Not exactly music related, but hoping you can help me anyway..

College Majors Music Major
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<p>Hi everyone,</p>

<p>I know this isn't exactly music related, but you've all been so helpful and friendly, so I'm hoping you can help me out.</p>

<p>I'm coming to the US from Australia to do a Masters at Juilliard. I'm really looking forward to it, except that I'm stressing out about how I'm going to find accommodation. I have a 2.5 year old son, so living at university accommodation is not an option, and neither is just turning up and hoping I find somewhere quickly. I'm going to arrive with my son, my instruments, a heap of luggage, and after 24 hours of travel I need to head to an already organized apt. So, my question is - how should I go about finding somewhere?</p>

<p>I've been watching craigslist, but I can't post on there because I don't have a US number, and when I write to owners of properties listed no-one writes back (I presume this is because of all the warnings of overseas scammers). I've written to the Juilliard student life office, and while they're vaguely helpful, they obviously don't fully understand the situation - the last lot of links they sent me were for external student accommodation sites, sharing rooms!</p>

<p>My budget is going to be pretty tight, so I really don't think I can afford to pay a broker.</p>

<p>Your ideas and advice would be very welcome. Thanks!</p>

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<p>fisheee, I sent you a private message, hope it helps!</p>

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<p>When are you trying to move? We use craigslist extensively in our real estate business but wouldn’t want to hold an apartment for 3 or 4 months which may be why you are not receiving a reply. 10-30 days is common for the timeline for move-in. Sorry, I don’t know New York at all regarding properties/prices - just trying to give a bit of guidance and really feel for you trying to move with a 2+ year old!</p>

<p>You may also try the Juilliard forum, MSM or Columbia to see if anyone has any ideas for you.</p>

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<p>Thanks for your replies :)</p>

<p>squiggles - I’ve just been writing to the people that have properties in the area I’m looking for to let them know of my interest, and to ask if they know of any other similar places that might be coming up in August. I definitely wouldn’t expect them to hold it for me free of charge, but I’m starting to think it might be worth my while paying say half rent for the month of July before we move in at beginning of August. Do you think anyone would come at an idea like that? I’m amazed at the 10-30 day timeline until moving in, but I guess that’s just how it works in the US because it certainly seems to tally with what I’ve read so far - I better get used to it!</p>

<p>Thanks for the idea of writing in the other NY schools forums, I should probably do that, but the idea of a student coming with a child of their own seems to be met with a kind of horrified incomprehension by many of the students and staff at the top conservatories!</p>

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<p>Fisheee…yes, paying 1/2 month early would be ideal for you for a number of reasons. Just getting settled would be worth it. I’m sure it is the timing more than anything that is the problem for you right now. The landlords would probably respond if you were looking for June 1. You most likely will start to get replies after June 1st although I would keep trying - you never know. They really want to get the places rented asap and honestly, when people ask me to call if I have anything available at a later date, I don’t mainly because I don’t have the time to go looking for phone numbers when it is so easy to place an add. </p>

<p>If you have some sort of favorable credit report, I would mention that-it’s always a benefit as is positive rental history. They will also want to know how you will be able to pay (job?, $ in bank?) - anything you can do to increase your odds is helpful by letting them know you are a good risk. </p>

<p>Lastly…DO NOT send any money until you know THEY are reputable. Last thing you need is to arrive in New York with a toddler and nowhere to live. This probably means making some sort of connection through Juilliard or another connection (friends?) to check out the property. Good luck! How exciting for you :)</p>

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<p>Squiggles - thank you so much for all your advice, I really appreciate it!</p>

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<p>Fishee, I don’t think you’d have to pay a broker (unless everything is different in NYC) because they earn their commission from the lease cost on the owner’s end. However, a real estate agent is only likely to have full year rentals available. If that isn’t a problem, maybe you could find someone on a forum who has a reputable agent as a friend who could scout and locate for you.
Alternately, do you have any friends or relatives in America at all who could go to NYC on your behalf and get you set up?
– A third suggestion, just so you know – if you are having your stuff shipped and can store it for a few days, and don’t have any luck finding something prior, I believe there is comparatively reasonable accommodation available at the International Hostel (think it might be 84th street) that is not as horrific as other hostels in NYC, or so I’ve been told. So if you’re looking for economical accommodation while you’re apt. hunting that would be the route I’d go. You might meet other people there who know people in NYC and who can help you. Just make sure if you look up hostels that it’s the one that’s a member of International Hostel.
Good luck!</p>

<p>PS I don’t live anywhere near NYC or I would try to assist you further.</p>

<p>PPSS I wonder if Columbia might have a better handle on accommodations for grad students – it’s in the same neck of the woods. Maybe try the Columbia forum as well!</p>

