First year associate rent Forum

[Anonymous User]

$2200 in a luxury doorman building. You need to circumvent a broker to get these places, but from a building's perspective, you're close to a perfect tenant. It's very unlikely you'll get fired, very unlikely you'll miss a rent payment, you will live normal hours, etc. A lot of times buildings that don't go through a broker are cheaper, because the brokers fee is often 2 ways. I'd also recommend going for luxury - it's worth a few hundred extra month. It covers my gym, I can get packages delivered and I haven't had any bug issues because they have a maintenance staff. NYC is notoriously bad for roaches. Even when I was spotlessly clean, I'd always have a small to moderate roach problem in non-luxury buildings.

mind PMing the details (LIC, NJ?)?

[dixiecupdrinking]

Can't do roommates, despite understanding the logic of it.

If I can find something for $2000-$2500 a month north UWS, UES, or Hell's Kitchen, I wil be fine. I'll also look into LIC.

My current plan is to fly to the city after the bar, and try to find an apt to move into like two weeks later. More concerned about the viability of that plan.

This is fine. Most NYC apartment hunting is stressfully last minute anyway.

[zot1]

Honestly I think it's silly to spend $2500+ for some tiny shitty place in UES/UWS for yourself when you can grab a few roommates and spend less than $1500 each on a fancy relatively huge place in a trendy part of Brooklyn. Especially makes sense if you're working downtown, but you can do LIC if you're in Midtown.

Plus side is that you save more for when you eventually burn out and take a 50% paycut to have a life, and you always have friends at home to talk to without having to go out after a long workday (godsend for extroverts). Down side is that you can't ugly cry and eat a grilled cheese sandwich seasoned with your tears on your couch at 3am.

this is tcr if youre single + have trustworthy roommates

Isn't it nice to have gone through college + law school, then scored biglaw, just to live with roommates in NYC?

[hephaestus]

Can't do roommates, despite understanding the logic of it.

If I can find something for $2000-$2500 a month north UWS, UES, or Hell's Kitchen, I wil be fine. I'll also look into LIC.

My current plan is to fly to the city after the bar, and try to find an apt to move into like two weeks later. More concerned about the viability of that plan.

You can get a no-fee studio in that range (probably closer to the $2500 end of that scale) in the more affordable Manhattan neighborhoods (Hell's Kitchen, Murray Hill/Kips Bay, FiDi). You will want to look for management companies as opposed to brokers. That would also be able to get you a studio in LIC or Brooklyn (e.g. Brooklyn Heights, Dumbo) depending on where your firm is. Also, some firms reimburse brokers fee's, but keep in mind (1) its a reimbursement so you have to front the money and (2) its taxable, which effectively makes the cost of a $2500 brokers fee around $600-700 even though its covered by the firm.

And you will certainly be able to execute that plan. I did something very similar - popped into NYC right after the bar and looked at 6 apartments that day, and signed a lease that started 2 days later.

[SplitMyPants]

$2200 in a luxury doorman building. You need to circumvent a broker to get these places, but from a building's perspective, you're close to a perfect tenant. It's very unlikely you'll get fired, very unlikely you'll miss a rent payment, you will live normal hours, etc. A lot of times buildings that don't go through a broker are cheaper, because the brokers fee is often 2 ways. I'd also recommend going for luxury - it's worth a few hundred extra month. It covers my gym, I can get packages delivered and I haven't had any bug issues because they have a maintenance staff. NYC is notoriously bad for roaches. Even when I was spotlessly clean, I'd always have a small to moderate roach problem in non-luxury buildings.

how easy is it to find a place in nyc without a broker?

[Anonymous User]

SF associate; $1600/mo for a 1br in one of the trendier East Bay areas.

[Anonymous User]

Any advice for a first-time renter in Chicago? Recommended neighborhoods? I'm looking at river north/near north/loop (possibly).

[umichman]

Any advice for a first-time renter in Chicago? Recommended neighborhoods? I'm looking at river north/near north/loop (possibly).

