Manhattan is a big place. Many of its neighborhoods are larger than whole cities in other parts of the country. For those new to the city, it can often seem a daunting cityscape. This quick guide will provide a quick reference point for you as start to figure out what part of the island you would like find a New York apartment in.

Chelsea: A relatively expensive area to live, there are large numbers of clubs that people from across the city flock to. There is also a strong GLBT community here.
This is the toughest part of town to find an apartment. Vacancy rates were just 0.53% during the third quarter of 2007.

East Village: Home to Alphabet City, once considered one of the rougher parts of the city, the East Village today is populated by more and more twenty-somethings, and boasts a solid nightlife filled with a good number of quintessentially New York bars. NYU has a strong presence in this part of the city. At 0.93%, vacancy rates are just slightly above Manhattan averages

Gramercy/Flatiron: Last year, Grammercy was home to the single largest real estate deal ever, in terms of dollar value. In a move that is sure to change the face of the area, the city sold a large public housing complex for many billions of dollars. Outside of the public housing, this is the third most expensive part of Manhattan to rent an apartment in.

Harlem: Long one of the most notorious urban areas in the country, Harlem today is experiencing a bit of a renaissance. The Clinton Foundation houses its offices here, and a number of urban renewal projects are taking place here. Rents remain relatively low. During the third quarter, it cost just $2,179 on average for a 3-bedroom apartment.

Upper West Side: Fans of Seinfeld will recognize much of this area. Scenes from the show almost always took place in this part of New York. Vacancy rates are 0.87%, which is just about the average for the island.

Upper East Side: One of the wealthiest parts of the city, it is considerably easier to find a single or flat here than it is a three bedroom apartment.

Soho/Tribeca: The single most expensive part of the city to rent an apartment in, the area boasts a number of warehouses converted into large flats. It is home to the famous Tribeca Film Festival. The vacancy rate is 0.93%; a single will cost you a hefty $3,555 on average.

Midtown: Just south of the park, midtown east and midtown west are home to some of the most famous parts of the city. Madison Square Garden is here, as is Penn Station.

West Village: Perhaps the most European feeling part of the city, the West Village is home to a large number of British style pubs. Apartments are expensive here: A single costs an average of $3,082. A 3-bedroom is an average of $6,438.

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NYC Renters are pretty good at decifering the origins of a NYC neighborhood name. We all know where SoHo, TriBeCa and NoLIta came from. Most of us are now familiar with SpaHa and SoHa and SoBro (South Bronx) is making a comeback.

So you won’t be surprised to hear a new NYC name has been developed. This time it is not for a NYC neighborhood, but for a NYC park - CaVaLa Park. Pretty obvious isn't it? No? The park is bounded by Canal, Varick and Laight Streets!

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Many of the renters reading this blog right now have come to NYRentClub because they are tired of dealing with all the shadiness out there in the NYC rental market. Well apparently in some other US markets it's not the shadiness you need to worry about - it is whether the broker likes to wear any clothes!

Jackie Youngblood, a Realtor in Florida caters to nudist buyers and sellers. Her slogan... "skip the outfit, wear the lifestyle,"

Youngblood and her husband have been nudists since 1983. After she retired she set up her real estate practice in Land O' Lakes region in Florida, where there are a number of nudist real estate developments. This niche must be pretty Florida specific, with their warm winters. You've got to think nudist business must get slow in the colder months!

Apparently this type of niche marketing by real estate brokers around the US is becoming more common.

Jamie Adams & Associates set up shop in the stadium complex that houses the Texas Rangers. Adams also founded MVP Agent which is a national referral network that services the real estate needs of professional athletes.

Like Adams, Valerie Fitzgerald, who owns Valerie Fitzgerald and Associates Beverley Hills, exclusively targets high-profile entertainment types like Winona Ryder and Babyface.

The moral of the story I think it a good one. Find a Niche! NYRentClub targets a niche of NYC renters that appreciate the value of a good broker, but demand top service at a fair rate. What is your niche?

Check out the full story here:
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We have all had issues with our Landlord at one time or another. But most us just get cranky and call a friend to vent, thinking there isn`t much we can really do except wait for the super to show up and fix the sink for the 100th time!

Well some NYC tenants in a Pinnacle Group building on Riverside Drive and 144th Street have gone a few steps further. They are suing their landlord, claiming that the six-story rental building is in need of extensive repairs.

Pinnacle is planning to convert the building into condos, but the tenants are claiming that `mold, constantly leaking pipes, rotting wood, fallen ceilings, and dangerous electrical environments` must be fixed before the conversion can begin.

It is going to be a classic David vs. Goliath given the Pinnacle Group managing an estimated $1 billion in real estate and controlling over 21,000 rent-regulated apartments!

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For those of you in the area, here are a few dates for up and coming Neighborhood Festivals

Saturday August 23rd
Gramercy Park Neighborhood Festival
(on 3rd Avenue from 14th - 23rd Street)

Sunday August 24th
Third Avenue Merchandise Fair
(on 3rd Avenue from 23rd - 34th Street)

Hey!  Welcome to my real estate blog.  I`m gonna use my first blog entry to tell you about my incredible journey into the world of Manhattan real estate. 

I moved to Manhattan in December, 2006 with my 9yo son, my cat, and my little dog, too.  I was horrified by what brokers showed me in my price range!  And, most of them lied about what they had, ignored my criteria and building pet policies, and otherwise wasted my time.  Finally, and because my sublet had bedbugs, I ended up spending $600/month more than I could really afford.  What a nightmare!

So, I thought, how am I going to pay for this rent?  I was still smarting from the 15% of my annual rent that I paid to my broker (who, in retropect, wasn`t that great but better than the others I` seen).  Then, I was inspired!  I thought, I bet I do that job better than any of the people who tried to help me and at a lower price!  I went to real estate school and the rest is history. 

There`s a dirty little secret in my past - they might take my license away if word gets out, but I`ll take the chance. I am a former broker hater. There, I said it. And it1s true - really really true!

My first apartment in NYC was a classic bait and switch, and I was duped big time. As time (and moves) carried on, my feelings of ill will were solidified by all the lousy agents who crossed my path... The people who try to convince you that the 500 sq ft box you`re standing in is in fact a sprawling 1000 sq ft loft? Those are fun. Or how about the ones who only show you apartments that are 20% above your budget? Then there`s my personal favorite: the people who `listen` to all of the things you want/don`t want in your new home, and then show you only apartments that have the don`t wants (???) - I once told an agent definitively that my boyfriend would NEVER agree to rent a floor through apartment, he passionately dislikes them. She proceeded to drag me all over Brooklyn for hours looking exclusively at - yes, you guessed it - floor through apartments! Seriously, I am lucky I wasn`t arrested that day. Sadly, I could go on and on, and that`s just from personal experience.

I hated real estate agents, and I swore them off. I also moved out of NYC shortly there after, and returned a couple of years later to move into my boyfriend`s apartment and not have to go through the headache.