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<p>Unless things have changed since I lived there, NY is totally different. Renter always pays the broker’s fee, which used to be one full month’s rent. Owners use brokers because they can conduct credit checks; an owner renting an apartment without a broker is doing so because s/he wants the right of refusal, and with a toddler, you’re more likely to be refused because of noise and damages. Given your situation, you might have no choice but to use a broker.</p>

<p>July 1st is when the August 1st apartments are usually listed.</p>

<p>Columbia has an entire housing office (and owns a ton of buildings in an area that is likely to be cheaper than Lincoln Center); I would try them. Good luck!</p>

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<p>My son has rented an apartment the past few years in NYC. It is very different from other places. First, when searching Craigslist and such, look for places that specifically say “no fee.” Even then, print out the copy because in my son’s case with one apartment, it was advertised no fee, but then they tried to charge him anyway. </p>

<p>Also, to rent in NYC you have to prove you have income multiple times what the rent is. Something ridiculous, I can’t remember. My husband is a co-signer on the apartment; the parent of one of the roommates is the other co-signer. Our kids did not make enough to qualify, and neither my H nor the other parent made enough to qualify alone. (H is an engineer; the other is a lawyer.) I don’t know what your income will be in NYC, but you may need someone prepared to co-sign.</p>

<p>In addition to proof of income, they needed copies of tax returns and a lot of other documents. It was unreal.</p>

<p>I recommend that you focus your search on far north on Manhattan, on the 1 train line. You get a direct route to school (although it may take 30-45 mintues) and cheaper rent for a bigger place. The first apartment my S had was just north of Central Park. It was about $1800 per month for one room, that he shared with another student. He had to take a bus and a train, and it was a pain. Then he moved more north to Spanish Harlem. He has a 2 bedroom, living room & kitchen that he shares with 2 other guys for $2200. It is a block from the 1 line, and he can be at school in 20-30 minutes. If he were to go further north, he could get more, for less.</p>

<p>I believe it might be do-able from Brooklyn as well, although a bit longer trip. Just look at the subway maps and try to find a place where you won’t have to transfer too much.</p>

<p>It is normal to find apartments and move in immediately. It’s scary to do it that way, but that is just how it works. I recommend that you plan to come a few days before your family, stay in a hotel, and find a place that way. There is a YMCA that has rooms that aren’t too expensive, right across from Juilliard. Stay there for a few days while you look.</p>

<p>PS Although my S loved his time at Juilliard, we don’t have a lot of good things to say about the administration/ residence life dept. Our dealings with them have been difficult.</p>

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<p>Thanks again for all your replies - it’s all been really useful.</p>

<p>As far as location, I’m looking for a place in a specific neighbourhood in Brooklyn, as that’s where I’ve found childcare (no way I could afford childcare in Manhattan, and there’s huge waiting lists for most childcare centres in any case!). </p>

<p>A question about parents co-signing… I was planning on my parents being guarantors for me, as I will have zero income for the time that I’m there, but does this actually mean that they have to sign the lease agreements? I’d also be pretty reluctant to give strangers (ie. apt owners) my parents’ tax forms and such - is that really the normal way of doing things? I guess being an international student is going to be a real disadvantage in terms of finding an apartment.</p>

<p>As far as getting there before my family, it will be almost impossible, as it’s just me and my son - I’m really hoping that doesn’t become a necessity.</p>

<p>Thanks again for all your advice, I’m very grateful for your help :)</p>

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<p>Maybe your childcare provider might have some suggestions about housing in the neighborhood?</p>

<p>Good luck with the toddler on the flight…that’s a significant trip for a little one!</p>

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<p>Thanks, guys, for clearing up my naive assumption about brokerage fees in NYC ; )(Have lived in exclusive neighborhoods in Toronto and Montreal and never once had to pay a fee, but clearly NYC is a different matter!) Good luck, Fisheee! We’ll send ya the light for a happy home find and flight!</p>

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<p>Fishee-
If your parents are guaranteeing the lease, the owner will more then likely need to run a credit check on your parents and/or proof of income statements, especially since in your case there is no income so to speak. Otherwise, especially since your parents live overseas, how could they know if they can afford to help pay for it?</p>

<p>I agree with what some other people, you may want to talk to your child care provider, if they live in the area you are targeting, to see if they know anything. Sometimes, even in NYC, there are apartments that kind of go off the beaten track; someone has a basement apartment in a house (though that can be tricky, because that could be an illegal apartment), or someone has a multi family they are renting out, or someone owns a small apartment building and wants to keep it rented to people ‘in the neighborhood’, which means either someone they know, a relative of someone they know, and so forth. </p>

<p>The other thing about NYC neighborhoods is that even in this day and age when so much of NYC has gone relatively upscale, where what were once slums are now expensive, hip areas (lower east side, far east village, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, parts of Harlem and East Harlem,etc), there are plenty of neighborhoods where there is a sort of ‘dividing line’, where you can be on a block and it is fine, and two blocks over it is a not so nice area…If you do find someplace, you may want to try and look it up on the web, look up what people are saying, talk to people who know the areas…just to make sure it fits your needs.</p>

