apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Morning all,

There's a chance I might be transferred from Boston to NYC for work. I've checked out a few rental sites around the city, and MAN this city is expensive! I would need to keep my car, so I'm thinking I would need to keep to Brooklyn or Queens.

My question for you: what artsy, cool, yet affordable neighborhoods would you recommend? Are there any rental websites you could recommend?

Thanks everybody!

You might want to consider Astoria -- definitely doable vis-a-vis your car. Not what comes to top of mind re artsy, but there is a lively night scene. Long Island City, too, but much smaller housing stock.

Brooklyn can be very hard with a car unless your place comes with off-site parking.

I have a problem I hope the plant lovers can help me with. I must have gotten some insect eggs in a bag of potting soil because I now have tiny winged insects hovering over my plants and flying around my home. They are annoying and I want them gone. Does anyone know of a good (but powerful) "green" method of killing the little bastards, or should I just go for the Black Flag?

Thanks!

Hey ATers,

Can any of you give suggestions of lighting accessory shops I could check out? I've had a hard time finding a shop that carries the cork bit that fits the rim of my vases.

I've already gone to Lighting Plus and the one on 14th between 5th-6th.

I do remember Maxwell mentioning some old shop (bowery? SOHO?) with all sorts of odds and ends. I can't find the link.

Here's the project I'm working on.

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/good-questions/good-questions-turn-this-into-a-lamp-013541

thanks!

Hey Grady,

A friend of mine was also looking and I sent her below links for Brooklyn and Inwood. There are some Manhattan ones in there too. Quite affordable.

good luck!

http://www.rigneygroup.com/pages/34/index.htm

http://www.inwoodrentals.com/

http://www.nycdwellers.com/

http://www.159re.com/listing_browse.php?sortby=price&&type=Rental&PHPSESSID=81a83bc61c0f70ed42cb313184a9aaa9

http://unfurnished.new-york-apartment.com/en-gb/new-york-manhattan-inwwod-harlem/liste/

http://www.kandrrealty.com/vacancies.php?cur_page=1&

http://www.archstoneapartments.com/Search_Results.htm?state=NY&market=115


http://brooklynian.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=8&sid=4d50332b0e814e4b803d1f7f2334f809

http://www.aptsandlofts.com/index.cfm?page=search_rentals

http://peperealestate.com/index.php?action=search_step_2&pclass%5B%5D=1

Frank, thanks for the suggestions. Unfortunately, I need my car for work, otherwise I could pursue (and maybe afford) more options.

Sydney - try spraying the plants with a solution of water and (green) dish soap. search past threads for this subject, I know there have been many tips regarding this in the past.

Has anyone bought the Hotel Collection sheets at Macy's/Hudson Park Collection at Bloomingdales? Any opinions?

Grady,
Come to Jackson Heights in Queens!

Grady,

I'd second/third Astoria/Jackson Heights/Long Island City. I lived in Astoria for 6 years and it's a great neighborhood. If you're going to be working in mid-town, Long Island City might be a better commute for you, but, as noted earlier, there aren't as many housing options and, in some areas, not very many amenities. A friend of mine lives very close to the Vernon/Jackson stop on the 7 and the neighborhood is really great. You might want to look around there...

Best of luck to you—finding NYC housing can be traumatic, but maintain your patience and keep your wits and you'll find something that will work for you.

Grady -- I assumed you wanted to keep car. Given that, don;t even bother looking in Inwood (or elsewhere in upper Manhattan) -- parking will be impossible!

Reporting on my colors contest voting experience late night. I was at home on Firefox and I was zipping along through several entries and my votes were all being accepted--including for entries where I was getting error messages the other day--when suddenly I got the message of error and doom yet again:

User doesn't support survey cookies 'survey_check1160751307-32650' at Bitter/SurveyCookie.pm line 32.

So, the problem is still not fixed. Due to the volume of entries, my frustration at trying to vote several times, and the limited time, I would say that that's my last try.

Lori 2,

We received the Hudson Park sheets as a wedding gift. They are super soft! We love them. I wish Calvin Klein and other pretty patterned sheet sets came in higher thread counts.

GZgoingMod aka Geraldine: Wow! Thanks for all the links!

Lori 2, Laura, and Frank: Thanks for the info on the neighborhoods. I do need to keep my car, as I drive a lot for work, so definitely no Manhattan for me!

I have to second everyone on Long Island City, Astoria and Jackson Heights (where Lori2 and I live). I was just realizing this weekend how many "Brooklyn types" have moved into our 'hood, although I wouldn't call JH artsy (but have realized by being on a yahoo groups JH board for parents that there are TONS of writers and filmmakers living here).

