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\n Illustration: Millie von Platen\n <\/p>\n
Subscribers got early access to this story in our\u00a0New York Night School: How to Be a New Yorker\u00a0newsletter.\u00a0Click here<\/a>\u00a0to explore more of our subscriber-exclusive newsletters.<\/p>\n In the spring, this magazine publishes a \u201cBest of New York<\/a>\u201d issue, which attempts to make living here easier by surfacing the best florists, butchers, plumbers, and eyebrow waxers. This year, we took the idea in a more existential direction: What knowledge set is required to live in the city like someone who grew up here? And can we teach the newish New Yorker how to beat the system in everything from errands to entertainment to the emergency room?<\/p>\n We set out to assemble a big collection of municipal tips and tricks. We reached out to doctors, traffic attorneys, and particularly New York\u2013y New Yorkers like Alison Stewart and Gay Talese, but most of the advice comes from the New York Magazine editorial hive mind. What began as a small Slack channel grew into a constantly humming conversation that begot some hacks that even the most grizzled New Yorkers among us hadn\u2019t known till now. (Apparently you can walk into the Met through the parking garage?!)<\/p>\n Here, you\u2019ll find no \u201cfun facts\u201d \u2014 while it\u2019s interesting to learn that Central Park is bigger than the country of Monaco, it doesn\u2019t make living here any easier. And we\u2019re not promising a comprehensive list. Consider this a megacollection of scraps of wisdom one accrues over a lifetime of sitting in traffic on the BQE, or trying to get into a restaurant that just got a rave, or making mental notes about the tips rattled off by a friend of a friend at a dinner party over the weekend.<\/p>\n This story was originally published online May 9, 2005. It has been updated to reflect business closures, new pricing, and other changes. Subscribers got early access to this story in our New York Night School: How to Be a New Yorker<\/a> newsletter. Click here<\/a> to explore more of our subscriber-exclusive newsletters.<\/p>\n Illustration: Millie von Platen\n <\/p>\n Most bodegas sell stamps.<\/p>\n You may be pleasantly surprised to find that your local independent drugstore is cheaper than Duane Reade and CVS. It also probably doesn\u2019t imprison the Advil in plastic lockdown.<\/p>\n Not enough people realize Chinatown\u2019s street vendors have incredible produce at very good prices.<\/p>\n Illustration: Millie von Platen\n <\/p>\n A great butcher shop \u2014 Prospect Butcher Co.\u2019s<\/a> two locations, Paisanos in Cobble Hill, Ottomanelli & Sons on Bleecker \u2014 is about more than good meat. The best will happily take care of any fussy task you want done \u2014 whether butterflying a turkey, deboning skin-on chicken breasts, or just talking through the best way to cook a porterhouse. Once you find a favorite, become a regular and make sure it stays in business. (Be sure to tip well for especially onerous tasks and during holidays.)<\/p>\n The Chateau Diana sold in every bodega is actually a \u201cwine product,\u201d and it\u2019s disgusting! Avoid.<\/p>\n If you want to make your own pizza at home, your local slice joint will probably sell you some dough if you ask.<\/p>\n You can do your interview for Global Entry at the National Museum of the American Indian<\/a> at One Bowling Green.<\/p>\n Fairway\u2019s roast chickens are well priced \u2014 $10 for a whole cooked chicken. And they\u2019re pretty good!<\/p>\n Don\u2019t judge a grocery by its cover. The milk at Union Market may be cheaper than the milk at Key Food.<\/p>\n You can often renew your driver\u2019s license digitally, unless it has been suspended or you let it expire. Check the DMV website<\/a> before you show up in person.<\/p>\n If you do need to go to the DMV, the Financial District branch is the best in the city. You can renew your license within ten minutes, and the staff is friendly. The License Express on West 30th Street is pretty good too.<\/p>\n If you sell a car, don\u2019t cancel your insurance until you return the license plates. \u201cIf you don\u2019t, there\u2019s a daily penalty for 90 days; after that, you can\u2019t pay your way out anymore \u2014 your license will be suspended,\u201d says traffic attorney Matthew Weiss.