New York Apartment: The End Result

After days of seeing apartment after apartment in crappy walk-ups, mid-range buildings and luxury buildings, all in the same price range, we have a winner. My cousin will be living at The Anthem, a really nice building in the East 30s. It is near his job and he can easily access a whole lot of stuff. So, in the end, why The Anthem?

There are amenities galore: a glorious roof deck, free bagels and coffee in the common room daily, maid service available right from the concierge desk and a staff that is actually nice. I think he will be very happy there.

If you are looking for an apartment you should be aware of a few things.

1. The “standard” lease in NY says that you have seen the apartment and accept the condition it is in. But, in many of these buildings, like The Anthem, and Stuy Town, you can only see a similar model, not the actual unit. If you want the apartment, that is the risk you take.

2. Just because a building has a gym does not mean you do not have to pay separately for it. New Yorkers seem to be okay with it, but I think it is because they have no choice.

3. Spend some time deciding what is really important. If a doorman is a necessity, don’t waste your time looking at buildings without. Make a list of priorities and it will save you a ton of time, which you can then spend having overpriced cocktails to celebrate the signing of a crazy-expensive lease.