And how much should I plan on paying

[Tls2016]

Honestly I think it's silly to spend $2500+ for some tiny shitty place in UES/UWS for yourself when you can grab a few roommates and spend less than $1500 each on a fancy relatively huge place in a trendy part of Brooklyn. Especially makes sense if you're working downtown, but you can do LIC if you're in Midtown.

Plus side is that you save more for when you eventually burn out and take a 50% paycut to have a life, and you always have friends at home to talk to without having to go out after a long workday (godsend for extroverts). Down side is that you can't ugly cry and eat a grilled cheese sandwich seasoned with your tears on your couch at 3am.

this is tcr if youre single + have trustworthy roommates

Isn't it nice to have gone through college + law school, then scored biglaw, just to live with roommates in NYC?

I think it's more depressing to live in a walk up studio alone than to have roommates. I guess it works when you are never home. A studio is usually so small.

[Phys1calk1ller]

Any advice for a first-time renter in Chicago? Recommended neighborhoods? I'm looking at river north/near north/loop (possibly).

Don't live in the loop unless it's lakeshore east - most areas don't have easy access to grocery stores and aren't the best to walk home to at night. River North/Gold Coast/Streeterville are all nice places to live, and you can probably get a good 1br for around $1850-2200. At most, you'll have a 10-15 minute walk to the red line to work, and depending on where your firm is in the loop, no more than a 20 minute commute. I would recommend these areas.

A lot of hipsters like to live in Lincoln Park, Lakeview, and Logan Square. Rent will probably be a few hundred cheaper, but the buildings will be older and your commute potentially doubled. Belmont is another popular option.

[zot1]

I think it's more depressing to live in a walk up studio alone than to have roommates. I guess it works when you are never home. A studio is usually so small.

This also goes to my point.

[Danger Zone]

Honestly I think it's silly to spend $2500+ for some tiny shitty place in UES/UWS for yourself when you can grab a few roommates and spend less than $1500 each on a fancy relatively huge place in a trendy part of Brooklyn. Especially makes sense if you're working downtown, but you can do LIC if you're in Midtown.

Plus side is that you save more for when you eventually burn out and take a 50% paycut to have a life, and you always have friends at home to talk to without having to go out after a long workday (godsend for extroverts). Down side is that you can't ugly cry and eat a grilled cheese sandwich seasoned with your tears on your couch at 3am.

this is tcr if youre single + have trustworthy roommates

Isn't it nice to have gone through college + law school, then scored biglaw, just to live with roommates in NYC?

Lol this fucking profession

[Anonymous User]

Honestly I think it's silly to spend $2500+ for some tiny shitty place in UES/UWS for yourself when you can grab a few roommates and spend less than $1500 each on a fancy relatively huge place in a trendy part of Brooklyn. Especially makes sense if you're working downtown, but you can do LIC if you're in Midtown.

Plus side is that you save more for when you eventually burn out and take a 50% paycut to have a life, and you always have friends at home to talk to without having to go out after a long workday (godsend for extroverts). Down side is that you can't ugly cry and eat a grilled cheese sandwich seasoned with your tears on your couch at 3am.

this is tcr if youre single + have trustworthy roommates

Isn't it nice to have gone through college + law school, then scored biglaw, just to live with roommates in NYC?

I think it's more depressing to live in a walk up studio alone than to have roommates. I guess it works when you are never home. A studio is usually so small.

Couple of friends of mine split a 2BR for $5300/month. Kinda sucks to be with a roommate but at least they have a sweet place.

[zot1]

Honestly I think it's silly to spend $2500+ for some tiny shitty place in UES/UWS for yourself when you can grab a few roommates and spend less than $1500 each on a fancy relatively huge place in a trendy part of Brooklyn. Especially makes sense if you're working downtown, but you can do LIC if you're in Midtown.

