NYC APARTMENT HUNTING 2023 | 20 apartments tours w/ prices + tips

When I first moved to NY I found my apartment in 2 days. I thought my experience was normal , but it turns out I couldn't have been more wrong! This year, I toured over 20 apartments before finding the one. It's TOUGH out there. So follow along as I show you what it's really like to apartment hunt in NYC and what a budget of $3800-4800 can get you.
» Timestamps: ⏱️
0:00 - Intro
0:42 - Apartment Checklist
3:26 - Apartment Tours
23:44 - Final Reveal
24:57 - Top Tips for Apartment Hunting
» Who am I? 🙋🏻‍♂️
Hey there! I'm Jacky. I make videos about learning Chinese, life in NYC, and acting. I'm a first-generation Chinese American and first-generation college grad. I'm an ex-consultant working in tech, an aspiring actor, and at heart, someone who just really loves learning :)
» Let's chat! 💭
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Sub Count: 1285

[@jeremiahhardin11507]

Love your videos! I'm moving to New York in September for college and these videos have gave me a ton of insight. Thank you!!

[@Jackyye]

Thank you! Really means a lot and helps me keep motivated to make more content. Best of luck with the move in Sep 🙌🏼

[@sobero]

The biggest scam is that broker fee

[@Jackyye]

Facts

[@Jay-nk6dm]

I cried at the fact that the upper side apartment with the beautiful curved window wasn’t chosen

[@Jackyye]

I sometimes do the same thing 🥲

[@TheBlackDorothyZbornak]

I remember the good ol days in 2020/2021 when you could get a 1BR in a doorman building for under 2k and the first month free. Lol I guess NYC is back to normal now!

[@Jackyye]

Covid pricing was probably the cheapest we’ll see NY rent this century 😭

[@NeokingTech]

I totally get what you mean about how quickly the vibe changes in both the Upper West and Upper East Sides. The 60s in both neighborhoods feel industrial and almost soulless as residential places compared to the 70s and 80s.

[@Jackyye]

Right? It’s such a big transition just a few streets apart

[@LeeDaHitman]

thanks for this video. This was a GREAT break down of the journey of apartment hunting in NYC.

[@wpeters4361]

Stuy Town is very nice, the apartments are quite spacious for the money and it's almost a small city within the city, but it really is more of a family-friendly area...people with kid and dogs. Lots of trees/grass. I had a friend who lived there and loved it, although her apartment was on the loud FDR side.

[@Jackyye]

Yeah the apartments themselves do look pretty nice - can you imagine if the FDR side wasn’t a highway but just water and grass? oh my

[@MiliZone]

4800 where I live you can get 4 bedrooms 2 bathrooms in a condo with washer dryer in unit pool gym trash pick up dog park etc…nyc your paying because it’s nyc nothing to with a well maintained nice size apartment. As a nyc natives meany of these were low income properties several years ago

[@kimberlym-w9926]

Great video and thank you an amazing information to move in NYC if needed!!

[@Jackyye]

Thank you 😊 Glad it was helpful!

[@kareyreuben3869]

This is a great video, you did a wonderful job narrating it. Very interesting, love all the photos and comments.

[@Jackyye]

Thanks so much, I really appreciate your comment :)

[@damngoten4595]

JACKY! I remember u from high school! Nice seein u on here!!

[@Jackyye]

Woahh!! Glad seeing you too!!

[@ZizouTheKing22]

honestly i think looking in March is a better idea since the peak of rental market is May to August when you get into bidding wars and have ppl applying without even seeing the apartment... Fall is also a great time to look for a better price... - NYC broker

[@meijycakes]

really great vid! and you look great!

[@Jackyye]

Thanks ! 😄

[@pup9461846]

10/10 clicks. Omg your "roommate" dylan was so happy hahaha LOVE THE QUALITY AND SOLID RECS. maybe I'll move to ny too. TEEHEE

[@Jackyye]

YES COME TO NY

[@hariharansrinivasulu5002]

Super cool to see your KZbin channel Jacky!

[@Jackyye]

Thanks Hari!

[@user-nu4cb1yq3y]

Love the video! I just moved to Manhattan myself, but as a roommate so it’s much cheaper then the prices in the video but it was really interesting to see all the different apartments

[@Jackyye]

Thanks! And welcome to the city

[@YuiAdventure]

Cheaper to live in queens or Long Island. Look in newspaper and don’t use a broker. Although some area are expensive.

[@TheSamuraiXX011]

My fave was the apartment #8 (at 9:10) with the Dr. Strange Sanctum Sanctorum window! XD

[@marydejesus1912]

I wish I knew u. I would’ve taken you to the promenade‘s in Brooklyn. All the trains are a block a few blocks away & the most beautiful area & views so beautiful big apts safe area . They don’t call it lovers lane for nothing . It’s a gorgeous area . Would’ve been perfect for you both .