<\/p>\n Got a ticket? Get a traffic attorney, plead not guilty, and have them try to delay the hearing. \u201cThe points on your license can only hurt you for two years after the offense, so always try to delay your hearing for two years and then try to get it dismissed,\u201d says Michael Spevack, a traffic attorney. Also: Fight every ticket, as they can be dismissed if the officer doesn\u2019t show up to the hearing (because they\u2019ve either retired or been transferred).<\/p>\n If you move, you have to notify the DMV of your address change within ten days, but it\u2019s also a wise idea to inform the Traffic Violations Bureau to avoid missing a notice and ending up with a suspended license.<\/p>\n For typewriter repair, try Jay at Gramercy Typewriter Co.<\/a> (108 W. 17th St.; 212-674-7700).<\/p>\n If chairs need to be re-caned, call Sean at Veteran\u2019s Caning <\/a>(465 Baltic St.; 212-564-4560).<\/p>\n When clothing is moth eaten, see Ronald Moore at French-American Reweaving Co. (119 W. 57th St.; 212-765-4670).<\/p>\n Lamp need repair? Call Richard at Lexington Hardware<\/a> (797 Lexington Ave.; 212-838-5386).<\/p>\n My favorite tailor (he both repairs garments and makes new suits and jackets) is Sal Cristiano (138 E. 61st St.; 212-752-1638). Editor\u2019s note: Sal is now semi-retired, and his son Carl Cristiano handles many of the repairs.<\/p>\n If you find yourself in need of a replacement toilet valve in the middle of the night, Nuthouse Hardware<\/a> (202 E. 29th St., nr. Third Ave.) is large, well stocked, and open 24\/7.<\/p>\n Illustration: Millie von Platen\n <\/p>\n It\u2019s not hard to get rid of your dead dog (on a logistical level). The proper way to dispose of a deceased pet in New York, believe it or not, is to put it out with your trash in a heavy-duty black plastic bag with a little note attached describing the contents.<\/p>\n Illustration: Millie von Platen\n <\/p>\n Always Use the 81st Street Entrance to the Met (and when it\u2019s particularly mobbed, walk in \u2014 very carefully \u2014 through the parking garage on 80th Street.).<\/p>\n Buy your Broadway-theater tickets in person at the box office, not online, to avoid the fees. If you just need one ticket, walk up to the theater 15 minutes before a show and see if it has a cancellation. Now and then, it works.<\/p>\n If you want to see something new, weird, scrappy, ambitious, and usually cheap, try the Brick<\/a> in Williamsburg, the Tank<\/a> or Theaterlab<\/a> on 36th Street, the Bushwick Starr<\/a>, or Target Margin<\/a> in Sunset Park.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t see \u2018Shen Yun.\u2019<\/p>\n Illustration: Millie von Platen\n <\/p>\n If you have tickets to a hot show, arrive early and observe who walks toward the house seats about eight rows from the stage at center. It\u2019s great people-watching.<\/p>\n The best night to see a Broadway show is Tuesday because there are fewer tourists and, if the show is dark Mondays (as many are), the cast is rested.<\/p>\n The Museum of Natural History<\/a> opens an hour early around Thanksgiving and Christmas; you can have the Dinosaur Wing nearly to yourself.<\/p>\n Put in the hours to befriend DJs. They can often provide drink tickets and help you skip lines.<\/p>\n Always avoid Terminal 5. It\u2019s still a pain to get to and has bad acoustics.<\/p>\n Sitting in the back car on the Cyclone roller coaster is scariest; it whips around like a tail.<\/p>\n For 120 years, the Naumburg Orchestral Concerts<\/a> series has presented a slate of free performances.<\/p>\n The most jaw-dropping show of the holiday season is the La Guardia High School All-School Musical<\/a>, a Broadway-level production almost entirely produced by teens. Tickets are $35.<\/p>\n A few times a year, you can see the Martha Graham Dance Company<\/a> rehearse at its studio in Westbeth for $35; you\u2019ll be sitting just a few feet away from the dancers.<\/p>\n Art galleries are required to give you a price list if asked.<\/p>\n The Film Forum Jr.<\/a> movies are better, but you can get a Bloody Mary at Nitehawk<\/a>\u2019s kid screenings.<\/p>\n You go to the Angelika<\/a> for the ambient subway noise. It\u2019s the loudest in theater four. Don\u2019t complain about it.<\/p>\n The Neue Galerie\u2019s Filmbar<\/a> is a deal. For $28, you get a ticket to an Austrian film, a large pretzel, and a drink.<\/p>\n It sounds cheesy, but the Classic Harbor Line<\/a>\u2019s foliage cruise up the Hudson is a glorious way to spend an October day.<\/p>\n The best outdoor concert venue is Forest Hills Stadium<\/a>. Every seat has a direct view, and there is excellent food.