The thought of trying to find a place to rent in New York City would strike fear in the heart of even a skilled apartment hunter. Scrambling to find a place, beating out the competition in the cutthroat marketplace and surviving the experience for the New York City newbie could spell disaster. But there is a reliable companion to be at your side throughout the process - Zany's!
ZANY'S New York City Apartment Guide by Clay Weiner and Carla Sapsford aims to help newcomers and old timers alike. Their goal, as they say, is "to save you dozens of hours, thousands of dollars and worlds of frustration in your journey to the dark heart of the most unforgiving but ultimately satisfying real estate market in the world."
Your apartment hunting experience doesn't have to end up like the movie plot of Joe's Apartment where the main character, Joe, arrives in New York City from Iowa, lucks into a cheap, rent-controlled East Village apartment only to find out it is infested with tens of thousands cockroaches.
The Annual Guide to Where and How to Rent a NYC Apartment covers a wide range of topics from types of buildings, noise, roommates, shopping, and insurance. Their intimate look at the neighborhoods provide valuable insight for someone new to the distinctive flavors of the Big Apple.
Of special interest to the New York City newbie is their excellent chapter on commuting between home and work. A chart of places to live for the quickest commute to your workplace will help you focus the search to the right neighborhoods. Zany's advises you of the average monthly costs for commuting and, as with many of their topics, cautions you to do a thorough analysis of your budget and define your priorities so your new home doesn't end up being an economic albatross around your neck.
The chapter on Brokers & Fees gives the apartment hunter an insider's look at the quirky system of screening applicants and paying 15% of the first year's rent to get the help of a knowledgeable individual familiar with the neighborhood of interest. They counsel you to determine if your employer has a 'broker of choice', a move that can shave 3% or so off the regular fee.
Their web site at zanys.com also offers a discounted service for corporate employees. Zany's has arranged for a discount through their affiliation with brokers at Fenwick-Keats Realty and Gumley Haft Kleier Inc. and apartment listing services at Apartmentsource.com and Apartmentaccess.com.
As with any professional relationship, they advise interviewing several brokers and comparing the pros and cons of the older, bigger, slicker operations like Corcoran with the smaller niche brokers like the newer Citihabitat.
The Leases & Sublets chapter has concise information to guide the lucky apartment hunter through the negotiating details and lease-signing process. The how-to steps include: Act Fast, Ask Questions, Financial Information, The Lease, Security Deposit, and Subletting.
Although the guidebook seems geared to the younger, single apartment hunters with its vivid, colorful book cover and artsy blue and green pages that may be hard on older eyes, they don't neglect families. The chapters entitled Family and School Issues and Entertainment offer some tips for making life more enjoyable for families with kids. A nice feature of each of the over 54 neighborhood sections is that they have a notation for KIDS & FAMILIES for each neighborhood.
And the neighborhood detail is probably the best feature of the Zany's guidebook. Background, history, and flavor are used to describe the neighborhoods. Find out who is most and least comfortable in the neighborhoods and learn about noise, parking, safety, entertainment, restaurants, parks and gardens, shopping, average rents, commuting and what the housing is like.
If you want to sample the book before buying it, visit the Snippets section of Zany's web site. They are featuring a chapter each month and a sample neighborhood. And the Q & A Forum has real people telling real stories about their experiences. You can check out what they have to say about the no listing fee companies, for example, or post your own question. You can also buy an electronic version (in Adobe Acrobat pdf format) of the book online.
The Neighborhood Opinion Forum at www.zanys.com lets you see what people living in the area think of it. A recent post about Chinatown: " Chinatown is amazing, and definitely up and coming. To say nothing of the fact that there's a lot of good food here really cheap, the whole area is being cleaned up and is now almost posh. It is the next Tribeca, and you need money to pay Tribeca rents. It is best to get something now and fix it up yourself."
Buy the Book: ZANY'S New York City Apartment Guide