[@user73958]

I used to live in the same building complex as apartment 11. Out of all the apartments I lived in Manhattan, that was my favorite neighborhood, even though it is on 90-92nd street. The express 4,5 or local 6 is a short walk away, as well as the Q. The staff were great in that building, compared with the building I moved to after.

[@Jackyye]

Yeah honestly everyone there including the broker was super friendly. I love walking around to places so ended up somewhere further south - 4/5/6 and Q definitely convenient though

[@amyfaurote1488]

New subscriber here. My niece is looking for an apartment in Manhattan. Very difficult. Glad you found your own place.

[@Jackyye]

Thank you! Hope your niece finds a great place :)

[@LisaApril]

I've seen a few of these apartment hunting in New York City videos and they all end up saying don't look too early.

[@accordingtobrittt]

I would love to hear more about your acting journey

[@lyoung2480]

The #7 train line is the best if you live outside Manhattan. The problem is that the neighborhoods it runs through may not be the more desirable ones for your taste, but it beats living in brooklyn definitely.

[@colleenlober218]

Renting a beautiful big full service apartment on the the Hudson for half that price . Pool parking in unit laundry next to ferry. 15 minutes to midtown

[@darkchurchhill]

I feel like prices are higher than Seattle but not incomparable. These guys are looking at some of the most desirable spots in Manhattan and Brooklyn. The equivalent would be living in the downtown Seattle area. I live in nyc and most people I know in their 20s who move to nyc live in places like Astoria/ bedstuy/ greenpoint/ Washington heights/bushwick/ sunset park which are also very trendy but not as expensive. And if you can’t afford those places there are other great neighborhoods but they have less social things for a young person. That’s not a problem if you don’t mind taking the subway a few stops.

[@ZombiemanOhhellnaw]

POLL: What was the best Apartment? (share thoughts and opinions)

[@patriciastaimee]

Center street near long island city is nice..7train line..good Luck..

[@sarahh2072]

These prices are wild. I'm just outside of Seattle and my 2 bedroom is 2100. I love NYC so much but couldn't afford these prices

[@Jackyye]

2 BED 😭 I feel like comparing rents and looking at apartments is a part time hobby in NY. Everyone’s curious to see if they’ve been ripped off but all of us are nevertheless paying the “living in NY tax”

[@wade2xx552]

@@Jackyyeyou are being ripped off, you paying a damn mortgage in rent …

[@Jackyye]

@@wade2xx552 the cost of living in NY 🤧

[@annaangelina1]

how people can afford apartments like this?

[@Agustee]

Stuytown gave me mental institution vibes when I visited lol. The outdoor gym there seems cool though

[@yangyangnezin208]

apt 8 is called Junior 4 - basically it was a one bed room that has a dinning room that they closed off to be a second bedroom. hence the door to kitchen. It is NOT a 2 bed room ...

[@Jackyye]

Streeteasy be 🐱🐟ing out here

[@jacksheet2395]

The building I live on has a junior on their so called 2 bedrooms,,$2,500 on Riverdale,but there is a bus stop at the entrance

[@kevinranders]

The benefit of a roommate is why I moved to a different city. I do not want a roommate ever again :-). The trade off of course, is no more NYC :-( but now I have a place where my master suite is the size of most of these NYC apartments.

[@Jackyye]

To be or not to be (in NYC) 🤔 that is the question

[@strodey123]

Loved seeing all the different apartments. One thing I didn't understand is how the one month fee put the rent up so much? I thought meant a deposit but not sure why it would put it up per month.

[@Jackyye]

Thanks! It’s one of those ridiculous things in NY where brokers will take 8-15% of your annual rent as a “broker’s fee” for showing you the apartment even if you found it on your own. Low end of the fee is typically one month rent.

[@user73958]

Instead of the owner of the apartment paying the broker a fee (normally 15% or a month's rent), they charge the tenant the fee upfront. It is only a one time fee.

[@user-ed3tq7tr7m]

Hey Jacky! How r ya? Was looking for ny apartments and suddenly im watching your video! Love it! Do you got any specific site to look for apartments? 😊❤ Thankyou

[@Jackyye]

Would recommend streeteasy, RentHop, and lease break!

[@user-ed3tq7tr7m]

@@Jackyye thank you so much ❤️

[@cmichole]

I was born and raised in NY and would NEVERRRRRRR pay that much in rent to live anywhere. That is literally my monthly salary after taxes. Man listen, I miss living abroad. These prices are so unreasonable.

