Wow. “Well, I don’t have millions to spend on a home, so I guess show me what else Manhattan has to offer.”
On the drive to the first apartment complex, Margaret regaled me with cautionary tales of the city, including the classic warning to be aware of yellow ice on the sidewalks, a common enough problem near my old place. According to her, it would be more of a problem in Manhattan, especially as there tended to be a lot of dog owners who would take their pooches to the nearest place with grass available.
“Watching where you walk seems to be important here,” I said, chuckling at the thought something as mundane as walking down the street could be a shoe hazard. “I’ve heard things about the subway. Terrible things.”
“Once, a dude in a speedo decided to make himself sandwiches on the Q. A client wanted to see what the commute to his potential house would be, so we did a run to his work and back. Don’t ask what he did with the sandwich. I’m scarred for life from that one.”
“Did the incident show up in newspapers like the New Yorker version of Florida Man?”
“If only. No, he just decided the best place for his sandwich was in his speedo.”
I opened my mouth and blinked, unable to think of a single reason why someone would make a sandwich only to stuff it in his underwear. “Did your client buy the house?”
“Yes, but he swore he would drive to work, and that was only after having to take the L to test what his commute would be if he picked his second choice. The L is a disaster of a ride on a good day, and it’s in dire need of an overhaul. There’s been talks about shutting it down and repairing it, but every time they go to do it, people freak out because they need the L to get to work, and there aren’t enough busses to cover the load. When they do shut it down, it’ll be for two years, and it’ll make traffic that much worse. It’s bad enough.”
“So, you’re basically telling me I probably want to pick a place close to work.”
“If you can afford it, and I were in your shoes, I would pick the more expensive place close to work. If you don’t mind a bit of a hike, all of these places are close to your work or a short bus ride away. All the complexes have a bus stop nearby, and there’s one right outside of your office building.”
I could work with that. “Anything else I should know?”
“Read the lease carefully. Every landlord does things a little differently, and there are some clauses that’ll drive you insane—or cost you a fortune if you try to break your lease early. One client didn’t listen to me when I warned her she’d have a huge bill if she terminated the lease, and she had to pay out almost ten thousand to the landlord. She tried to take it to court, and she lost, too. Leases are legally binding, and landlords will take you for everything you own when they can. So, you have to play smarter than them. If you’re aware and willing to pay the fines for leaving early, that’s one thing.”
“That’s good to know. I was up for renewal when I left anyway, so I just notified my landlord and packed my bags.”
“That’s how it should be for everyone, but real estate here can be brutal.”
“It sounds like it.”
It took Margaret twenty minutes to find a parking spot several blocks away from the apartment, which I viewed as a bad sign. “Does this place include indoor parking?”
“If you want to pay three hundred a month for it, yes.”
I winced at the amount. “I’ll definitely want to see the parking spot before I sign anything on that one.”
“Smart woman. The next unit I’m going to show you is more reasonable; the first spot comes included with your rent, and you can get a second for two hundred a month extra. The garage has security there at all times, so your car will be safe. There’s a guard at the gate, and someone checks on the vehicles every hour. Your rent is expensive, but the landlords make sure the building is secure.”
I could work with that. “What’s the downside for the second place?”
“The price. This is the cheapest I could find, the next one