Plus side is that you save more for when you eventually burn out and take a 50% paycut to have a life, and you always have friends at home to talk to without having to go out after a long workday (godsend for extroverts). Down side is that you can't ugly cry and eat a grilled cheese sandwich seasoned with your tears on your couch at 3am.

this is tcr if youre single + have trustworthy roommates

Isn't it nice to have gone through college + law school, then scored biglaw, just to live with roommates in NYC?

I think it's more depressing to live in a walk up studio alone than to have roommates. I guess it works when you are never home. A studio is usually so small.

Couple of friends of mine split a 2BR for $5300/month. Kinda sucks to be with a roommate but at least they have a sweet place.

That does sound sweet.

[Serett]

*casually signs the lease to a $1600, 1600 sqft 2BR on Lake Michigan in Milwaukee*

[dixiecupdrinking]

Lol this fucking profession

Just NYC man. You can make 160k and have by far the most income of any of your friends... or you can feel poor as fuck. There's like an infinite horizon in either direction along the class spectrum here.

[mvp99]

Honestly I think it's silly to spend $2500+ for some tiny shitty place in UES/UWS for yourself when you can grab a few roommates and spend less than $1500 each on a fancy relatively huge place in a trendy part of Brooklyn. Especially makes sense if you're working downtown, but you can do LIC if you're in Midtown.

Plus side is that you save more for when you eventually burn out and take a 50% paycut to have a life, and you always have friends at home to talk to without having to go out after a long workday (godsend for extroverts). Down side is that you can't ugly cry and eat a grilled cheese sandwich seasoned with your tears on your couch at 3am.

this is tcr if youre single + have trustworthy roommates

Isn't it nice to have gone through college + law school, then scored biglaw, just to live with roommates in NYC?

NYC to 190k

[Rahviveh]

*casually signs the lease to a $1600, 1600 sqft 2BR on Lake Michigan in Milwaukee*

*guy who lives in a TTT shit city*

[Serett]

*casually signs the lease to a $1600, 1600 sqft 2BR on Lake Michigan in Milwaukee*

*guy who lives in a TTT shit city*

[youtube]Vk9g9HIbZdc[/youtube]

[Rahviveh]

*casually signs the lease to a $1600, 1600 sqft 2BR on Lake Michigan in Milwaukee*

*guy who lives in a TTT shit city*

[youtube]Vk9g9HIbZdc[/youtube]

Yes, the gorgeous million dollar view of a frozen lakeside 7 months out of the year! The envy of the world!!!!

[franklyscarlet]

Any advice for a first-time renter in Chicago? Recommended neighborhoods? I'm looking at river north/near north/loop (possibly).

And how much should I plan on paying

Depends wildly on neighborhood. I paid 1250 in streeterville for a tiny studio, 1800 in west loop for a nice sized one bedroom, and 1800 in Logan square for a huge two bedroom. Check out west loop; it's still close to most offices but is a bit more fun. You'll be looking at 1800-2500, depending on how luxury you want to go. If you want cheaper, I like the western neighborhoods (bucktown/Logan square) on the blue line, but it depends how far you're willing to be. Really, it depends on what kind of neighborhood feel you're looking for. You couldn't pay me to live in streeterville again.

[Anonymous User]

Work in DC, live in northern Arlington (Court House). Pay $2270/month for an 800 sq ft one bedroom, but that includes parking for my SO's car ($110/month) and pet fee for our cat ($50/month). We are planning on moving out further from the city though, hoping to get that down to somewhere in the $1700-1800 range.

[sprezz]

*casually signs the lease to a $1600, 1600 sqft 2BR on Lake Michigan in Milwaukee*

respect.

[jimmythecatdied6]

I pay $900 to live in a group home in SE DC. I would not recommend my living situation to anyone.

[favabeansoup]

*casually signs the lease to a $1600, 1600 sqft 2BR on Lake Michigan in Milwaukee*

*guy who lives in a TTT shit city*

I don't live in Milwaukee but I honestly think it is a great city. Sure it's not the cultural hub like NYC, but there is still tons to do, people are friendly, you get personal space, and so affordable. Highly recommend it is a place to visit.

Winters suck balls though in Wisconsin.Would never move there full time.