Brooklyn is becoming the new Manhattan because everyone wants to move to Brooklyn....

I have clients who ask if Brooklyn is still cheaper than Manhattan and for years the answer was yes. People moved to Brooklyn for better prices and more space but now due to everyone finding Brooklyn desirable, the price gap between apartments in Brooklyn and Manhattan barely exists and the "it" neighborhoods in Brooklyn are becoming as expensive as Manhattan. The most expensive NYC apartments can now be found in neighborhoods like DUMBO and Williamsburg.

According to Stephen J. Smith of NextCity, rents grew the fastest in Brooklyn. Average monthly rent rose by 77% during the Bloomberg years, besting the 65% growth in Manhattan and the Bronx.

Below is a graph with showing the rents over the years. (Courtesy of Quartz)

Manhattan rents leap 8.6 percent, vacancy drops, industry reports show - NYPOST.com

Manhattan rents leap 8.6 percent, vacancy drops, industry reports show - NYPOST.com

West Vill, High Floor 2 Bed ,Renovated, Low Fee | Rental | W. Greenwich Village | New York

West Vill, High Floor 2 Bed ,Renovated, Low Fee | Rental | W. Greenwich Village | New York

Stunning Three Bedroom & Gorgeous Views & Free Rent | Rental | Financial District | New York

Stunning Three Bedroom & Gorgeous Views & Free Rent | Rental | Financial District | New York

West Vill, High Floor 2 Bed ,Renovated, Low Fee | Rental | W. Greenwich Village | New York

West Vill, High Floor 2 Bed ,Renovated, Low Fee | Rental | W. Greenwich Village | New York

High Floor Corner Apt, Must See. Low Fee!! | Rental | W. Greenwich Village | New York

High Floor Corner Apt, Must See. Low Fee!! | Rental | W. Greenwich Village | New York

8-11. Four Micro-Microneighborhoods

Because look at all these new storefronts.

• 
  By Lauren Murrow 
• Published Apr 3, 2011

From top, Orchard Street, between Canal and Broome Streets; Elizabeth Street, between Prince and Houston Streets; North 3rd Street, between Berry Street and Kent Avenue; Reade Street, between Church and Greenwich Streets.   (Photo: Danny Kim/New York Magazine)

Orchard Street, Between Canal and Broome Streets
The Lower East Side’s art-fashion-nightlife nexus seeps into Chinatown.

• Gargyle 
16A Orchard St.; 917-470-9367
Trendy duds for both genders surrounded by country-club décor.

• The Fat Radish 
17 Orchard St.; 212-300-4053
Greenmarket-driven comfort food and cocktails for the conspicuously good-looking.

• Untitled 
30 Orchard St.; 212-608-6002
A gallery presenting large-scale installations and attitude to match.

• Scaramouche Gallery 
52 Orchard St.; 212-228-2229
A teeny space touting on-the-cusp artists.

• Occulter 
83½ Orchard St.; 917-769-2220
The sliver of a jewelry shop peddles oddities like pendants made from carved piano keys.

• Casa Mezcal 
86 Orchard St.; 212-777-2600
A den of colored lights, Mezcal, and Oaxacan-style toasted grasshoppers.

• Maraya 
87 Orchard St.; 212-334-3499
Dominican, Nicaraguan, and Ecuadoran stogies, and a haven in which to smoke them.

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North 3rd Street, Between Berry Street and Kent Avenue
Every Williamsburg trope—from yoga to designer denim to fancy pickles—on two blocks.

• Cantina Royal 
58 N. 3rd St.; 347-763-2938
La Superior’s just-launched higher-brow cousin stuffs tortillas with duck confit and octopus.

• Kula Brooklyn 
85 N. 3rd St.; 347-463-9886
A yoga studio preaching both unisex flow and Yoga for Dudes.

• Brooklyn Denim Co. 
85 N. 3rd St.; 718-782-2600 
A former Adriano Goldschmied exec stocks 30 jeans brands, both cheap and wallet-busting.

• Brooklyn Art Library 
103A N. 3rd St.; 718-388-7941
Currently showing off 10,000 sketchbooks by as many amateur and pro artists.

• Brooklyn Oenology Tasting Room
209 Wythe Ave.; 718-599-1259
Mix and match your own four-pour flights ($12 to $16) from nearby wineries.

