Customer Reviews

Zany's New York City Apartment Sales and Rental Guide, 2002-2003

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This is so well written and organized, it is the only guide you'll need. I also bought If your thinking of living in...New York Times book and Monster.com's Relocating to NYC and surrounding areas. I wasted my money on those other two books because unlike Zany's they were mostly fluff and made it sound like all neighborhoods were equally good.

In contrast Zany's gives you detailed enough information that is "straight up" and not sounding like a salesperson for the hood. The descriptions give you a nice feel for the intangible aspects of any community. By organizing each neighborhood into things which are relevant to everyone, but not weighted equally by everyone, you can select what things are important to you and make your own decisions based on what is important and appeals to you.(e.g. safety, schools, parks, shopping, household income, diversity, etc.)

I also like the "editor's picks" which I found very helpful and included a little something for everyone (Best Bang for the Buck, Hippest Hood etc.). Using the book nearly exclusively we were able to narrow it down to two hoods that were in our price range and met our criteria for a good place to live. Well done!!

Unfortunately, this book's title is misleading because it doesn't help you find an apartment; rather, it helps you find a NEIGHBORHOOD. Zany's is a detailed look at most of the neighborhoods of Manhattan, Brooklyn and parts of Queens. In that regard, I loved it and found it extremely beneficial because it was so educational. I live in Manhattan but I have been wanting to move and this book has helped me narrow down locations to where I can afford to live, as well as which neighborhoods would be best for me and my needs. And they're very thorough. They even list some of the newly formed (or newly named!) neighborhoods, such as Clinton - formerly Hell's Kitchen, and give you information about average rent and sales prices on apartments, neighborhood safety, parking, schools, restaurants, night life, transportation and general living style. Also, despite the un-P.C. nature of some of these statistics, people are still interested in a demographic breakdown of a neighborhood's population, and so they tell you who lives there by race, age and income levels. I think this book is a great resource for anyone who is thinking of moving to a new neighborhood in New York City. You might even find a neighborhood that you never heard!

Moving to the city?

Moving around in the city?

Looking for someplace new to explore over the weekend in the city?

Ingest media about the city and are tantalized but clueless about the neighborhood references?

GRAB THIS BOOK NOW!

Zany's manages to be a succinct yet comprehensive reference for every neighborhood in every borough and a couple in Jersey.

It provides at-a-glance lists of demographic info, public transportation access, average rental and purchase price, and distance in minutes to both downtown and midtown Manhattan. It also offers (compared to my experience accurate) overviews of noise levels, parking availability, family-friendliness, safety considerations, entertainment options, restaurants, public green spaces, and shopping.

While packing maximum info into minimum space, the well-written snack-sized histories and characterizations of neighborhood vibe also make it an addictive read.

Final Word: Interesting fun for any NYC fan, indispensible survey for would-be renters or buyers before contacting a broker.

I thought this was a great guide. It gives you the straight information on many NYC neighborhoods - the good and the bad. I found it really helpful when my husband and I were looking to buy an apartment, there's nothing else like it out there. Thumbs up!

It doesn't list actual apartments, but it has 3 narrow pages on every neighborhood in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, & Queens plus short essays on related topics. It gives statistics on neighborhoods including race, household income, rent costs, safety and commuting time. Although note that the info on Harlem is debatable, so don't believe every word. The most important thing missing is a subway map. No doubt it is helpful.

This book should have got 4 or 5 stars 5 years ago. (The prefaces says that parts of the book were written before 9/11.)

In the 5 years, a lot has changed. Most of the neighborhood prices listed have doubled or tripled, and the information for many neighborhoods has become out of date. I found the historic summarys interesting, but when the book describes the current state of neighborhoods it often fails to be acurate. This is especially true outside of down and mid town.

I should have noticed all the positive reviews here were as outdated as this book. What's more, the title was misleading. It's actually only about neighbourhood information, population stats, etc. Not helpful for me cuz I was trying to look for no-fee buildings and management companies.

If this book was titled Zany's New York City Neighborhood Guide, that would be one thing, but this is simply not an "apartment sales and rental" guide. For this alone, I would rate the book a one. But even as a neighborhood guide this is a failure.

If you are not a New Yorker and are reading this book from afar with an eye towards moving to New York, this will be a waste of money. New York is a complicated, ever changing sea of people and the neighborhood demographics ebb and flow and change almost over night. To take three pages for each neighborhood and strain the essence of the area down to race, crime and economic statistics is tremendously misleading.

Not recommended as an apartment sales or rental guide and not recommended as a neighborhood guide. Pass this one by.

Bought and used this book. Found a great apartment with it under my price range. Info is very detailed and accurate.