Apartment rentals New York with Affordable Rental Apartments

Although affordable housing was high on Mayor Bloomberg’s list of initiatives, housing costs continue to rise, due perhaps to the market subtracting units faster than Bloomberg can put them up. This has led to a spike in the percentage of income that New Yorker’s are spending on rent. According to a new Harvard paper, the high cost of housing is directly linked to the slowdown of economic growth. This is a problem that is compounded by New York’s high unemployment rate compared with the rest of the country. This seems to occur because New York hires people from out of state and few middle class residents see the benefits.

New York City has always been known as a very expensive place to live in. Be it a wholesome meal or even just a ride on the subway, it is a common feeling among New Yorkers that they are paying more “for everything” than their counterparts in other cities around the country. This rift is best seen in the living expenses faced by residents of New York City, and now there’s proof. “Rents Through The Roof,” a new report released by the City Controller John Liu has revealed that almost 30% of New Yorkers use up more than half their income to just pay rent.

Finding an apartment to rent has often been portrayed as one of the most difficult things to do in New York City. Many a television sitcom has capitalized on the theme of New Yorkers navigating their way through the supposedly murky rental market here; a motif which has now become accepted as fact by many newcomers to the city. However, what is important to realize is that such horror stories of apartment searches are usually caused by a lack of preparation and readiness in securing the ideal apartment. If you're willing to put in a little time, planning, and preparation, then finding an apartment in one of Manhattan’s neighborhoods won’t be strenuous.

There was some debate at the end of July when people wondered if rising rents in Manhattan had finally reached their zenith and would perhaps come tumbling down in August. After all, like many said, once you reach the top, you can only come down. Well, the numbers are out now and it seems that “the top” has not yet been reached! Apartment rents in New York City continue their upward rise, and the rental market is as robust and vibrant as ever. The numbers showcase this trend best: rents for studio apartments saw an increase of 1.2%, and one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments saw increases of 1.4% and 0.9% respectively.

Classy, chic and comfortable—these are the words that are often used when describing the Upper East Side neighborhood of New York City. And now, here’s another adjective to throw into the mix: cool. At first, this may be a little hard to comprehend; after all, this Manhattan neighborhood has long had a reputation of being rather pricey, thereby keeping hip (but cheap) New Yorkers at bay. With its beautiful pre-war buildings that are located blocks away from Central Park, apartments on the Upper East Side have always been in high demand and, therefore, have been mostly out of reach for the “cool crowd.” But, of late, the homes here have suddenly become affordable, and the reason for that is, interestingly enough, coming from underground—the Second Avenue Subway construction.