• Dépanneur 
242 Wythe Ave.; 347-227-8424
A Canadian-inspired gourmet shop shelving, naturally, locavore condiments.

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Elizabeth Street, Between Prince and Houston Streets
The Nolita strip’s tenants turn over en masse.

• Thomas Sires 
243 Elizabeth St.; 646-692-4472
High-end clothing and globally sourced giftables for the fairer sex.

• The Sock Hop 
248 Elizabeth St.; 212-625-3105
Peacocky stockings, socks, and sunglasses.

• Jooneechees 
248 Elizabeth St.; 212-343-7313
Gold-flecked Champagne flutes plus martini glasses equals no-brainer wedding gifts.

• Cynthia Vincent 
253 Elizabeth St.; 646-707-3830
Between slouchy cocktail frocks and bright, flea-market-sourced baubles, the vibe is decidedly West Coast.

• Fonda Nolita 
267 Elizabeth St.; 917-727-0179
A Nolita garage gone Baja, with heaping tacos served from a retrofitted VW bus.

• Billy’s Bakery 
268 Elizabeth St.; 212-219-9956
The Magnolia rival’s third, icing-generous cupcake outpost.

• Love Adorned 
269 Elizabeth St.; 212-431-5683
A favorite jewelry source, if you’re into wearing pebbles and feathers.

• Rag & Bone/JEAN 
73 Houston St.; 212-777-2210
The British duo dedicate this outpost to denim and women’s shoes.

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Reade Street, Between Church and Greenwich Streets
Finance and fashion meet cute and ride beach-cruisers on two Tribeca blocks.

• Color Me Mine 
92 Reade St.; 212-374-1710
A two-month-old paint-your-own-ceramics studio.

• Ward III 
111 Reade St.; 212-240-9194
The low-lit lounge slings $12 bespoke cocktails.

• Tenoverten 
112 Reade St., second fl.; 212-406-1010 
A manicured multitasker’s dream nail salon, equipped with Wi-Fi and iPads.

• Super Linda 
109 W. Broadway; no phone yet
Ex–Beatrice co-owner Matt Abramcyk’s soon-to-debut 100-seat Latin bistro.

• Christina Lehr 
139 Reade St.; no phone yet
Belgian-made knits both preppy (stripes!) and hippie (tie-dye!).

• Adeline Adeline 
147 Reade St.; 212-227-1150 
City bikes and all the accoutrements in loud colors.

Courtesy of NYMAG

3. Far West 42nd

(42nd Street between Ninth and Tenth Avenues) 

Because despite its gawky name, MiMA is one stunning building.

• 
  By S.Jhoanna Robledo 
• Published Apr 3, 2011

(Photo: Courtesy of Citiburg Realty)

You don’t open on 42nd Street without going big, and MiMA (awkward shorthand for mid-Manhattan) is full of superlatives. It boasts the most floors (63) and square footage (1.2 million) of any mixed-use building in midtown; ridiculous perks like a nearly NBA-size basketball court in the basement; and three Off Broadway theaters—designed by Frank Gehry, no less—anchoring the base. Plus the Hudson River is just two blocks away.

Illustration by Mark Nerys

ASK A TENANT

Mark Simpson, a writer who splits his time between New York and Paris, just signed one of the first rental agreements at MiMA. He’ll be moving from Roosevelt Island this month. Here’s what sold him.

You’re about to go from peaceful Roosevelt Island to one of the busiest parts of the city—why? 
I hadn’t counted on the soothing quiet of Roosevelt Island not really fitting my lifestyle. Coming to and fro on the tram is more trouble than it is glamorous.

Aren’t you worried about living by Times Square? 
That doesn’t bother me, because I’m a people person. I have a fun New York rule: Since I can’t help everyone, I only help Francophones. Anyone who speaks French I will help.

What was your initial impression of MiMA?
I didn’t care as much about the amenities as the architecture. The apartments are well designed and spacious, and they have washer-dryers. I’ll use the gym because it’s convenient.

And how’s your apartment?
It’s a corner unit. I look toward Times Square and north into Hell’s Kitchen. I like to look out the window. I couldn’t live in a place where I faced a brick wall.

Courtesy of nymag

2. Manhattan Valley

Because it’s suburbia with subways.