[@XtruhSpecialK]

maan thats crazy, you saw about 20 places. I signed the first apartment I saw after looking online for about a week, $1800 for a "studio" (I share a half kitchen between a fake wall with someone) in east williamsburg. was desperate cause I was commuting to school for 4 hours a day. overall didn't think I did that bad, but will deff put more effort next time.

[@Jackyye]

Damn a 4 hour commute is crazy! Could totally see where you’re coming from

[@mg.5968]

The Stuytown segment has to be a 'bit'...... right? So you went there and found beautiful apartments, in a hip and centrally located neighborhood, one of the few truly intergenerational intentional communities remaining in NYC, tons of onsite amenities and green space and passed on it because the residents seemed too happy and too content with their lives there. So are you saying happy and content aren't your "vibes"? Those characteristics make you "suspicious" and "ill at ease" and "uncomfortable". If this isn't a comedy bit, I'd recommend talking to someone about this.

[@Jackyye]

Hey if you like it that’s great 🤷🏻‍♂️ It just wasn’t for us

[@sarahh2072]

It doesn't feel like NYC if you're not getting yelled at

[@DihMeccas]

⁠@@JackyyeI also didn’t understand the justification, but maybe it was that it was too residential and you wanted more bars and night life? (I don’t know the area, I’m not American). Sometimes it could feel too suburby with all the kids and families? Maybe that was it? I wanted to understand better what you felt. Loved the video tho, the narration was everything!

[@Jackyye]

@@DihMeccas that's totally fair! In the video, I didn't really do a good job articulating the actual reasons why I didn't like the area besides just the general vibe being off. I'm also not a huge partier or anything so having more of the suburb feel / less nightlife isn't something I mind at all actually. If I were to try to put it in more words - and just thinking out loud here - I'd say what some would describe as a community, to me, felt very claustrophobic. And I mean this very physically. When you walk out of a unit into the courtyard, all you see around you are other tall red buildings that block out your view of anything else. It literally feels like you are enclosed and it is not a feeling I like. It's rather discomforting for me to feel like I'm closed off from the rest of the city/world. Of course, I know it wouldn't literally be closed off - Stuytown actually has a really convenient location - but it felt isolating. Does that make sense?

[@DihMeccas]

@@Jackyye it totally does! Thanks for taking the time to explain! I just kinda loved the building and didn’t get much at first, but now I can see why. Thanks for the video and for the reply. All the best of luck in your new home :)

[@Yajairad]

I hear your complaints abt the G train, but did you ever try the ferry?

[@Jackyye]

The ferry started running the last month I lived there 😂 Have taken more times after moving than while I was in GP

[@itkahsramal4983]

Holy Jebus, those prices for a two bedroom Apartment are ridiculous! And people wonder why there's so many homeless people. I can pay my 2 bedroom 3 floors 1 garage mortgage for 5 months for $4,800! Anyway I'm glad you and your roommate found a apartment y'all like.

[@Jackyye]

I laughed at the holy jebus 😂 but yeah it is actually ridiculous. Every time I visit friends in other states or go back to Socal I’m reminded of how expensive NY really is (and how I need to cherish the hell out of it to make the rent $$ worth)

[@LongNguyen-ho9qf]

Come on man your Asian you know to be more financially responsible than this. This kind of rent is never gonna get you to any financial security. A damn shame.

[@Jackyye]

Dad?

[@LongNguyen-ho9qf]

@@Jackyye u doctor yet?!

[@comedylizzylizzy]

Paying the broker makes you broker 😅

[@Jackyye]

😂😂

[@comedylizzylizzy]

@@Jackyye thank you 😊 awesome video

[@user-zg3rk3fc4d]

Here is the thing: If you had started your search 9 month earlier than your actual move, you would have had 8 months earlier move in date and you had to pay extra rent for 8 months. Lol. Dude, none of those apartments had "early" move in dates. You just started search too early and that is why

[@Jackyye]

honestly facts, we totally looked too early. hopefully my mistakes can be someone else's lessons

[@suzfindsnyapts]

Looking too early is the number one mistake. By time the appropriate inventory moves into the market, you are already burned out on searching. I try to tell this to people, but they are anxious and believe starting early yields better results.

[@nidhikohli7029]

Wonderful job done with this video. Can you please share the broker name and number as I am also looking for an apartment to rent almost immediately

[@Jackyye]

Thank you! Ah I didn’t actually use a central broker, we looked for apartments on our own and only brokers we ran into were the ones associated with the listings

[@saeidk736]

its hard to imagine how you guys pay life changing money as your monthly rent

[@Jackyye]

I question it myself sometimes

[@marybrown348]

how long should you start looking for apartments then?

