiet restaurant and treat yourself to a meal. Hang out in a park. Take yourself shopping. Check out galleries in Chelsea or Brooklyn, maybe try the Brooklyn Flea or find Art Walks, where you can go look at galleries at night.

Expand your horizons and take a class. Whether it be a cooking class, an art class, a yoga class or lightsaber fighting class (yes, this is real) you’ll be around a group of potential new friends with a shared interest. And a shared interest is your first step to friendship. New York City has innumerable classes to offer—find some here.

MeetUp.com is another valuable online resource that can help you to find like-minded individuals! Maybe you’ve just moved to New York from another country and you’re looking for a little piece of home, maybe you love hiking, or perhaps you simply want to hit the best happy hours in the city with fun people! Everyone on MeetUp is looking to meet new people and make friends! Check it out here.

Another great way to make a connection is through a four-legged pal. Besides the fact that you’ll never be alone in your apartment again, having a dog in New York City makes it easier to meet people. Also, you’ve got your love for dogs in common with all those strangers! Luckily for you, NoFee Rentals are pet-friendly. If you’re looking for more information about our pet-policy and great things to do with your dog in New York City, click here.

The only way to make new friends is really just to start talking to people, and to keep an open mind. Don’t rule out your neighbors, either. Friends come in all shapes, sizes and ages. I have been going to a knitting class that my 84 year old neighbor has at her store, and I’ll tell you, old ladies? They’re hilarious… more on that later though.

So once you’ve settled into your new NoFee Rentals apartment in your hot new NYC neighborhood, get out and make some new friends to fill your living room! If you haven’t found an apartment yet, you can definitely find one here.

Until next time!

XO,

Steph

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