<\/p>\n The crowds at queer bars the Rosemont<\/a>, Cubbyhole<\/a>, and Happyfun Hideaway<\/a> are in their 20s. Henrietta Hudson<\/a>, Metropolitan<\/a>, and Singers<\/a> have a slightly older mix.<\/p>\n When your friends from college visit, get over your pretension and just take them to Le Bain<\/a>. When again will they ever see a Jacuzzi in a nightclub?<\/p>\n Illustration: Millie von Platen\n <\/p>\n If you ask politely, any bodega that sells weed (and many that do not) will sell you mushroom chocolates.<\/p>\n The New York Earth Room<\/a> is the thinking person\u2019s Donald Judd studio.<\/p>\n The city\u2019s coolest nightclub is Mansions<\/a> in Maspeth. It feels like you\u2019re dancing in your grandma\u2019s carpeted basement.<\/p>\n Forget day drinking at any of the Dimes Square bars (Clandestino<\/a>, Forgtmenot, Le Dive<\/a>). Opt for Bar Valentina<\/a>, around the corner, where there is always a free outdoor table.<\/p>\n The Eagle NYC<\/a> on early Sunday evenings is like the McSorley\u2019s<\/a> of gay treachery: a long-standing classic for a reason.<\/p>\n The Rockaway Hotel<\/a> is good for an all-day brunch\/swim\/sauna\/massage hang.<\/p>\n The Red Hook pool<\/a> is double the size of most city pools and is rarely crowded.<\/p>\n Anable Basin Sailing<\/a>, on a lot next to the East River in Long Island City, is the ideal spot for outdoor day drinking.<\/p>\n You can go whale watching from Sheepshead Bay. It costs $69 for a three-and-a-half-hour boat ride.<\/p>\n Illustration: Millie von Platen\n <\/p>\n Tickets to Friday-night Brooklyn Cyclones<\/a> games on Coney Island (from $30 per ticket) come with two beers. On Sundays, kids gets to run the bases at the end of the game.<\/p>\n The ideal time to go to the U.S. Open is the day session of the middle Saturday of the tournament.<\/p>\n The best way to get affordable Knicks tickets is to stop by the box office 15 minutes after tip-off.<\/p>\n The best seat for watching Upper East Side ladies peacock is the bench outside Butterfield Market<\/a> on Madison Avenue.<\/p>\n Illustration: Millie von Platen\n <\/p>\n Just go to the Knickerbocker<\/a> for dinner. Call 212-228-8490 and ask for a booth.<\/p>\n For the nights you can\u2019t think of anything to cook: The Brooklyn Public Library has a fantastic collection of e-cookbooks, meaning everyone has access to thousands of professionally tested recipes instantly and for free.<\/p>\n It is never worth paying the plating fee to take your own cake to a restaurant celebration. Just don\u2019t bother. Bring candles if you must.<\/p>\n Or book dinner at Vinegar Hill House<\/a>. It serves an excellent chocolate cake, and you can order a whole one a few days in advance.<\/p>\n Barbetta<\/a>\u2019s backyard is also a festive place for a birthday \u2014 it has a giant fountain and an elaborate garden.<\/p>\n The bars that will most impress visiting family members are Darling<\/a>, on top of the Park Lane overlooking Central Park, and Bar Blondeau<\/a>, on top of the Wythe overlooking the Manhattan skyline.<\/p>\n Illustration: Millie von Platen\n <\/p>\n There is no better place to have a difficult conversation \u2014 a breakup or a heart-to-heart \u2014 than Park Bar<\/a> at the Parkhouse<\/a> in McCarren Park. The Bloody Mary is excellent.<\/p>\n There are certain restaurants (Carbone<\/a>, Tatiana<\/a>, the Corner Store<\/a>) where you really aren\u2019t going to get a reservation unless you know someone. Or know someone who knows someone. Instead of trying to force your way in, why not go to literally any other restaurant?<\/p>\n For restaurant reservations: Always call first. You should resort to OpenTable or Resy (or, God forbid, Tock) only if a restaurant doesn\u2019t have a posted phone number.<\/p>\n It takes all of three seconds to look up the health grade for any restaurant at a816-health.nyc.gov\/ABCEatsRestaurants<\/a>.<\/p>\n Go to the same restaurant on a few slow nights and be friendly (but not overly solicitous) to the host. They\u2019ll likely remember and take care of you on the busy nights, too.<\/p>\n The famous mutton chop at Keens<\/a> is actually lamb. It\u2019s fine \u2014 but not so good that you should avoid a steak if that\u2019s what you really want.