Prince St Prince St Prince St Spring St Spring St LaGuardia Pl MacDougal St Bleecker St Bleecker St Thompson St W Broadway Wooster St Greene St Crosby St Mott St Elizabeth St King St Charlton St Vandam St Bond St E 4th St Great Jones St E 9th St E 10th St E 11th St W 11th St University Pl E 12t St E 13t St W 12th St W 12th St W 11th St Bank St Perry St Bleecker St Jones St Camine St E 15t St Greenwich Ave Broadway Broome St W Houston St 7th Ave S Lafayette St 7th Ave S Broadway Broadway 4th Ave E 14th St 5th Ave 6th Ave Bleecker St Astor Pl THE 2012 HOUSING GUIDE WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS PRESENTS
Sift through the WSN’s 2012 Housing Guide for a comprehensive look into on-and off-campus living. From the best kitchen products to a residence hall party playlist, we’ve provided you with tips to make the most out of your res-idential experience. Keep in mind all undergraduate rates for 2012 to 2013 will see a 3.5 percent increase pending approval from the Board of Trustees in May. We have also included a profile of Brittany residence hall, since it will replace University residence hall for the fall semester in 2012. So check out your options and start planning your future housing arrangements.
—KRISTINA BOGOS
If mom and dad refuse to budge and still won’t let you get an apartment, don’t worry. There are going to be 180 se-niors just like you next year in the Senior House at 13th Street.
13th Street gives students the comfort and security of NYU housing with a bit more freedom. The relaxed alcohol policy is nice — pro-vided you’re smart about it — as is the knowledge that everyone around you is go-ing through the same stresses you are as graduation looms.
The rooms themselves aren’t bad. I live in a low-cost suite, so my room is a bit small, but there’s more than enough space. All rooms come with a kitchen and are equipped with a stove, a refrigerator and a dishwasher. My com-mon area is cramped, dark and grimy, but that’s made up for by saving a few thousands dollars and still being less than 15 minutes from campus.
The regular cost rooms are studios, and they are great. The rooms are gigantic, and you have one roommate. Still, that’s only one person to share a bathroom with — which
you’ll be thankful for after a Saturday night filled with bad decisions. When your roommate goes out, you have the whole place to yourself.
One perk I wish I took more advantage of is the loft. It’s a space you can rent out to host events. The loft is a huge apartment complete with a kitchen, a bathroom and a big screen TV that will satisfy all your party needs.
I wouldn’t feel right about reviewing 13th Street without warning you about what you might already know: There is a huge difference between liv-ing in the North and South tow-ers. Mainly, if you live in the North Tower, you have to walk through a nearly endless un-derground tunnel to get there.
But if you can get into the South Tower and you don’t mind getting trapped in hour-long conversations with Cisco, the talkative guard who always seems to be working when you need to get back to your room, I highly recommend 13th Street. It’s not perfect, but for the location, amenities and convenience, it’s worth a look.
—RUSSELL STEINBERG
Brittany Hall, one of the oldest NYU dorms, is anything but luxuri-ous — at least not as luxurious as NYU dorms can get.
The only upperclass dorm with-out a kitchen, the rooms also lack air conditioning; the carpeted floors have questionable stains; the bath-rooms are not getting any cleaner or any less rusty merely because they are pastel-colored. And if you’re par-anoid enough, you might live in fear that the ceiling, in all its chipped-paint glory, will collapse on you at any second. Forget about securing Wi-Fi access.
But the old building is finally get-ting its makeover. According to ad-ministrators, the hall will be closed next spring for planned renovations. As a result, the dorm will be the per-fect location for students staying in the fall and studying abroad in the spring.
Yet given it’s many flaws, if you let it, Brittany Hall redeems itself in one way: comfort.
Brittany’s saving grace is that it has the biggest rooms of all the residence halls. There are surprisingly spacious closets for those who can’t seem to narrow down their wardrobe, and there’s enough leeway if you’re feel-ing claustrophobic about cohabitat-
ing with roommates. With abundant windows, Brittany has decent light-ing and a nice view of Broadway and Manhattan if you’re assigned a room at the end of the hall.
Using an Ethernet cord and ResNet isn’t as much of a predicament as you would think. The penthouse is the only floor fully equipped with Wi-Fi, couches, desks and air conditioning, and it’s not a bad alternative to the dark, desolate lower levels of Bobst. The TV Game Lounge has vending machines to account for the lack of dining, and the Rhodes Room on the first floor serves as a great space for hall events.