[@Jackyye]

A generally good range is 1-2 months out for NY! Any earlier and you don’t really see the bulk of listings and any later it starts getting really stressful (though there are definitely people who see success looking just a few weeks out)

[@suzfindsnyapts]

Ok for regular “straight “rentals do not look more than five weeks out. 4 is better. For condo rentals you can go 6 weeks and coops you can start 7-8. You want to look when the appropriate inventory is on the market. Too early and you will get bummed and burned out.

[@Jackyye]

@@suzfindsnyapts sounds like I needed to talk to you before I went on this hunt !

[@suzfindsnyapts]

@jackye one thing that is helpful to understand, in general, many renewal notices go out 2 months before the lease. Let’s say the tenant takes 10 days to decide if they are moving. They get back to management 45 to 50 days before lease end . Management calls an agent the agent comes takes pictures, writes an ad, arranges an open house, you are really going on the market 30 to 40 days out. Obviously there are exceptions, especially condo coop.

[@YesItsMeGuys68]

it's shocking what people will settle for simply to live in NYC ... what a crappy quality of life for a monthly Kings ransom !!! I went the OTHER direction and moved from Boston ( another expensive city now days ) to Mexico ! I live like a King in not one but TWO fantastic cities ! NYC is not worth giving up ALL your human comforts

[@cutthatcity2496]

I ❤ NY! New Yorkers have EVERYTHING.. except space. 😉

[@Jackyye]

HA YUP

[@Amanda3280h]

Hi! Thanks for the video! If you dont mind me asking, did you have a good broker? do you have anyone you'd recommend? I'm looking for a 1bedroom but literally all brokers dont reply or are assholes. Typical nyc experience....

[@Jackyye]

Hey! While we did not have our own broker - my roommate and I did all the dirty work of finding apartments on our own - we did have an overall positive experience with the broker for the apt we ultimately signed. As for other brokers … honestly a really mixed bag. Some were super responsive, some didn’t reply at all, and (my least favorite) were the ones who put up listings that weren’t actually active but instead used those to rope you into a longer convo about other listings they have that aren’t really what you’re looking for. I kind of hate that most apartments in NY have brokers fee even though the broker doesn’t do that much besides showing you the apartment, but part of living in NY I suppose. If it’s helpful, one pattern I noticed is that newer buildings were more likely to be no fee! That and also all the lease breaks were no fee. Hope this helps and good luck with the one bed search !

[@PSOpwnage]

5k to live in the projects these days. They have destroyed nyc god damn.. What a shame what has happened to this state and city

[@Rafick203]

These apt are almost 5k and they are depressing as fuck! Gold, Grimey and small!

[@Jackyye]

Ha “hello it’s me Manhattan, you called?”

[@zachscheel3784]

Should have simply waited longer to start finding your apartment so the early move in date wasn’t an issue

[@Jackyye]

100% - rookie mistakes 🥲

[@zachscheel3784]

all good - i myself went through a hectic week locking in a place and i found one i loved but also convinced myself I could do better, then ended up losing it :) can never fully win in this city@@Jackyye

[@Jackyye]

Grass always feel greener doesn’t it? 🙃

[@thecalmwayhome8483]

The poor person who took you to see all these places………he/she must be exhausted.

[@Jackyye]

I took myself to all these places and can confirm I’m exhausted - we didn’t have a broker

[@alexandramcpherson8487]

Wheres the update of after you move??? No more videos

[@Jackyye]

Summer blinked by 😭 will be back on it soon! Currently traveling

[@eddieBoxer]

Damn $4000 dollar apt way beyond my budget.

[@donvarri]

why manhattan? you work from home you can get something better for 2400 in westchester

[@Jackyye]

Friends, wanting the manhattan in the city experience, lots of reasons. I also work in the office 2x/week so not fully remote so there's partly that too.

[@financebae]

And here I was complaining about Paris appartements 😭

[@Jackyye]

😂😂 I hear about London and LA and other major cities and am still like. God damn how is NY like this

[@joseanimates1269]

Damn paying 4k and living with a roommate I rather stay sad.

[@bayjustin3885]

Why am I watching this ? 😂

[@loisaustin6200]

Wow, you sure can talk fast.

[@PSOpwnage]

if you both work from home gtfo. Move anywhere else bro. Seriously why not pocket an extra 1k each per month

[@PSOpwnage]

No one should have to look at 20 places to find a place to rent lol

[@GTS-Olivier]

All those places looked horrible. Living in NYC is exciting I get it, but that’s just ridiculous.

[@askrhonnie6356]

Hard to watch my city so gentrified. I mean….Stuy town??? 🤢

[@user-hi5zk2pm8f]

Irritating…

[@WoahRenee]

These are horrible

[@TrickyPasta]

it’s hilarious to watch people settle for garbage quality apts for 4k…