<\/p>\n Illustration: Millie von Platen\n <\/p>\n The food at the city\u2019s restaurant institutions \u2014 the oyster bars and steakhouses in every travel guide \u2014 is almost uniformly mediocre. Two exceptions: Katz\u2019s<\/a>, where the pastrami is better than anywhere else, and Joe\u2019s Pizza<\/a> on Carmine and Sixth, which is still the king of the classic NYC slice.<\/p>\n We\u2019re all tipping 20 percent or more on the entire bill, and that\u2019s that.<\/p>\n Best pretheater dinner: \u201cThe carciofi alla giudia at Lattanzi<\/a> is incredibly good, as is the cacio e pepe, risotto alla Milanese, branzino, scampi angela, and tiramisu. The restaurant has white tablecloths and red curtains. It\u2019s a beautiful, cozy place.\u201d<\/p>\n Best post-theater dinner: \u201cIt really depends what theater you go to. You want to avoid crossing Times Square. If the play is west of Seventh Avenue, I\u2019d go to Orso<\/a>. It has a lovely quiet atmosphere. I like all the pizzas, and people love the calf\u2019s liver and all of the specials.\u201d<\/p>\n Best post-theater drink: \u201cGlass House<\/a> has a really nice bar downstairs with good food \u2014 a good burger, risotto balls, chicken club. It\u2019s fun to sit at the bar and have a Manhattan. And you might see a lot of actors who just got offstage. Also Bar Centrale<\/a> has a fantastic martini. It\u2019s a very small space, though, so you must call ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n Illustration: Millie von Platen\n <\/p>\n If you have an eye emergency after normal business hours, head to Mount Sinai Hospital\u2019s Emergency Department or its urgent-care clinic, where the staff of the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary<\/a> are on call at night.<\/p>\n If you have a child who may need to be admitted the emergency room, go to a children\u2019s hospital. NewYork-Presbyterian\u2019s is in Washington Heights, Mount Sinai\u2019s is in East Harlem, and NYU Langone\u2019s is in Kips Bay.<\/p>\n NewYork-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell\u2019s Alexandra Cohen Hospital for Women and Newborns in Manhattan guarantees a private room for postpartum recovery without an extra charge.<\/p>\n If you find yourself in need of inpatient psychiatric care, NYU Langone is likely the best place you could end up. But if you need to commit someone against their will, go to Weill Cornell.<\/p>\n For preventive care and treatment for run-of-the-mill illnesses on the cheap, Ryan Health Centers<\/a> are government funded and offer services at little or no cost to patients regardless of their insurance status.<\/p>\n Illustration: Millie von Platen\n <\/p>\n A Noguchi Museum<\/a> membership is worth it for the lamp discount.<\/p>\n For special occasions, ask your restaurant of choice about low- or no-corkage-fee nights and bring your own bottle. On Monday evenings, for instance, corkage is only $10 per bottle at Hawksmoor<\/a>; its cheapest glass is $17. (Restaurant wine markups are typically in the range of 300 percent.)<\/p>\n Flatbush Vet<\/a> is a nonprofit clinic that offers affordable vaccinations and spaying and neutering, and the ASPCA Animal Hospital<\/a> provides low-cost urgent care for those making $50,000 or less.<\/p>\n Illustration: Millie von Platen\n <\/p>\n On Fridays, Acme Smoked Fish<\/a> in Greenpoint \u2014 a Zabar\u2019s<\/a> supplier \u2014 sells at wholesale prices direct to consumers. Preorder and get there at 8 a.m. to dodge the post-run-club lines.<\/p>\n The 40 & Under membership at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center<\/a> may be the best deal in town. A $20 sign-up fee brings the cost of each concert \u2014 which typically starts at around $35 \u2014 down to $20.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll find the best cheap sushi at Ten Ichi Mart<\/a>, where it\u2019s half off after 8 p.m.<\/p>\n Opening an account with the Lower East Side People\u2019s Federal Credit Union<\/a> or Brooklyn Cooperative Federal Credit Union<\/a> reduces the cost of a monthly Citi Bike membership from around $18 to $5.<\/p>\n The Soho Rep<\/a> offers $20 rush tickets for almost every performance.<\/p>\n If you are a student, you can get $20 tickets at Signature Theatre<\/a>.<\/p>\n Joining the Theater Development Fund<\/a> (better known as TDF) gives you access to advance discount tickets, and many people are eligible, including retirees and anyone 30 and under or who works in the arts or is a freelancer.<\/p>\n Illustration: Millie von Platen\n <\/p>\n NYU College of Dentistry<\/a> provides discount services \u2014 including aesthetic procedures often not covered by insurance, like teeth whitening and veneers.