Events mostly consist of movie nights and free food. With a piano room, a dance studio and a dark-room, Brittany Hall is perfect for residents experimenting in art and creativity.
Finally, Brittany Hall is perfect in terms of location. On a quiet street of antique shops and real estate agencies, the block can provide a sense of peace and quiet away from other, more bustling parts of the city. Brittany Hall lines Broadway and is not far from Union Square, making everything you could possibly need conveniently close.
— KRISTINE ITLIONG
13th STREET
BRITTANY
PHASE 1APPLICATIONDEADLINES
RE-APPLICATION & DEPOSITMarch 6, 2012 - March 21, 2012
To re-apply for NYU housing, submit the $1,000 deposit online.
The Broome Street residence hall is not just another NYU dorm; it is a com-munity filled with long-lasting friend-ships and networks. One of the imme-diate benefits of living in Broome is the convenience of living in the same building for all three upperclassman years. Throughout your experience in Broome, you are sure to encounter many familiar faces, given you satisfy all the requirements of the Residential College.
An upperclassmen extension of God-dard’s Residential College, Broome Street requires that all residents fulfill a certain number of community service hours and attend events held by resi-dents and Faculty Fellows in Residence. Outings can range from attending movie nights to volunteering at Hous-ing Works on the weekend. Resident as-sistants and Residential Life staff put in the extra effort to make sure that these events are enjoyable for all. To be con-sidered for the Residential College, you must submit a special interest housing application. But be warned: Those who
are not fully dedicated to contributing to Broome Street’s community need not apply.
The building, located on the corner of Centre and Broome Street, is not owned by NYU, but the university has custom-ized it for students as much as possible. This year, Broome residents welcomed the addition of two new resident loung-es, which serve as perfect locations for studying and socializing. The building also features a convenient but pricey bodega on the ground floor, perfect for late-night snacks.
Broome Street will give you a dorm-ing experience like no other. Look no further than its location. The 20-minute walk to class is balanced by its easy ac-cess to neighborhoods like SoHo, Little Italy and Chinatown.
Those who believe Broome is the right fit should make up their minds early, as special interest housing applications must be submitted before the Phase 1 due date. If you get in, Broome Street will be sure to take care of you.
— FEIYE WANG
ALUMNI
BROOME STREET
PHASE 2 PHASE 3GROUP REGISTRATIONApril 3, 2012 to April 17, 2012
Alumni Hall is among the most desirable dorms at NYU. Located in the dynamic East Village and sur-rounded by numerous opportuni-ties for shopping, dining, exploring and even the occasional celebrity sighting, Alumni provides students with a wonderful place to live.
Alumni offers single bedrooms in suites, which is one of the main reasons it is such a popular choice for students. Each suite has a kitch-en with a refrigerator, a stove, a sink, a bathroom and a modestly sized common area with a table
and chairs. The staff at Alumni is friendly and extremely helpful, and the Resource Center serves as a fantastic support network. A 10- to 12-minute walk is all it takes to get to campus, and the N, R and 6 trains are nearby. While living at Alumni, you are only steps away from St. Marks Place, Astor Place and Union Square.
While the bedrooms are not very large, they are quite cozy and pro-vide just enough space for an aver-age student’s needs. Though extra lighting is usually needed in most
suites, the views from the upper floors are amazing. Overall, de-spite the numerous programs and events planned by the dorm’s resi-dent assistants, the building envi-ronment tends to emanate a quiet vibe. There is a sense of communi-ty in Alumni, but it is perhaps not as prominent as it is in other NYU dorms. As an added bonus, the hall is decorated for each holiday. A lit-tle decoration can go a long way in brightening your day. Bring on the lights, paper hearts and pumpkins.
—STEPHANIE CORVINO
FILE PHOTO BY LAUREN STRAUSSER
33 Third Ave.
400 Broome St.
EMILY MCDERMOTT/WSN
FILE PHOTO BY KATE GUENTHER
4 | WSN HOUSING GUIDE 2012
Though much of NYU’s upperclass housing sacrifices the proximity to Washington Square Park offered by most freshman dorms, Carlyle Court’s location makes it one of the more sen-sible choices. Located on the west side of Union Square Park, Carlyle is a short walk from NYU’s main campus. Resi-dents are split among three towers, with the coveted C3 tower looks di-rectly onto Union Square. Though the scenery can be beautiful, the attraction has its caveats — the sounds of skate-boarders and musicians at all hours of the night can be rude wake-up calls.
