BLOG: A Renter’s Guide to the Upper West Side

Daily life on the Upper West Side is one of ease and access. The Upper West Side no-fee apartments brought to you by Algin Management can be found throughout the neighborhood, near to some of the finest in culture, shopping, and cuisine that the city has to offer. You could spend a lifetime exploring the Upper West Side — and we urge you to — but for now, we’ll just go through a few of our favorites in the way of fun and food that make living here such a delight.

Entertainment

Refined. What else is there to say about the Upper West Side’s marquee marquee, Lincoln Center? This iconic cultural institution, near the Sessanta apartments, is home to 11 performing arts organizations and covers more than 16 acres. Here, you’ll find the Metropolitan Opera, the New York City Ballet, and the New York Philharmonic, as well as the renowned Jazz at Lincoln Center. As New Yorkers, we adore the show tunes of Broadway and welcome plaintive blues played in the Bowery, but when our minds are set on virtuoso violinists or seeing that prima ballerina whose expressive grace makes us weep before the intermission, this is where you’ll find us.

Of course, not every night is right for tuxedos and evening gowns, and on those evenings, we head for the Beacon Theatre, just a few blocks north of 242 West 61st Street. The venue provides superior acoustics and drawing power for both performers and crowds. Over the years, this cultural landmark has been host to the Rolling Stones, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Allman Brothers Band, George Carlin, and Jerry Seinfeld, as well as world leaders, such as His Holiness the Dalai Lama and President Bill Clinton. FYI: Tickets for Seinfeld’s 2019 New York residency went on sale on Nov. 2.

Food

If you’re looking to simply “eat,” your choices are practically unlimited on the Upper West Side. If you’re looking for an experience, then book a reservation at Belle Harlem. With only 12 seats and an ever-evolving menu sourced primarily from fresh, local ingredients, the owner’s intention of offering guests the comfort of being attended to in someone’s kitchen is readily met. The menu of comfort foods — like chicken and waffles (the finest you’ll ever eat) and a hearty black sea bass, with sautéed yellow squash, almonds, fennel, asparagus, truffle oil, and lime — gives diners a truly memorable selection of dishes to savor.

Brunch enthusiasts will want to find their way to Flat Top: a cozy bistro whose twists on classic dishes foster contemplation of what you’ll try on your next visit. We’re partial to the blueberry buttermilk ricotta pancakes with lemon curd and the Irish ham Benedict with poached eggs, hollandaise, and spinach on homemade focaccia. However, these are simply two dishes that we favor from a menu filled with unique culinary delights. Excellent Stumptown coffee awaits to accompany your selection and your post-meal conversation with friends.

The Upper West Side boasts easy access to two cornerstones of NYC life: Central Park and fabulous deli food. When you reside at 461 Central Park West you are near to both — across the street from the North Woods and just up the avenue from one of the city’s most notable delicatessens, Barney Greengrass. A family business that dates back 100 years, Barney Greengrass is the go-to for a quick lox and bagel or a weekend brunch with friends. Sturgeon, whitefish, pastrami, gravlax, and sable, all of your favorites are here, along with soups, salads, desserts, appetizers, and even caviar.

Down the way is another luminary in the foodie realm: Zabar’s. Your home for gourmet coffees, seafood salads, and delicious rugelach and babka. Zabar’s carries an amazingly wide selection of specialty items, and offers consistently excellent meats and platters.

The Upper West Side competes heartily with any other neighborhood in the city when it comes to fine dining experiences. Put Red Farm at the top of your list and indulge in an Asian-fusion experience that is uniquely New York. By that, we mean dim sum offerings like BBQ “Black Foot” Berkshire pork belly with grilled jalapeño peppers or Katz’s pastrami egg rolls that sit easily next to 16 ounces of grilled prime Creekstone bone-in New York strip steak, dry aged for 40 days.

