how to find an apartment in greenpoint.
I spent a year and a half working in real estate. The truth about Greenpoint real estate is that there is very little available, because people don’t move if they have a good deal, and because most of it rents via word of mouth, personal referrals, and then finally, the local real estate agents, many of whom are Polish-speaking. They will occasionally show up on Craigslist*, but most of the great finds simply do not.
Google maps are great and all, but there is no replacement for shoe leather. It astounded me when people would call me, looking for an apartment in Greenpoint, but had never ever come here and walked around. If you haven’t done that, you are wasting your time. So go get on the train and then come back here.
The best way to find an apartment in Greenpoint is to come out here, preferably during the week, and walk around and ASK. Dress nicely, be polite, and go into stores and restaurants and coffee shops and ASK. Ask your friends who live here to ask their landlords - even if they don’t have anything available, all landlords know each other. But, again, ASK. This is not something that yields immediate results. But it is the absolute best way to find a great deal and not have a million people competing with you.
Walking around also acquaints you with the neighborhood, if you’re not already. Get a map. Walk around. See the grocery store, the dry cleaner, the 99 cent stores. See where the G train exits are, ride the B61 to LIC and see how easy the connection to the 7 is. Don’t reject the part of Greenpoint that’s on the other side of McGuinness, because some of the nicest streets are over there. But you won’t find them if you don’t walk around and see for yourself.
And, yes, sure. Call the brokers and check the Craigslist ads because there will be some one-offs offered by owners who don’t have the time and energy to deal with the phone calls and the appointments and the paperwork. But it’s not easy and it’s definitely not going to get any easier. The one thing you have going for you is that most people don’t want to live in Greenpoint, they all want to live in Williamsburg.
Good luck!