No matter what tower you live in, Carlyle provides apartment-style liv-ing. Studios for two allow for com-
fortable living and, while four-person suites are larger, their set up can prove a hindrance. Suites only have one pri-vate room for two residents, while the other two must live in the main living/kitchen area. Though there is certainly enough space, the lack of true privacy can become an annoyance. Kitchens come with more than enough cabinet space, and bathrooms can be cramped for a four-person suite though they are otherwise serviceable. Yet even with these amenities, the main room’s open style may feel odd to some.
Other than this major qualm, Car-lyle provides a great dorm experience. Not having to rely on a dining hall is simple because of the Union Square
farmer’s market across the street, not to mention that The Food Emporium, Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s are only a couple blocks away. Each tower has a lounge or lobby with ping-pong and pool tables — spacious escapes from your dorm room. If the lack of space and the limited amenities don’t prove to be a major issue, then Carlyle is a great upperclass dorm choice. Suites can be an adjustment, but studios are sensible and comfortable. With an ide-al location and a major subway station across the street — 4, 5, 6, N, Q, R and L trains — Carlyle Court has plenty to of-fer residents both in the dorm and the surrounding area.
— JONATHON DORNBUSH
Inconspicuously located above a Duane Reade, Coral Towers is one of the forgotten residence halls in the Union Square area. But its low-cost options and proximity to the U-Hall and Third North dining services, as well as Palladium’s gym and dining hall, have many students happily calling it home.
Coral is cozy even though it doesn’t look like a typical college dorm. While the kitchen is a little small, it is well-equipped and offers plenty of room to cook and prepare food. Low-cost but spacious housing is available, as are single room op-tions. Students looking for a single can nevertheless get a room that is relatively large. It is also a short walk to campus, and the bus stop is conveniently located right across the street.
However, Coral has its flaws. The walls are thin — really thin. Addi-tionally, Coral’s location on Third Avenue and 14th Street is no strang-er to a lot of noise at night. Since Coral is leased to NYU, $5 laundry cards must be purchased and used to pay for laundry instead of Cam-pus Cash. One solution is to drag laundry to Palladium, but it is nei-ther enjoyable nor convenient dur-ing inclement weather. Throughout the winter, Coral also continuously pumps heat into the building, caus-ing the upper floors to get very hot, but it is the perfect temperature the rest of the year.
Overall, Coral is a comfortable place to live if you want to be close to campus or Union Square while saving money.
Nearby subway stations: $1.75 per wash$1.75 per dry
Toilet paper/trash bags: No
DORM WORKOUTS
Modified Pushups — With Bed With your legs on the side of your bed and your
hands on the ground, add a downward incline to your pushup position. This modified pushup will help tone your arms, chest and shoulders.
Dips — With Chair Slide off your chair so only your palms are resting
on the base. With your feet planted firmly in front of you, lower yourself by bending your elbows, then push up. These modified dips focus on triceps and will help build core balance.Knee Lifts — With Chair
Another chair-based exercise, this workout will tar-get your abs. Sit upright in a chair, grasping the sides with your feet flat on the ground. Then pull your legs up toward your chest as you inhale. This is similar to an upright crunch.Crunches — With Books
A regular crunch is demanding and is a textbook
CARLYLE COURT
CORAL TOWERS
2011-2012 rates per yearSingle: $16,1162 Room Suite: $13,842Shared Studio: $13,842
Walk time to campus:
10 minutes
$1 per wash$1 per dry
Nearby subway stations:
Toilet paper/trash bags: No
DAVID LIN/WSN
DAVID LIN/WSN
AARUSHI CHOPRA/WSN
25 Union Sq. W.
129 Third Ave.
KITCHEN ESSENTIALS
Kitchenware can be an in-timidating topic for those attempting to cook. The collection of essentials one uses to bake, sauté, filter, gauge and curb is essen-tial. Here is a list of kitchen must-haves so that you will never fail when cooking up an appetite.The spatula
A broad, flat, flexible blade used to mix, lift and spread materials, these scrapers are good for preparing anything from pancakes to fillets.The paring knife
Whether it’s made of car-bon steel or titanium, the perfect knife will assist you in peeling fruit, carv-ing chicken or position raw vegetables, put them on this stabilizer. The baking sheets
These flat, metal trays are perfect for baking cookies and Swiss rolls. You’ll also want to buy parchment and wax paper and aluminum foil to line the sheets.The food processor
This device works won-ders, allowing you to slice and chop vegetables, grind nuts and meat, shred cheese, knead dough and puree food.