• • 
    
  By S.Jhoanna Robledo 
• Published Apr 3, 2011

(Photo: Susan Wides for New York Magazine)

The Upper West Side’s stepchild is so perpetually overlooked that many don’t even know where it is. (For the record, it runs from Broadway to Central Park, and from 96th Street to 110th Street.) But the nabe is slowly sloughing off its anonymity, in part thanks to the five glassy buildings that comprise Columbus Square. The still-expanding behemoth is responsible for 710 rentals, two schools, and over 500,000 square feet of retail space, some occupied by stores that are, for better or worse, suburban-mall in flavor. Its construction was a battle royale, with many locals fearing a loss of authenticity and affordability—and some locals have yet to embrace the transformation (the new Whole Foods can’t have helped). But the metamorphosis continues apace, inching north along Amsterdam Avenue, which, in Buca Brick Oven Pizza and the upcoming American bistro The Neighborhood, will have more buzzy restaurants than these parts have seen in years—if ever.

Courtesy of nymag

1. The Higher Line

20th to 30th Streets, Tenth to Eleventh Avenues

Because the High Line is about to double in size.

• 
  By S.Jhoanna Robledo 
• Published Apr 3, 2011

Map by Remie Geoffroi

Amid fanfare and friction, they built the High Line, and yes, people did come. Now developers, restaurateurs, and shopkeepers are hoping to work the same mojo with the elevated park’s imminent second section, stretching from West 20th Street to West 30th Street. “The first phase debunked the criticism that it wouldn’t be safe, that it wouldn’t be used,” says Vishaan Chakrabarti of Columbia University, a former director of city planning. As evident from the following list of recently risen shops, hotels, nightclubs, galleries, condominiums, and rental buildings, there’s no shortage of interest in High Line 2.0.

1. 500 West 23rd Street
no phone yet
Developer Sam Zell has taken the reins from Shaya Boymelgreen at this unfinished glass-and-concrete-clad rental, where all units come with rooftop-garden access.

2. Amnesia NYC
609 W. 29th St.; 212-643-6464 
A 7,000-square-foot Vegas-like club featuring celebrity D.J.’s, fire performers, and aerialists.

(Photo: Martin Edwards/Courtesy of 'wichcraft)

3. ’wichcraft
601 W. 26th St.; 212-780-0577
Expecting a boom in the park-picnic trade, Tom Colicchio expands his sandwich empire.

4. 200 Eleventh Avenue
212-727-6164 
Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban are reportedly residents of Annabelle Selldorf’s building, which includes a “sky garage” that whisks residents’ cars right up to their front door.

(Photo: Courtesy of HL23)

5. HL23
515 W. 23rd St.; 212-371-3680
Neil Denari’s ecofriendly structure cantilevers over the High Line and is set to open this summer. Eight apartments are still available, including a $12 million, 3,600-square-foot penthouse.

6. Cumi’s Baby Boutique
317 Tenth Ave.; 646-633-5282 
Handmade clothing, mostly made with silk and linen, for the toddler set.

7. Avenues: The World School
259 Tenth Ave.; 212-935-5000
The for-profit school, slated to open for the 2012–13 school year, will be run by onetime Yale University president Benno Schmidt and former Phillips Exeter principal Tyler Tingley.

(Photo: Stephanie Cohn/Courtesy of Love Gelato Company)

8. Love Gelato 
642 W. 28th St.; 212-929-2870
The West Village purveyor of artisanal desserts will soon open a retail counter in Chelsea’s Terminal Warehouse, which also houses galleries and shops.

9. 518 West 27th Street
212-216-0000 
The 56-room Hôtel Americano will be the first New York property run by the stylish Mexico City hotelier Grupo Habita.

10. Son Cubano
544 W. 27th St.; 212-366-1640 
The meatpacking district’s Havana-themed small-plates joint relocates here this spring.

11. +aRt
537 W. 27th St.; 212-736-4492 (rentals) and 540 W. 28th St.; 212-486-2540 (condos) 
A nearly finished mix of high-end rentals and condominiums, with space for an art gallery on the ground floor.

12. Avalon West Chelsea
517 W. 28th St.; 212-309-1612 
AvalonBay’s much-discussed, $275 million project is almost under way. Plans include one lobby, two towers, and 691 apartments.

(Photo: Courtesy of Ohm)

13. Ohm 
312 Eleventh Ave.; 212-564-2288
The 360-unit, 37-story rental tower is now 100 percent leased. Residents get exclusive access to in-building concerts hosted by the Knitting Factory.