<\/p>\n The American Barber Institute<\/a> offers $3 haircuts \u2014 just keep in mind that its barbers are in training. (Still, for $3, how bad is a slightly uneven trim?)<\/p>\n Free one-year memberships at many cultural institutions, including MoMA<\/a>, the Shed<\/a>, and the Central Park Zoo<\/a>.<\/p>\n $10.75 AMC Theatres<\/a> tickets.<\/p>\n Discounted ski tickets at select mountains.<\/p>\n Heavily discounted access to Broadway shows and concerts. (We\u2019ve seen Beyonc\u00e9 tickets go for $100 apiece.)<\/p>\n Membership discounts for Soccer Cric and Waterland FC, FightCamp<\/a>, YMCA<\/a>, Chelsea Piers Sky Rink<\/a>, Bike New York<\/a>, and more.<\/p>\n Ichiran<\/a> is free for kids 8 and under at its Brooklyn location, as long as you order a regular-size ramen.<\/p>\n The Staten Island Children\u2019s Museum<\/a> offers reciprocal membership with the Brooklyn Children\u2019s Museum<\/a>, the Transit Museum<\/a>, and the New York Hall of Science<\/a> \u2014 and a family membership is just $100. (Memberships at the other museums go from $20 to $100 more than that.)<\/p>\n Illustration: Millie von Platen\n <\/p>\n The ice rink at Bryant Park<\/a> is free if you bring your own skates.<\/p>\n You can borrow a steel pan drum from the Brooklyn Public Library as well as other musical instruments. Midtown\u2019s Stavros Niarchos branch hands out seeds for gardening.<\/p>\n Illustration: Millie von Platen\n <\/p>\n Rehearsal rooms make great spaces for a solitary hour. Try Mark Morris Dance Center<\/a> (starting at $22 per hour) or the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music<\/a> ($10 per hour).<\/p>\n If the main branch of the New York Public Library is crowded, cross the street to the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library<\/a>. The rooftop terrace never seems to get very busy. Otherwise, use the small branches, not the big ones.<\/p>\n The New York Society Library<\/a> on 79th Street at Madison Avenue, the oldest library in the city, is a quiet place to read or work, and tea is served at 3 p.m. Membership is $285 per year.<\/p>\n Go to Wave Hill<\/a> for a less crowded botanical-garden experience.<\/p>\n The Conservatory Garden is the most tranquil part of Central Park.<\/p>\n Go to Brighton Beach for a quiet beach day, then walk to Coney Island in the evening.<\/p>\n There\u2019s peace to be found in the Emerson Hill neighborhood of Staten Island, especially if you enjoy looking at the homes of wealthy people. You can see the Corleone family\u2019s house from The Godfather.<\/p>\n Any large department store, like Bloomingdale\u2019s, is a good bet.<\/p>\n Many supermarkets, including some Trader Joe\u2019s locations, have a bathroom.<\/p>\n Churches let you go. St. Patrick\u2019s Cathedral\u2019s is in an old confessional.<\/p>\n The Bryant Park bathroom has attendants, flowers, classical music, and self-changing toilet-seat covers.<\/p>\n Illustration: Millie von Platen\n <\/p>\n Evens = East. (That is, traffic on even-numbered streets goes east.)<\/p>\n When driving, take 18th, 20th, 35th, 39th, or 51st Street to get crosstown. Major cross streets (34th, 42nd) are for amateurs, 36th and 37th Streets always have traffic because of the Queens-Midtown Tunnel, and 22nd and 65th Streets also always have traffic. Avoid 49th Street because of Rockefeller Center.<\/p>\n Illustration: Millie von Platen\n <\/p>\n There\u2019s a giant fan at the end of the northbound Union Square Q platform that\u2019s a lifesaver on really hot days.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re lost in Central Park, find a lamppost. The first two or three numbers on it will tell you which cross street you\u2019re closest to.<\/p>\n If you live on the Upper East or Upper West Side and own a car, some doormen or porters will move your car on alternate-side-parking days for about $40 a week, so your monthly bill will be, say, roughly $200 instead of $800 for a garage. Ask around.<\/p>\n If you bike, carry a foldable helmet with you. The Closca Loop<\/a> (starting at $105) is the one you want.<\/p>\n If you\u2019d rather not spend a small fortune on parking at JFK, drive to Ozone Park, where plenty of streets don\u2019t have alternate-side parking (so you can park without fear of ticketing). It\u2019s usually then just an inexpensive Uber ride to the airport.<\/p>\n Illustration: Millie von Platen\n <\/p>\n Obvious, but bears repeating: Stand right, walk left.