— ANGEL CHANG
Living two blocks from the Hudson River and steps from some of the best restaurants makes Greenwich Hotel’s location ideal — if all of your friends are in the West Village and you have unlimited cash.
Greenwich Hotel is nestled in the middle of the West Village. The streets are quiet, tourists are scarcely around and your neigh-bors include Beyoncé and Anna Wintour. But the West Village nightlife proves an oddity, and the restaurants are pricey. Quaint cafes abound, but if your friends aren’t in Green-wich you can count on at least a forty-minute walk to the upperclassmen dorms in Union Square.
The major perk of living in Greenwich
Hotel is the maid service. Greenwich Hotel comes with a biweekly housekeeping service that cleans your common room and bath-room. Your NYU housing fee will finally pay off when your room is clean, and there are no arguments over whose turn it is to scrub the toilet.
Room sizes vary anywhere from spacious singles, doubles and triples to more crowded quarters in low-cost doubles and triples. Low-cost rooms notoriously include ventilation gaps — NYU’s loophole to decrease its lease payments. The seemingly problematic gaps are easily masked with decorative fabric or cardboard.
The building might be small, but do not be
fooled — the sense of community is seriously lacking. After living here for an entire year, do not expect to know anyone on your floor other than the resident assistant. If you’re going to live here, be sure to convince your friends to live in the building, too.
But despite these cons, if you’re searching for a homey and quiet place to live, Green-wich Hotel is your best choice. The wood flooring and high ceilings inside — paired with the cobblestone streets outside — pro-vide a genuinely cozy feeling. Walking to Greenwich Hotel from campus, you leave the hustle and bustle of the city for a more sub-dued neighborhood feel.
Situated on Third Avenue and 23rd Street lies what some would say is the gem of NYU housing. Gramercy Green is just a hop, skip and jump away from Shake Shack and Eataly and mere seconds from a 24-hour Duane Reade. Madison Square Park provides a nice re-lief from the hustle of the city, and you can grab some bubble tea on the way at Coco.
The granite countertops, touch-screen appliances and wood floors at Gramercy make it one of the most up-to-date dorms. Each living space comes with a kitchen complete with a dishwasher, microwave and large refrigerator. The mod-ern quality of these appliances beats what most are used to at their own homes.
But, not all Gramercy rooms are created equal.
There are three room options in Gramercy: two-person stu-dios, four-person suites with two double rooms and five-person suites with two double rooms and a single. The suites vary from floor to floor. The stu-dios offer a spacious room with a kitchen and a bathroom. The doubles have one bathroom, two bedrooms, a living area and a kitchen. The five-person suites are perhaps the most spacious, with two bathrooms instead of just one. Be warned
if you choose a single — it’s a little tight, but it’s certainly nice to be able to close the door from those loving roomies ev-ery once in a while. The corner rooms in Gramercy offer floor-to-ceiling windows. It’s one of the best views you will ever have in Manhattan, not to men-tion in a dorm.
Gramercy’s sub-cellar has pri-vate and group study rooms, a gym, a bike storage area and two lounges with couches, flat-screen TVs and a game room with a pool table. There are also lounges on the second, fifth and sixth floors and a computer lab on the fourth floor. A large laundry room is available in the sub-cellar, and several smaller laundry rooms are located on certain floors throughout the building.
Programming at Gramercy regularly includes student out-ings to movie premiers and museum exhibits. Also living in the hall are Residence Hall Directors and Faculty Fellows in Residence who are dedicated to interacting with students — hosting pancake breakfasts on their terraces, holding book clubs and leading outings. You might even see Greta, the three-year-old daughter of the FFiR, smiling and saying hello to you in the morning.
6 | WSN HOUSING GUIDE 2012 If you’re looking to live down-town and away from the NYU bubble then Lafayette residence hall is your best bet. Located on Lafayette and White streets, you find yourself situated on the cusp of Chinatown and the Financial District. The Route B Bus comes about three or four times per hour to shuttle students to and from 721 Broadway, and the N, Q, R and 6 trains on Canal Street are all less than a five-minute walk.
The rooms are varied, but on the whole are pretty spacious and can fit both you and your roommate comfortably. Some rooms have big windows, which is a real plus. The kitchen de-pends on which room you have, but mine is a bit small and in a galley type of setup with a bar along the wall instead of a kitch-en table.
All in all, the space of the room depends on which room you have. Some are huge, but in other spaces it is almost im-possible to fit two beds and two desks without having to take the door off the closet. Lafayette also has some great lounges — there
are a couple of lounge rooms with chairs and couches, a music room and a computer lab. There is also an ITS printer in the re-source center.