My husband drives for work, and what's nice about JH (and presumably most of the rest of Queens) is that you only have to move your car once a week as opposed to twice a week in Manhattan. It sounds minor, but it's a huge deal.

I think this has been asked before, but I couldn't find it. How do you prevent a cowhide rug from curling at the edges? I have phonebook on it right now, but am looking for tips. Thanks!

Sydney, submerge the entire plant in water. You'll drown the little buggers.

It works like a charm.

More voting problems - no voting section up for the Coral Reef entry (I'm in Safari and have had no problems so far). Hope this gets straightened out soon.

Hey d in dc,

Thanks! I agree with you on the Calvin Klein (and other designers)issue. Pretty patterns, but the sheets don't feel yummy.

How are the Hudson Park sheets on the wrinkle factor?

Grady,

I'm assuming that by working with your car you will NOT be communiting to manhattan daily. There are plenty of neighborhoods in brooklyn that are easy with a car, they're just out a little bit from the main. Just a little though.

I live in windsor terrace/kensington, have a car, work with my car and travel to manhattan in the off hours, park easily, etc. It's more of a bedroom community but so varied and on the cusp of change that I welcome both the quiet, the lack of pretension and the obvious great brooklyn nabe vibe.

I've lived in Queens for 8 years before that and even the upper east side for over 2 -- all with a car. I love brooklyn because it wears its age and its history well and its a fabulous smorgasbord of cultures. Queens is a newer development and, for me, more boring and homogenous (but I grew up in Queens -- so I'm way biased, like I don't want to go back, but go forward).

I would encourage you to veer slightly off the more popular neighborhoods, that's where the deals and the parking is. Remember, apt prices go up with how close they are to the subway. I've always found that with a car, one can get away with a cheaper place because the landlord/broker can't jack up the price due to "convenience." For instance, Red Hook would be perfect for you. It's cool and hip and edgy.

Midwood, Red hook, Windsor terrace, kensington, ditmas park, lefferts gardens, greenwood heights and any perimeters of popular neighborhoods.

I also mention the above due to proximity of accessible heighways and quick ways out. Also in the above neighborhoods one may still walk the streets looking for "for rent" signs.

good luck and look us all up when you arrive:)

i just bought a pair of fiberglass armchairs that are in pretty great condition except for some scuffing where they have gone from bright blue to white. any suggestions on how i can fix them up? thanks!

Sydney,
The coral reef article is not an entry to the contest but rather part of another column (It's called Color Therapy) altogether.

Grady,

Another thing to keep in mind - a neighborhood that's more convenient to cars than mass transportation keeps car-less people from visiting very much. Which could be good or bad, depending.

Just to add to my post on living in an area where people do drive and parking is easy: the subway is 3 blocks away, 7th stop in b'klyn on the F train.

During the day, going to manhattan, def subway. I'm always amazed at the variety of folks exiting the subway every evening. Young, artsy, independent folks heavily represented. Perhaps the infrastructure hasn't caught on, but that just means there's no Starbucks and Commerce bank on the corner (although close enough by). I strongly urge checking out the Courtelyou Rd nabe (Q train Courtelyuo (sp!!) stop) in brooklyn. Very up and coming, edgy family hood. The city's only union organized coffee shop, Vox Pop, owned by upstart, cutting edge, lefty publisher Sandy Hicks. It's like it got scooped out of the Haight in the '60s and plopped into the deep middle of brooklyn.

Architecturally, brooklyn is way more interesting, imho.

Olga,

You do know that Queens is the most diverse place in the entire country? I guess there are some pockets that are homogenous, but they are pretty small. I mean, you are hard-pressed to find a homogenous area in New York City proper, anyway. (Maybe the Upper East Side, but that's about it!)

Definitely look all around before committing, but realize that Red Hook, while nice, is quite isolated except for a small section near the subway. It also still has a lot of projects. We looked there when we were moving and decided against it, mainly because transportation is so hard. I also have a friend living there and she can't get food delivered because of the robberies of delivery men. It's definitely changing, but it's something to consider.

Grady: You'll have to get used to not being surrounded by moronic, Boston-area townies with so-called "tails" . You'll also have to get used to decent food, not the utter dogsh*t you are used to in Boston. Finally, you'll have to adjust to living in a relevant city, not some collegiate piss-hole whose last claim to fame was dumping some Earl Grey in the harbor.

And by the way: fck off. Welcome to New York.

Homogeneity referring only to architecture, not to people. Sorry if I was unclear. .

Yes the UES is demographically challenged but not architecturally and certainly not with respect to its landscape.

Jonathan, as much as other people seem to get hurt by your banter, I have to say I love it. You remind me of some of my best friends growing up!

Hi!
I am really excited! This will be my first time visiting. Many thanks. All the best!