Your first apartment in NYC?

I love hearing peoples' stories about this! I got so lucky with my first apartment . . I have such a boring tale. I love the bad ones. Ahhhh schadenfreude.

@uptowngirl I think NeverSleeps posted something really similar. I thought the best thing in the NY Times appraisal this week was the Curbed guide on how not to stage an apartment listing! http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2011/01/25/how_not_to_stage_an_apartment_our_easy_10step_guide.php

@BroadwayBK I read about that UWS rental in another report shocking isn't it? You know I had no idea what staging was until I moved to the US. Real estate prices in many areas of Mumbai are even higher than Manhattan but no seller ever stages the property. They all sell it as is and there seems to be so much pent up demand that buyers snap it up anyway.
I remember we were actually thinking of buying a property for investment there way back in 2003. At that time the two bedroom on a leafy lane in South Mumbai was priced at $250000 I now believe its worth 10 times the amount. I was real estate novice at that time and now every time I go past that property I kick myself!

My very first apartment in NYC was when I moved to the Bronx four years ago. That wasn't exactly a great move. And I regret doing it.

When I was first born (does that count as my first apartment?), my mother and I lived on Central Park South in an L-shaped studio apartment, and my grandmother lived a building or two down! Now my grandma's moving and my mother lives on the Upper East Side - and I crash with them!

@uptowngirl It was awful! If I had the rental money to burn I wouldn't even consider looking at that apartment. Shouldn't everyone understand the basics of advertising listings by now? Sheesh. But I guess that makes me a New York snob?

@BroadwayBK You're no NYC snob, its just the way of the city ,if you need to rent you spruce up your apartment to attract renters/buyers.. I really cant believe what the owner of that apartment was thinking.. dirty towels on the bed c'mon?Or maybe he/she is just an arrogant NYer who thinks because its a penthouse on the UWS it will rent anyway..they are many of those around as well.

@BroadwayBK: You, a NY snob. Don't make me laugh. :) The problem with many ads is that not much is stated in them. You must use your intuition or contact the advertiser to learn more fully what the place is about that was listed in the ad. When i was planning to move to the Bronx, I read the ad and liked what I read. I went to see the apartment and liked the space. The problem is I failed to ask about the neighborhood. My mistake.

I can't believe that guy's apartment! Seriously dude?

I saw the website at Crubed and they wrote about how to show off an apartment. First of all, the people living there now are moving out. When they move, there won't be anything there to see, so why be so particular about the place. I agree the rooms should be neat and clean, but don't get so fussy about it. Who cares if a couple of towels are on the bed. They won't be sleeping on it anyway.

I lived in a place on East 23rd that was AWFUL despite the good location. The screech of buses at night was maddening - I can't describe how bad it was to have that grating sound non-stop- and within a month I was a nervous wreck from it. Moved out as soon as I could.

@uptowngirl You're right, and I think I would spruce up my apartment even if I lived in another city. I just can't imagine what my mother would say if she found out I was inviting the public to check out my bedroom but hadn't bothered to remove the towels from my bed - wait, why would I even have towels on my bed?!

@BroadwayBk My thoughts exactly- the husband is a neatness freak he would probably murder me if i left towels on the bed .. not that I would ever.. I am no slob in the neatness stakes either.