There is a great sense of com-munity at Lafayette if you choose to attend hall programs or events. At Lafayette’s hall coun-cil meetings, it is very clear that students want to be involved in the community and are working hard to plan fun events for resi-dents. Faculty Fellows in Resi-dence also hold PB&J Tuesday Nights, which is a great way to mingle with other residents and enjoy some food.
In terms of amenities, there is no grocery store near Lafayette. I recommend stopping by Trader Joe’s on your way home or swip-ing a meal at the Kimmel Food Court before you leave campus because it is the closest dining hall. Overall, Lafayette gives you the opportunity to live in a dif-ferent neighborhood outside the NYU core but still gives you the community feel of living on-campus.
1) “Moving to New York” by The WombatsWe all have our share of issues living in this
monster of a city. But hey, we are here, and we might as well celebrate. This upbeat song by the British Indie-rock band connotes both the good and bad of the city that never sleeps.2) “If I Ever Feel Better” by Phoenix
“Hang on to the good days/ I can lean on my friends/ They help me going through hard times.” You and your roommates can bond over these sweet lyrics, carried out with a great bass line. 3) Madeon Remixes
From Deadmau5 to The Killers, this 19-year-old French pop and house producer turns any song
into an instant dance hit. “Pop Culture,” his viral mashup of 39 different songs, will impress even your part-time D.J. roommate. 4) “Star Guitar” by Shinichi Osawa
Shinichi Osawa’s playful, electronica spin of The Chemical Brother’s track is uplifting and heart-thumping. 5) “After Hours” by We Are Scientists
The catchy guitar riffs of this song are reminis-cent of late night wanderings around the Green-wich Village. 6) “That’s Not My Name” by The Ting Tings
Learning the names of your floormates can be tough, and being good with faces isn’t enough anymore. It’s comforting to know you’re not the only one struggling.
— GLORIA LEE
Palladium residence hall is perfect for the upperclassman who is smart enough not to give up the comforts of a freshman residence hall. The dorm comes equipped with a dining hall, gym and plenty of study spaces on the third floor to hit the books when midterms and finals crunch-time comes along. And don’t worry, these study lounges are not just glorified common areas — people do actually study in them.
Palladium dorm rooms come in suites, and rooms are spacious but sterile. You will have plenty of room to express yourself on their blank white walls and cold linoleum floors. Just make sure
to bring lots of posters and rugs to spruce up the space. On the plus side, the walk-in closets are a nice amenity.
The residential community is perhaps the only major down-fall of a dorm that spells conve-nience and comfort for upper-classmen. Most residents keep to themselves — whether it be in the elevator or walking down the hallway — and there is very little sense of community within the dorm.
As one of the closest dorms to campus, Palladium is also a step outside of the NYU bubble and at the heart of Union Square. The weekly farmers’ market around
the square will provide a taste of what New York City is really like, at least when it comes to food. You will find you a number of in-teresting eats from Chipotle just outside the dorm to Bau’s House on Second Avenue. Best of all, a midnight meal is always just an order away with the friendly ha-lal vendors stationed along 14th Street.
An easy way to grab some food with your friends and have fun at Palladium is Sunday Brunch, one of Palladium’s most well-known and best-loved traditions that will make every Sunday morning worth getting up for.
— HANQING CHEN
2011-2012 rates per yearSingle: $16,1162-3 Room Suite: $13,842
With 300 residents and eight resident assistants, Second Street is an unknown community to many. Its advantages include a plethora of single rooms, offering the privacy of an apartment in the setting of a residence hall. Combined with its killer East Village location, you may forget it’s a dorm room. But the majority of the building is filled with tri-ples and doubles in tightly cramped spaces, which makes affinity with roommates a requirement.
Kitchen areas are pretty much nonexistent, and the walls are very thin. Additionally, if you’re still signed
up for the comforts of a meal plan, be aware as the closest dining hall is a good ten blocks away. On the flip side, there’s a Whole Foods one block south, and Trader Joe’s is well within walking distance.
If these conditions seem bearable to you, then get ready for a small, tight-knit community where everybody knows your name. Down the street is a 24-hour 7-Elev-en, and around the corner is Yippie Cafe, where up-and-coming bands stop by. If you book it, you can make it to class in less than 10 minutes. You can also easily stop by SoHo and drop some serious cash on luxury shopping.