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<p>Yes, your parents will need to sign the lease. And hand over all their tax forms and IDs. My husband says it feels very strange to have his name on a lease of an apartment he had never seen. There was lots of faxing back and forth.</p>

<p>Perhaps you will be able to have your child start daycare a few days before school starts, and you can spend those days apartment hunting. Another option you might try is, if you have any religious affiliation, you might contact churches in the area to see if they know of anything. Sometimes people might have rentals that they don’t want to advertize for “just anybody.”</p>

<p>(I just checked the classifieds for Redeemer Church in NYC - there is a listing, for example, of 2 women looking for a 3rd to share an apt in Brooklyn - they say that one of the women has a “well-behaved” 2.5 year old son.)</p>

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<p>Thanks again everyone - I’m looking into all your suggestions :)</p>

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<p>“I believe it might be do-able from Brooklyn as well, although a bit longer trip.”</p>

<p>Certainly, this will work fine; I lived in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, while in grad school at Columbia. You just figure on a certain amount of time on the train, which is reliable enough that over that distance the time won’t vary much at all. Also, you may possibly find that the income requirements for apartment rentals are not quite as strict in Brooklyn; granted, it was a number of years ago, but I remember renting two different apartments with student friends and no-one to guarantee the lease.</p>

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<p>An update and plea for further advice:</p>

<p>I’ve now been checking craigslist daily for over 2 months, writing to all ads that I think might be a possibility. I have written over 50 e-mails expressing my interest in apts. Out of those, I have received 5 responses (yes, 5!), and only 2 of them have let me get as far as putting in an application. Both times that I’ve put in an application the tenant was on my side and went out of their way to recommend me (as I’d offered to buy their furniture). Both times, rejected, even though no-one else had put in an application.</p>

<p>I’m totally depressed and really starting to stress out! Apparently, the combination of full-time student, single mom, and guarantors from overseas is a deadly combination. There’s plenty of places coming up within my price range, but no-one will let me rent them! I’ve even offered to pay 12 months up front, so that they don’t need to worry about not having US guarantors, but no luck.</p>

<p>I’m reluctantly starting to accept that I might not find anywhere before we arrive, but even if I pay for a few weeks sublet somewhere, I’m not at all sure that the situation will be different. After all, I’ll still have guarantors living overseas, no US credit history, no US bank account or social security number (at least for a few weeks), and will have a totally disoriented 2 year old with me.</p>

<p>I’ve tried all my contacts, friends of friends of friends etc and people have been nice, but no-one has been able to help me. I’m so frustrated - I’ve been accepted into one of the best schools in the world, I have the money to pay the rent, I’ll be a good tenant, but I can’t find anywhere to live!</p>

<p>Help!</p>

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<p>fishee, you’re an Aussie are you not? A couple of out of the box suggestions: try the Australian consulate in NYC, they might be able to point you in a direction or two. Have you inquired at Juilliard? I’m not familiar with what’s available online for current students, but a call or email may get you in touch with a current Aussie student or alum there. Hell, if you have to try MSM and Mannes as well. Try posting on [The</a> Clarinet BBoard](<a href=“The Clarinet BBoard”>The Clarinet BBoard), maybe you can get additional info or leads there.</p>

<p>Some of the faith based organizations in NYC rent out rooms on a temporary basis, but the two year old may be a complication. The Franciscans or Dominicans or another sect offers temp accommodations around Columbia if I’m not mistaken.</p>

<p>If you don’t have a network, try and create one. Good luck.</p>

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<p>Thank Violadad. I’ve tried Juilliard, and in my experience Australian consulates are not particularly helpful, unfortunately! Good idea re. posting on the Clarinet Board, the only reason I haven’t done that yet is that I know people could easily figure out my identity from my previous posts there. Still, might be time to try!</p>

<p>The whole issue is more complicated as I have arranged to pay the costs for my son’s dad to travel from Mexico to stay with us for a month while I try and get things set up. (eg. buy furniture, help me get from the airport with 3 suitcases and a 2 year old!). So at the beginning, I guess people wouldn’t see me as a single mom, even though after a month, my son’s dad will travel back to Mexico (he works with an orchestra there).</p>

<p>Thanks for your response, I appreciate it.</p>

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<p>Have you tried sublet dot com? We’ve had good luck with that site as landlords. Oft times the site features furnished sublets for up to a year offered by tenants (including some fellow musicians) who may be transferred indefinitely overseas. </p>

<p>It sounds like you’d prefer to have your own place, but subletting may be a necessary step in that direction at this late stage. You could find searching for your own digs easier once you’ve established yourself as a New York resident.</p>

<p>That said, DS and his fiance, who are looking to relocate from upper Manhattan to Queens, are having a heck of a time finding a place. 'Twasn’t so a few years back when they first moved down to the city.</p>