Tessa, Mediterranean to its heart, is a complex amalgam of southern French and Italian cuisines twisted into a Spanish tavern. The result is divine with small plates of duck pastrami sliders and

octopus a la Plancha saddled next to hearty mains like grilled branzino with broccoli rabe, fingerling potato, fennel puree, and pimento coulis. Show up hungry, let the sommelier select your wines (you won’t go wrong), and stay for not one but two desserts, such as the bombolino with raspberry jam and vanilla glaze and a decadent chocolate chip bread pudding with bourbon ice cream.

Culture

The American Museum of Natural History brings you one of the finest collections of wonders from the natural world ever assembled under one roof. Start your adventure in the David H. Koch Dinosaur Wing before diving into the Milstein Hall of Ocean Life. Or tour the Milky Way with a show at the Hayden Planetarium. In the warmer months, The Butterfly Conservatory brings hoards of these delicate insects together, while year-round you can explore more exotic creatures from across the sea in the Akeley Hall of African Mammals.

While the American Museum of Natural History is by far the largest museum on the Upper West Side, it is certainly not the only one. Right across the street is the New-York Historical Society, housing 400 years of New York history. The American Folk Art Museum, near to Lincoln Center, hosts an exploration of art “by the self-taught” with more than 7,000 artworks dating from the 18th century to the present, revealing human nature and its expression of self in profound and engaging mediums and forms. And don’t forget the Children’s Museum of Manhattan: fun for all ages with five floors of magic and mystery.

A bit further uptown you’ll be happy to find the National Jazz Museum in Harlem. A Smithsonian affiliate, the museum seeks to preserve and promote this quintessentially American musical genre. The current space is designed to give its visitors “an immersive jazz experience” through exhibits that bring jazz into the present age. In addition, the museum offers the public more than 80 free performances every year. And no visit is complete without an exploration of the Savory Collection: “more than 100 hours of live recordings of jazz legends made from New York City radio broadcasts aired between 1935 and 1941.”

For those seeking fresh air and open space, iconic Central Park is quite literally right in your backyard. With 843 acres of fields, wooded glens, and pathways, the park is the fifth largest in the NYC park system, but certainly its most famous. A National Historic Landmark, the park offers activities and attractions in all seasons, including sporting opportunities at a variety of fields and courts, the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theater, the Central Park Zoo, the Central Park Carousel, and Lasker Rink ice skating, just to name a few. Whatever your outdoor or cultural passion — from bicycling to cross-country skiing; from rock concerts to Shakespeare in the Park — you’ll find an opportunity to indulge it in Central Park.

Explore availabilities for Algin Management’s Upper West Side buildings and find your next home in classic New York.

BLOG: Renting on The Upper East Side – A Guided Tour of One of the Best Neighborhoods in Manhattan

Central Park in fall… school groups walking up the steps at The Met… a doorman standing beneath a crimson awning… steam billowing off a cart selling honey-roasted nuts… These images are pure Manhattan, and they create a living portrait of the Upper East Side. Fortunately for starry-eyed apartment seekers, the neighborhood famous for the finest art and food is also home to some of the city’s best no-fee rentals. Come along as we highlight some of the Upper East Side’s best attractions, as well as a selection of homes from the UES experts at Algin Management:

An Iconic Aesthetic

The first thing any visitor notices when arriving on the Upper East Side is the unique collection of architecture that gives the neighborhood its identity. Mansions like the French Gothic masterpiece built by Isaac D. Fletcher and the Italian Renaissance-style Henry Cook house give the area an old-world charm. And, to accompany the splendor of great buildings, there is the magnificent stretch of Fifth Avenue that borders Central Park — one of the world’s great urban walking paths.

New construction finds ways to blend in with classic architecture. The neighborhood is full of residential properties like The Pearl on 66th Street, a modern limestone-and-glass doorman building on a tree-lined street that offers some of the finest no-fee rentals in NYC.