Conveniently located near the Broadway-Lafayette 6 train station for when you have to leave the East Village, Second Street is the perfect location for the real New Yorker. If you desire something more than the nice Gramercy microwaves or a spacious rooming situation and instead want an actual New York experience in the happening East Village, Sec-ond Street is for you. Just don’t come expecting a luxury hotel — for that there’s The Bowery Hotel down the block, which you pass on your way home.
— GERALDINE INOA
Most people have probably never heard of the Green House at Seventh Street, but it is definitely worth your consideration.
Located at 40 E. Seventh St. between Second and Third avenues, the Green House is home to about 80 students and offers residents countless opportunities to get involved with sustainability initia-tives on campus and around the city. Based on personal interests, residents participate in one of four focus areas: Conservation Pro-gramming, Communal Dinners, Commu-nity Service or Community Development.
Residents will find an indoor garden, a green library and a bike storage room for their use and enjoyment. Hall program-ming has included a tour of the Stone Barns Farm, documentary screenings and weekly communal dinners. Plenty of other programs are coordinated with the Green House’s sister residence hall, Alumni Hall.
Rooms are apartment-style quads and car-peted. Kitchens are a bit cramped as coun-tertop space is almost nonexistent. Com-mon rooms, however, are spacious and have plenty of extra closet space. The bed-rooms are comfortably sized, too. With no walk-in closets, large armoires and dressers are provided. Bathrooms have two sinks.
Don’t let the lack of air conditioning or elevators scare you away. Fans are pro-vided to help keep you cool during those first few balmy weeks of the school year. And with only four floors, taking the stairs isn’t too bad. But rest assured — an el-evator is made accessible on move-in day.
Second to its green initiatives, the Green House’s location might be its best feature. Yoga to the People is just a street over. Pom-mes Frites, Veselka and other good eats are dangerously close, too. Everything the East Village has to offer is right at your door-step when you live in the Green House.
— SARAH NGUYEN
2011-2012 rates per yearSingle: $16,1162-3 Room Suite: $13,842
Nearby subway stations:
Walk time to campus:
15 minutes
$1 per wash$1 per dry
Toilet paper/trash bags: No
SECONDSTREET
SEVENTHSTREET
40 E. Seventh St.
1 E. Second St.
FILE PHOTO BY DAVID LIN
FILE PHOTO BY KATE GUENTHER
8 | WSN HOUSING GUIDE 2012
OFF-CAMPUSAPARTMENT-HUNTING RESOURCES
Finding an off-campus apartment is not an easy task. It can be difficult to find a comfortably-sized place close to campus, and ever-rising rents can make finding an affordable apartment seem nearly impossible. Here are a few services that can make your search easier.
NYU Off-Campus Housing ServicesThe Off-Campus Housing Office helps students find apartments and of-
fers complete information on the application and leasing process. The office can also connect students to brokers and help them find roommates. The of-fice, which is located in the Kimmel Center for University Life, holds walk-in hours throughout the week. This service also hosts information sessions and events on issues like financial aid, filing taxes and off-campus survival.
Urban EdgeUrbanedgeny.com lists no-fee, no-commission New York City apartments.
All listings are posted by building owners, and the site guarantees that listings are accurate and honest. Listings that are not updated every two weeks are re-moved from the site. Urban Edge also offers tips on how to rent an apartment and maintains a complete guide to on- and off-campus student housing in the city.
The Next Step RealtyThe Next Step Realty recruits and pairs brokers with recent college graduates
who are searching for their first apartments. Next Step brokers work to make the leasing process affordable by offering discounted fees and featuring low-rent apart-ments. This service can help recent graduates save time and energy by provid-ing assistance from the first steps in apartment-hunting to the closing process.
— NICOLA PRING
When NYU upperclassmen begin the mass exo-dus out of student housing in search of cheaper digs, their quest usually lands them in the trendy streets of Williamsburg. However, if Williams-burg — or its not-quite-as-cool cousin, Bush-wick — are still out of the range of your student budget, the rest of Brooklyn has plenty to offer.
Just shy of the swankier areas of Park Slope and Prospect Heights is an area of Brooklyn known as Flatbush. Here, it’s possible to find apartments with twice the space of Williamsburg flats for a fraction of the price. The best perk by far is being within a brisk 30-minute walk of Central Park’s more relaxed counterpart, Prospect Park. Its delights include the Prospect Park Zoo, the Brooklyn Botanical Garden,
a new ice skating area, a plethora of friendly dogs and ultimate frisbee pick-up games every weekend.
