The Sharks and the Jets may no longer pachanga down the West Side, but don’t let that fool you: New York City is still a cutthroat place.
We push on the subway, we death stare at tourists, and according to reports from the trenches, we are the meanest online daters in the history of the world. Right, and we committed 8 murders in the last week alone.
None of that (well, except the death toll) compares to the city’s most brutal experience of all: apartment hunting.
Welcome to my nightmare. Also, welcome to my spring.
Our lease is coming due June 1, and with the management company hiking our rent 12 percent next year without having ever fixed a single problem, my boyfriend and I are weighing our options.
Do we stay put and grow increasingly resentful that our dining room dimmer light is nothing more than a frayed wire sticking precariously out of a broken electrical socket, even though we first reported it last May? Or do we barrel head first into the ruthless world of NYC real estate brokers, fees, debt and tears?
Option C: We skip town and live off the grid in Maine.
The downside of moving is literally thousands of dollars down, a lot of weekends searching, and no guarantee we’ll find something better, within our budget, that’s still close to work and running paths and Ben’s favorite basset hound neighbor.
The plus side is the possibility we find a real runner’s dream of an apartment with a washing machine to clean all my sweaty spandex and a giant tub for taking icebaths and an elevator for post-long runs and a dishwasher to collect the cups I leave around like I’m in the penultimate scene of M. Night Shyamalan’s Signs.
What would you do? More specifically, do you have a NYC apartment you’d like to give us on June 1?
Riled Up Runner 
I’d choose Option C.
P.S. https://beach2beacon.racepartner.com/entrants?submitted=true&FirstName=Robert&LastName=&City=Portland&state=ME
Nice going, Robert Smart!
I don’t have anything for a NYC apt, but our condo in Hoboken/Jersey City is available. Huge, washer/dryer, gym is around the corner on the same floor, great running along the waterfront, shuttle service to PATH train, etc.
And yes, there’s a tub.
Ha thank you! I think we’re aiming for the other direction — maybe Astoria? But I so appreciate the offer!
I don’t blame you for not taking our condo. I didn’t want it either. Hahaha.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE Astoria. I used to live there. It’s seriously an incredibly fantastic neighborhood to live in.
Best Brunch = hangover pizza at Vesta
Best Brunch deal = Sanford’s
Best Bar = Sweet Afton
Best Cafe = Queens Kickshaw
Best Romantic Wine Bar = DiWine
I could go on and on. I really miss Astoria. Not to mention the path along the waterfront is very nice and you can run all the way to Roosevelt Island for a long run.
Now I’m getting homesick for Astoria.
Somehow my wife and I hit the jackpot on our last apartment move. Our lease renewal is set for April 1 and our rent didn’t go up one penny! I’ve never had that happen in all my years here! I was even in a rent stabilized apartment for several years and still saw an annual increase. Add that to the fact that our management company is awesome and we’re staying put as long as we can. As for your query, I say there’s no harm in looking right? When thinking about that 12% increase though, remember how much you’ll have to pay in broker fees if you move. Ugh. Broker fees.