<\/p>\n When coming back to Grand Central on the Metro-North, you can exit the station quickly without encountering the crowds. Sit near the back of the train and walk to the northern end of the platform rather than to Grand Central Terminal. (Note that it\u2019s not wheelchair accessible and is open only on weekdays.)<\/p>\n Citymapper<\/a> is by far the best transit app. It has transformed multiple members of the New York team into non-late people.<\/p>\n On Manhattan cross streets, even-numbered addresses are on the south side \u2014 except on 1st and 2nd Streets, which are flipped.<\/p>\n Illustration: Millie von Platen\n <\/p>\n On summer-weekend ferries from Wall Street to the Rockaways, paying extra to reserve a spot is worth it. Those lines get long, and you don\u2019t want to be stuck without a seat.<\/p>\n A ten-pack of ferry tickets comes to $2.90 a pop. Nothing makes life feel worth living like ferry-commuting home.<\/p>\n There are bars onboard and a Monday-through-Friday happy-hour deal.<\/p>\n The Astoria Ferry offers beautiful views of Manhattan, and the Astoria stop drops you a not-too-far walk from the best Greek food.<\/p>\n Force yourself to pocket your phone and look out at the water: Occasionally, on the Rockaway Ferry you can see dolphins.<\/p>\n The best place to sit is the very back of the upper deck next to the stairs, where it looks like you\u2019re not even supposed to sit.<\/p>\n Illustration: Millie von Platen\n <\/p>\n Enter the housing lottery when you\u2019re in your first low-paid job. Keep applying annually until you get in \u2014 or you make too much to qualify. This year, some apartments are available to single applicants making as much as $187,000, and you can have even more in assets provided you don\u2019t own property. (If you land one, you can stay indefinitely, even if your income rises past the cap.)<\/p>\n A thorough apartment search takes time; the last thing you want is to have to say \u201cyes\u201d to a god-awful place because you just need something. So before you search, try to get your landlord and roommates to agree to a month-to-month lease or the option to sublet if you find something else quickly.<\/p>\n Before you sign a new lease, look up your landlord on whoownswhat.justfix.org. It will show the other properties they own, evictions they\u2019ve filed, and building-code violations. Also ask to see the history of rents paid on your unit to ensure you\u2019re not being overcharged.<\/p>\n To find a cheap apartment, call those phone numbers you see posted outside buildings. Some rental buildings \u2014 especially big old ones, which tend to have rent-stabilized units \u2014 list the numbers for supers or agencies near the front door. If an apartment listing\u2019s monthly rent ends in a non-round number, that often means it\u2019s rent stabilized.<\/p>\n Brokers don\u2019t always post the exact figure for rent-stabilized apartments. If you see a listing that looks vaguely promising but lazy (blurry photos of big dated rooms), that may mean the broker knows the place will rent without much effort. Call right away \u2014 it\u2019s faster than emailing \u2014 and go see it as soon as the broker can meet you.<\/p>\n The Metropolitan Council on Housing<\/a> has a free tenants\u2019-rights hotline at 212-979-0611. The experts there will talk you through any issue you\u2019re having with your landlord \u2014 current or future \u2014 with great enthusiasm.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re buying a co-op, never ask the co-op board about future refinancing before you are approved and close on your shares. Instead, check the building-management company\u2019s website about refinancing rules. But do refinance every chance you get (when rates drop) and work your home like a slot machine. You only live once.<\/p>\n Illustrations (portraits) by Joe McKendry<\/p>\n Thank you for subscribing and supporting our journalism. Want more stories like this one? Subscribe now<\/a> ![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/beca809d368f86e1faabd249f18d6b60d4-get-stuff-done-lede.w710.jpg\")
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<\/p>\n
\n If you prefer to read in print, you can also find this article in the March 24, 2025, issue of
\n New York\u00a0Magazine.<\/p>\n
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\n If you prefer to read in print, you can also find this article in the March 24, 2025, issue of
\n New York Magazine.<\/p>\n