Despite Flatbush’s eminent affordability and com-munity environment, this is not a student area. On the subway ride to campus — a trip that can be a quick 20 to 30 minutes on the B train, or an hour or more on late nights or weekends because of the fick-le Q train — you are more likely to rub elbows with mothers and children and people chatting in unfamil-iar languages than you are to see the token hipsters and yuppies of Brooklyn’s trendier areas. If you do find your dream apartment, your neighbors will be families, which can have the advantage of being fair-ly quiet and lends it an air of safety, even after hours.
The sight of families out for a stroll or casual
bikers in Prospect Park is a welcome relief from the hustle of Manhattan. But if you are a per-son for whom a nearby social scene is essen-tial, this may not be the neighborhood for you.
Though there are a number of tasty and affordable options for some ethnic dining, you are never far from the basics, including a Flatbush food co-op for the organic lovers out there. Most places to stretch your social wings are on the other side of the park — not necessarily a quick or easy trek. But if you’re feeling adventurous, hitch a ride on one of Brooklyn’s dollar vans, which shuttle savvy riders up and down Flatbush Avenue and allow passengers to hop off at any time in search of the myriad of joys central Brooklyn can offer.
— BEKAH HOLLOWAY
BROOKLYN: FLATBUSH
Stuyvesant Town
East Village
West Village
Financial District
Brooklyn
via FLICKR
WSN HOUSING GUIDE 2012 | 9
Embodying all the eccentricities of New York City youth, the East Village is home to some of the best bars, restaurants and nightlife in town.
Just south of Gramercy, east of Greenwich Village and north of the Lower East Side, this sprawling neighborhood is always abuzz with students seeking out hip, lively hangout spots and cheap, delicious meals.
Frequenters of the area will savor some of the city’s tastiest delights, including S’MAC, Artichoke Pizza, Klong, Baoguette and TKettle, which are all just a few blocks away — not to mention the enticing Asian cuisine and bustling brunch spots nearby. Or, if you prefer to hold on to your precious meal plan, a short 10-minute walk will take you right to the dining halls at both Palladium and Third Avenue North residence halls.
One downside to living in the East Village is that the rent is always on the rise. If you’re lucky, you may be able to find a small two- or three-bedroom apartment for $1,500 per month, but rental prices generally range from $2,000 to $3,000 per month and beyond.
But that’s the price you pay for convenient, off-campus living. You can pick up any staple goods you could possibly need at Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods and the various
delis scattered throughout the area — not to mention the plentiful Duane Reades.Finding a spacious, quiet venue may also prove to be a tall order. Apartments in
the East Village are not known for their size, and there is a constant cosmopolitan vibe that pulsates up and down First Avenue, mellowing out only along the edge of Alphabet City. It can often be hard to escape the sounds of traffic and tipsy sports fanatics.
If you’re anything like I am, though, you’ll love the magnetism, and you’ll prefer that your apartment be cozy. A handful of units in the area come well-equipped with kitchen appliances, high ceilings, hardwood floors and mostly small- to mid-sized bedrooms.
While laundry generally costs a hefty $2.50 per load, most laundromats are nes-tled right next to one another and within just paces of practically any apartment building.
Though Brooklyn may boast better dive bars and bigger spaces, there is no besting the EV when it comes to the cool crowds, casual dining and convenient commute to campus.
— KIRSTEN CHANG
You would be surprised who lives in the West Vil-lage. Hiding among the mid-career successful types, the rent-stabilized bohemi-ans and the celebrities, a population of friendly NYU students resides. And you could join them — just look past the reputation for lux-ury and actually check out some of the rent here. Your neighbors might be shell-ing out, but that doesn’t mean you will be, too.
Sure, it’s not as trendy or cheap as its eastern coun-terpart, but the West Vil-lage has a lot going for it. It’s steeped in history. It’s safe. The shops are shiny and expensive-looking, but the buildings that house them are pretty and old. There’s a nice mix of resi-dential and commercial zones, which creates a cozy but active vibe. It actually feels like a neighborhood.
For foodies, the West Vil-lage is an ideal location. The opportunities for fine dining are endless, but cheap options still abound. My favorite place to stop is Patisserie Claude, a tiny neighborhood staple that serves the best croissants this side of Houston Street.
Another perk is that the neighborhood borders Hud-son River Park. During the warmer months it’s a great place to take a run or bike
ride or to just sit and drink a frozen hot chocolate at Organicoa. Other great des-tinations are super close, including the IFC Center, Film Forum and jazz clubs like the Village Vanguard and Blue Note. There’s also a very quaint library, the Jef-ferson Market Branch of the New York Public Library.
