So you want to find an apartment in Queens?

Find Apartments in Queens quickly and easily with our online apartment finder. Looking for apartment rentals and sublets can be difficult, but we make finding a new home easy at Olympic City Real Estate.

Before you start looking for an apartment, you need to make an important decision: how much are you willing and able to pay in monthly rent? In a city as expensive as New York you will probably have to spend a large percentage of your income on housing. A good way to find your upper-limit for housing costs is to divide your monthly net (after tax) income by three.

2. Pick a neighborhood

Once you've determined how much money you can spend on an apartment, you need to decide what areas to look at. We should inform you that New York City is made up of five separate sections, or "boroughs": Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Staten Island, and Queens. Most people want to live in Manhattan because it's where most of the jobs are, and because it's probably the most happening place in the world. Many choose to live in one of the other four boroughs (where housing is infinitely cheaper) and commute into the city.

You should also visit neighborhoods you might want to live in, if you can. Just walking around a neighborhood can be a real help in deciding where to live. When reading about or visiting neighborhoods, keep the following factors in mind:

• Is the rent affordable? Are the stores, shops, gyms, and bars in the area affordable? (No matter what they say ahead of time, most people spend their money in nearby establishments.)
• Is the neighborhood safe?
• How close is the public transportation you'll need to take to work, school, etc?
• What are the nearby schools like?

3. Decide whether you want a broker

Using a broker also has several advantages. Brokers will do your leg work; they find apartments and make appointments to fit your schedule. A broker would probably be invaluable to an individual who is unable to take time off from work, or someone who lives out of town. Brokers also tend to have a wide selection of apartments to choose from, and they have access to apartments not available to the general public. If you do decide to use a broker, you just have to contact us!!!