*crosses everything*

I know just how you feel, brina. Good luck!!!

Best of luck. I understand NYC rents are scary, even by London standards, so I hope you get a good deal and a great place.

Good luck! I too know the hell that is apartment hunting in NYC.

With those odds, and your wonderful selves at the door, who could turn you down! As long as nobody gets there before you, and you like the place(s) what's with this luck thing?

OK, I'd want it too.
BEST OF LUCK!

best of luck brina!

Good apartment mojo!

Back. Good lord in heaven, it was all ... yellow? I don't know. Awful. Just awful.

Two places in Prospect Heights (Broker: And they're building the new Nets stadium right over here, so next year this time you won't be able to find an apartment for less than $888 million a month!) which were like so: Kitchen is living room. Bedroom is size of thimble. One was slightly larger, on ground floor, other was smaller, on eighth floor; both were unacceptable.

Then on to Bushwick, and by Bushwick I mean not E. Williamsburg but BUSHWICK. Lots of dollar stores, both McDonald's and Burger King within walking distance. No grocery store, of course.

Two-bedroom railroad apartment. Enter into kitchen (decent). Bathroom at one end of kitchen, no joke. Two windowless rooms and then a third with windows -- finally can breathe -- with second entrance. Facade of building covered in blue shingles and graffitti. No light on block. Next to elevated subway. Would be romantic in a Hollywood way if only it were a better location. Cannot. Can't. Can't live there.

Have e-mailed 30,000 improbable causes, all of whom will call me on my cell tomorrow to tell me that they have the PERFECT apartment for me, only five hours on the subway from Manhattan, they hope I don't mind if there are a few Italian men living in the bathtub, oh and by the way there's a cult in the kitchen but don't mind them, they'll be drinking Kool-Aid by New Year's.

/me throws self onto ground and pounds on floor, fists flying in all directions.

(((brina)))

Good luck you you both. Apartment hunting is the suckiest of suckiness. *keeps fingers crossed for you, mixes you both a stiff drink*

you poor thing! Crossing fingers for you!

aaargh! Sorry, brina! Keep at it, sweetie, and keep looking forward knowing that you will get there. (Been through this recently, again, and came out, again, on the other side, omg, omg. Eyes on the prize, baby.)

And perhaps even more than when job hunting, you mustn't be shy! Ask everyone, everywhere if they know of anything. Never let a conversation pass without mentioning your quest. Ask everyone, EVERYONE. Never walk anywhere without looking for "for rent" signs. Also, ask EVERYONE.

One of the best apartments we ever got was because we were eating lunch in a cafe in a neighborhood we liked and asked the owner if he knew of any available apartments, and he knew of one that wasn't even on the market at all, and hadn't been inhabited for years. omg, was that a great place. Unbelievable. He called the owners in Germany on his own dime, and convinced them to rent to us... whom he described as "scientists from America". Where he got that, I'll never know. And our last FABULOUS apartment, and this FABULOUS apartment we found through the friends network. I never have had a much luck with advertised places.

Oh, and in case you haven't thought of it, be sure to be checking online sources as well. If I had a place for rent in a rent-tight city, I wouldn't put it in the paper or list it with an agent; I would tell friends, and I would advertise in chosen online venues, because the sort of email responses I would get would tell me a whole lot before ever seeing or speaking to the person.

By the way, we happen to have a nice place for rent in Thessaloniki, Greece... you aren't thinking of moving there, are you? It has a view of the sea from the big, wraparound balcony, lots of sunshine, wooden parquet floors, and a lovely big living room.