Keep in mind, the West Village is also known for its bar scene. If you like bars, you won’t have to travel much to get your fix, and you won’t have to stumble far to get back home. If you don’t like bars, then you will probably not like Friday and Saturday nights here.
Of course, a major draw of the West Village for NYU students is that it’s just a few minutes away from the Washington Square Super-block — home to the attrac-tions that students pay thou-sands of dollars to enjoy. I’m talking about Downstein and Bobst, of course.
If you want your inde-pendence but are worried about losing touch with your old dorm friends or drifting away from campus life, the West Village might just be the perfect solution. You’re technically out of NYU’s domain, but you’re never too far away.
It’s the perfect home away from home.
— JORDAN TEICHER
EAST VILLAGE
WESTVILLAGE
LAUREN STRAUSSER/WSN
LAUREN STRAUSSER/WSN
10 | WSN HOUSING GUIDE 2012
FINANCIALDISTRICT
The Financial District makes up for the absence of booming nightlife with its quiet, spacious and clean apartments. All different types of people live in the area, ranging from college students to older businessmen on Wall Street.
But the most appealing aspect of living in lower Manhattan is that you get the most bang for your buck. Most apartment buildings are newly renovated and come complete with 24-hour doormen and extra amenities you can’t find in the East Village. Yes, it is possible to have an elevator and a door-man for about $1,000 a month in Manhattan. You can’t get cleaner or more spacious apartments for this price in the East Village. And the humorously named 3 butt kitchens means that you can fit not one, not two, but three whole people in your kitchen at once.
But be prepared to take the subway to campus every day since walking takes at least 40 minutes. If you live near the Fulton Street subway station, you have access to several subway lines, and the commute to campus is 20
to 30 minutes. If you are someone who likes to stay at Bobst until 3 a.m., be aware that the streets on your walk home will be empty. But fear not — the Financial District is an extremely safe area.
Restaurants tend to close early, and the nightlife is lacking. The area isn’t completely deserted at night, and there are many popular restaurants such as Adrienne’s Pizza Bar and Suteishi scattered in lower Manhattan. The charming Stone Street is one of the best places to enjoy an outdoor meal or a drink during the warmer months. You can also take a 20-minute stroll up to Little Italy or Chinatown for some great food.
Other benefits of living in the Financial District include being near the South Street Seaport and the only Century 21 in New York. For anyone who jogs, the best part is the Riverside Park, one of the most beautiful parts of the city to run in. You will also be down by Battery Park, the National Sep-tember 11 Memorial and the ferry, which travels from Pier 11 to Ikea.
— ERICA CROSLEY
STUYVESANTTOWN
If you are looking for a prime East Village location but don’t re-ally love the idea of a fifth- floor walkup, Stuyvesant Town is the place for you. Because it is a com-plex, you get all of the conve-niences of NYU Housing without the hassle of public safety or hav-ing to sign people in — elevators, a full-time maintenance staff, laundry in the basement and, yes, NYU buses. Not to mention, each unit comes with updated ap-pliances, including a dishwasher and a refrigerator/freezer. You won’t find this swanky kitchen in the same price range anywhere else you look.
The property itself is huge, ex-tending from 14th to 20th streets and from First Avenue to Avenue C. Obviously, the closer you can get to 14th and 1st the more ex-
pensive the rent. In turn, you’ll be closer to campus and the L train station, which connects you to the rest of the subway system. If you prefer walking to campus, it shouldn’t take you more than 20 minutes.
Think of the oval of Stuyvesant Town as the off-campus version of Washington Square Park. In the summer, there are concerts and a lot of people tanning in the mini-park. In the winter, there are hol-iday decorations and an ice-skat-ing rink. For avid runners, Stuy Town is right on the East River, which provides miles of free exer-cise space. Not to mention, Trader Joe’s lovers can get their fix with just a two-avenue walk. If that’s too far, the super-cheap Associ-ated Supermarket is on the 14th Street side of Stuyvesant Town.
As with any Manhattan apart-ment these days, the real con is the price. Units are somewhat ex-pensive: one-bedroom apartments typically run for about $3,300 a month and two-bedroom apart-ments are $4,100. Some residents choose to put up a temporary, pressurized wall, which magically splits the insanely oversized living room to create a new bedroom — and, therefore, a new rent-paying roommate. For super cost-savers, it is also possible to create a book-shelf wall in the master bedroom. One half of the room will still be bigger than many freshman dorm rooms, so don’t let the technical one, two or three bedroom titles fool you — you can comfortably fit more people than you would expect.