Courtesy of nymag

The Next Big Neighborhoods?

• 
  

  Today’s Gowanus Is Tomorrow’s Tribeca

  Twenty under-the-radar microneighborhoods that may just be the Next Big Thing.

  • By S.Jhoanna Robledo 
  • Published Apr 3, 2011

  In a city that is, to quote the late, great Alistair Cooke, “the biggest collection of villages in the world,” what makes a village take off? What turns a non-neighborhood or a fledgling neighborhood or a forgotten, forlorn neighborhood into a Name Brand neighborhood? Sometimes, it takes just one big arrival—an overhauled cultural space (see:Museum of the Moving Image, Astoria), a signature building (MiMA on Far West 42nd Street), or a Zeitgeist-seizing restaurant (Roberta’s in Bushwick)—to shake a neighborhood from a stupor. Sometimes, as with the High Line, the city steps in, providing much-needed capital to enliven an area’s crumbling infrastructure. Other times, as with the damn-the-Superfund darlings Gowanusand Greenpoint, the shift comes from basic free-market forces: outpriced renters seeking more space for less rent; shopkeepers needing bigger footprints; a demand for affordable places to shake it on a Saturday night. And it’s also true that, sometimes, sleepers just suddenly wake up. (Good morning, Flushing!) Below you’ll find twenty pockets around the city pulsing with the first stirrings, anyway, of rebirth. Think of them as villages in the making.

  
  

  The Next Big Neighborhood:

  • 1. The Higher Line Because the High Line Is About to Double in Size
  • 2. Manhattan Valley Because It’s Suburbia With Subways
  • 3. Far West 42nd Because Despite Its Gawky Name, MiMA Is One Stunning Building
  • 4. Marcus Garvey Park Because It’s Harlem’s Answer to Madison Square Park
  • 5. Flushingstone Because Growthwise, It’s Practically Shenzhen
  • 6. Superfund South (a.k.a. Gowanus) Because a Toxic Canal Is No Match for a Burgeoning Nightlife District
  • 7. Superfund North (a.k.a., Southeast Greenpoint) Because a Toxic Underground Blob Is No Match for a Big, Underutilized Park
  • 8. - 11. Four Micro-Microneighborhoods Because Look at All These New Storefronts
  • 12. Murray Bay Because It Just Awoke From a 50-Year Real-Estate Nap
  • 13. Hell's Roofdeck Because It’s a No-Man’s-Land No Longer
  • 14. South Astoria Because It’s the Bowery in 2007
  • 15. Fort Fulton Because Brooklyn Is About to Get Its Own Union Square
  • 16. Robertasville (a.k.a. Bushwick) Because You Can Now Reap What the Locavore Pizzaioli Sowed
  • 17. Garment West Because It’s Crane Crazy
  • 18. Lower East FiDi Because That Frank Gehry Building Is Having a Halo Effect
  • 19. Pro-Crown Heights Because It’s Park Slope in 1991
  • 20. Hamilton Heights Because Soon, It’ll Be Walking Distance From Columbia

  
  

  
  

  Courtesy of NYMAG - Read full article

  
  
  

Attention Recent or Soon-to-be Graduates: Why your parents should use Insurent!

As you know, Landlords’ requirements in the New York City are very difficult for many renters to meet, particularly college and professional school graduates entering the workforce. Landlords typically require that an applicant's annual income be 40 to 50 times the monthly rent, and that the applicant has good credit. For applicants whose income does not meet the test or who has no credit score, a landlord will require a guarantor on the lease. Typically in this situation you would ask your mother/father to act as your guarantor or co-signer.  If you have ever been through this process before in NYC then you know it is very difficult for most people’s parents to be approved as a guarantor.

A landlord may require the guarantor or co-signer to reside in the local metropolitan area, and have an annual income of 75-90x  times the monthly rent. For example, a landlord may require the annual income of the guarantor/co-signer to approximate $225,000- $270,000, if the renter  is seeking to rent an apartment with a monthly rent of $3,000.

In addition, the landlord will require the guarantor or co-signer to submit extensive due-diligence documentation to the landlord, such as 2 to 3 years of tax returns, net worth statements from their accountants, bank and brokerage statements. In addition, the landlord will require the guarantor or co-signer to have a very good credit report, showing no delinquencies, defaults, judgments or bankruptcies.

