Finding Accommodation in New York: Furnished or Unfurnished Rental?

Finding accommodation in New York is one of the biggest concerns for many, but it wasn’t mine at the start. Before leaving, rarely are the people who did not ask me the fateful question: “Have you found accommodation in Rockhampton?” “. And the surprise was not the least, when I answered each time, that I had not even started to look.

But how do you go about finding accommodation completely blind, since I had never set foot there before? Remotely and with no one on site, it’s complicated!

When I arrived, I spent my first 10 nights in a hotel, next to my work, the only point of contact I had at that time. Within a week, I acted quickly to get myself into a situation. I was able to find apartment for rent in nyc quickly, it was not easy, but playable. I invite you to discover how I did, in my article a week flat to make a situation.

Once I had a furnished sub-shared apartment for 2 months, I was finally able to start my real search for a rental apartment! During this time, I was able to inspect the different districts, and choose the one that I liked, with a not too expensive price either.

Find the Neighborhood that Suits you

What is fabulous about New York is that each neighborhood has a special atmosphere. During my first month, I was able to familiarize myself with the city. This allowed me to inspect the different places, and to form an opinion. I walked there during the weekends and evenings. But also, one of my colleagues made me discover the different corners of Brooklyn by bike.

At the same time, I inquired about the average rent in New York.  They vary greatly depending on the neighborhood and the type of apartment. Then, I studied the transport time between our places of work, and selected on the map, 2 zones with the best compromise: not too much travel time, a neighborhood that corresponds to us, accessibility to several metro lines, close to all shops, with a price that fits the budget. Google Maps is a fairly reliable application for estimating public transport time in New York, I recommend it.

Here is the map of median prices per month in 2014, for rental, by neighborhood:

As the prices evolve very quickly, I advise you to confirm this information by going to see the advertisements of apartments.

So I started the tours in the Brooklyn Heights and Boerum Hill  ( map ) neighborhoods of Brooklyn. I was able to find one in the latter. We each have between 25 and 35 minutes to get to our places of work, we are close to Manhattan for exits, and a maximum of 10 minutes on foot from ten subway lines. And we also have plenty of small businesses in the area. The metro sometimes has problems, but I find it is not that often. In 8 months, I took another metro line 3 times.

No one talks about it, but it is possible to live in New Jersey while working in New York City. New Jersey’s premier cities, Hoboken and Jersey City, are a 10-minute subway ride from the Manhattan Islands. Advantages ? Your taxes withheld at source are calculated according to your place of residence.

If you choose to live on the New Jersey side, you won’t have to pay New York City taxes, which categorically increases your purchasing power by around 7-8%. On the other hand, the rental prices are not necessarily cheaper, but you will have many more services in your residence (swimming pool, doorman, gym, etc.) and perhaps you will benefit from the breathtaking view of the large Manhattan towers …

Furnished or Unfurnished Rental?

If you came with your furniture, the question does not arise ( you wonder if you deliver your furniture or not across the Atlantic? ). But if you arrive with a suitcase, like us, then you are faced with this dilemma.

At first, we left for a furnished rental. Why bother with furniture when we’re only here for a few months? But while searching, I noticed that furnished apartments are very rare and quite expensive. The rent is 30% more expensive than an unfurnished one!

So in the end, we fell back on unfurnished accommodation, with the idea of ​​getting cheap furniture, and reselling it once we left New York. Ultimately, it is as expensive as taking a furnished apartment (if you are staying at least 2 years), and the choice of apartments is wider!

Also note that all unfurnished apartments must have a fully equipped kitchen: storage, sink, hob, fridge, dishwasher, oven and microwave. It is the law here, and I have always seen it respected until now.