All of this takes considerable time and effort for the parent to compile for the landlord. In many cases, the time taken causes you to lose your chosen apartment. The Insurent® Lease Guaranty offers a fast and simple solution.

Rather than acting as a co-signer or guarantor, the parent now has the option to utilize the Insurent® Program, with Insurent being the guarantor, and pay the small Insurent® fee for their son or daughter rather than subjecting themselves to the burdensome, time-consuming, expensive and invasive process required of guarantors/co-signers by landlords.

Full article on Insurent Lease Guaranty's Official Blog

Neighborhood Series Part 2 - Gramercy/Flatiron

Serene and upscale, the Gramercy Park neighborhood was named for the elegant one-square-block park of the same name created by Samuel B. Ruggles in 1831. Its clean streets stretch from 20th Street until the start of Murray Hill at 34th Street, and are bordered by the East River and Park Avenue to the west. The townhouses around the park, built before the Civil War, are among the oldest and most outstanding in the city, and many tend to be handed down through the generations. Highly desirable for its classic architecture and close proximity to fine dining and shopping, Gramercy Park.

The Flatiron District is bounded on the north by the triangular Flatiron building (known as the Fuller Building, which was built in 1902, at the corner of 23rd Street), goes south to 15th Street, extends as far east as Park Avenue South and west to Sixth Avenue. Union Square sits on the southern boundary of the Flatiron neighborhood. At the time it was built, the Flatiron building was New York City's first skyscraper, and thought not only to be the tallest building in the world, but also the first skyscraper ever created. Today the neighborhood is booming with abundant restaurants, shopping, and convenience.

Boundaries

14th St. to 34th St., East River to Broadway.

Subway Station

L to First Ave. | L to Third Ave. | 4,5,6,N,Q,R,W,L to Union Square | 6 to 23rd St.| R,W, to 23rd St. | R,W to 28th St. | 6 to 28th St. | B,D,F,N,Q,R,W,V to 34th St.-Herald Sq.| 6 to 33rd St.

Featured Listings

GRAMERCY

One Bed Apartment ~ Washer & Dryer In Unit ~ $3,500

Two Bed Apartment ~ Washer & Dryer In Unit ~ $5,375

The apartments in the building all have floor to ceiling windows, a washer and dryer and top of the line appliances and finishes.

Apartment Features

Maple Cabinets, Gas Cooking, Granite Countertops, Hardwood Floors, Slate Floors, Luxury Bath, Built-in Microwave, Washer Dryer Provided , Stackable W/D Conn, Large Windows

Community Amenities

Clubroom - Pool Table, TV Cinema - DD Surround Sound, Rooftop Garden and Sundeck, Fully Equipped Fitness Center, Pet Friendly (rules apply), Restaurants and Retail, 24-hour Attended Lobby, Bicycle Storage,On-Site Storage

Walking distance to East village, Flatiron , Chelsea, Restaurants and more...

Neighborhood Guide Series 1 - TriBeCa

TriBeCa is actually an acronym for "Triangle Below Canal" - TriBeCa. Since the 1970s, TriBeCa has experienced a renaissance, as artists, retailers, and even families, have populated the neighborhood's large warehouse buildings and lofts. The area’s cobblestone streets, impressive warehouse buildings, and world-class dining, uniquely blend the old and new. 

Virtually uninhabited less than twenty years ago, TriBeCa has become one of the hottest real estate areas in Manhattan. Struggling artists flocked to TriBeCa when the rent in SoHo became too high. With a similar building makeup (low-rise cast iron buildings with large windows and interior walls), TriBeCa quickly became the interest of professionals and businesses alike. Although TriBeCa is home to artists, celebrities and industrial types, it is also an ideal place for family living. With fewer tourists than SoHo, but with the similar building layouts and spacious designs, families have discovered TriBeca to be the perfect blend of convenience and location.

Boundaries

Vesey St. to Canal St., Broadway to Hudson River

Subway Stations

1 to Canal St.

A,C,E to Canal St. | 1 to Franklin St. | N,Q,R,W to Canal St. | 1,2 to Chambers St. | A,C to Chambers St. | R,W to City Hall | 2,3 to Park Pl. | E to World Trade Center

TriBeCa Listings

Studio - $1,925

Junior-1 - $2,595

1 Bed/ 1 Bath - $3,595

2 Bed/ 2 Bath - $4,195

Questions?