Culture – Old and New

From Museum Mile to a host of contemporary art galleries, the Upper East Side is the epicenter of fine art in Manhattan. The Mile begins on the edge of Central Park with The Metropolitan Museum of Art, where beautiful objects from the near and distant past live side by side with contemporary masterpieces. Just a short walk up Fifth Avenue from there rests the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed spiral building which is currently home to an exhibit of colorful abstract paintings by Swedish painter Hilma af Klint. Further north on Fifth Avenue are the Jewish Museum and the Cooper Hewitt, lesser-known but equally impressive museums that focus, respectively, on Jewish art and the history and future of design. For those in the market for fine art, the Upper East Side is home to a vibrant gallery scene, including the Anton Kern Gallery, the Craig F. Starr Gallery, and Francis M. Naumann Fine Art, which routinely host shows featuring work by masters from the last 50 years.

If you’re an art lover and being near these cultural institutions sounds like a dream come true, look for a home at The Parkview, a collection of no-fee rentals on 96th Street with spectacular park and city views and easy access to Museum Mile and Central Park itself.

Finest Dining

Complementing the wealth of arts and architecture is the Upper East Side’s culinary scene, which boasts some of the city’s finest dining as well as some quirkier fare that gives the neighborhood some spice. If Michelin-star restaurants are your calling, Café Boulud, home of creations by world-renowned chef Daniel Boulud, offers seasonal menus that combine classic French cooking with local ingredients and dishes from around the world. If you’re in the mood for something more comforting on a cold winter day, visit the local italian spot, Uva, for a cozy country house feel, with warm lighting, well-worn wood tables, and exposed brick. Looking for something sweet? Head to Two Little Red Hens for cakes, cupcakes, pies, and a full café with a laid back, take-your-time kind of feel. When the sun sets and it’s time for a cocktail, check out Maya, a classic tequileria where exotically-flavored margaritas share the table with delicious small-plate style Mexican dishes. And you can never go wrong with rolls or a chirashi bowl from Poke, the local sushi spot (but don’t forget to BYOB!).

Upper East Siders who like to do their own cooking will love the stainless steel appliances and custom wooden cabinetry in the contemporary kitchens at 330 East 85th Street, a newly renovated white-brick apartment building on a leafy street with convenient access to the brand-new Second Avenue subway at 86th Street.

Explore our availabilities throughout our Upper East Side buildings and find your next home in classic New York.

BLOG: Introducing ARO

Lately, Midtown West is brimming with a certain joie de vivre; it’s one of New York City’s most in-demand neighborhoods, and new residents are flocking to the area to take advantage of its conveniences, attractions, and access to every borough, neighborhood, and transport hub imaginable. Midtown West has quickly become a go-to destination for those who want to be in the heart of it all. ARO, Algin Management’s latest rental property, is poised to offer its residents the best rental experience in Midtown West, and the city is buzzing with anticipation.

 

ARO will offer no-fee Midtown West apartment rentals that range from studio to three- bedroom layouts, featuring condo-level finishes and stainless steel appliances. ARO will also offer a stunning four-bedroom duplex penthouse residence. Each apartment exudes a simple and clean aesthetic, thanks to its warm, organic materials, 10-foot ceilings, and natural lighting via its floor-to-ceiling windows.

 

Designed by renowned architecture firm CetraRuddy, ARO’s modern, elegant, and “futuristic” design sets it apart from its neighbors. Slender lines intersect with the undulating curvature of its steel construction. These organic yet dynamic bends aren’t just for show; they are completely functional—the metallic outcroppings allow for many apartments to enjoy private terraces, though every home will feature stunning views of the city. CetraRuddy’s vision has not gone unnoticed; in fact, ARO has received several prestigious architectural awards, including the American Architecture Prize, the SARA National Award, and the Architecture Podium International award. It was also recently featured in Architectural Digest.

 

ARO is situated right on 53^rd Street, where the legendary Roseland Ballroom once stood. The New York Times recently revealed some of the ways in which ARO will pay tribute to that renowned venue; for example, “photographs taken during performances — including of the Rolling Stones, Metallica and Dave Grohl — will be hung” in the building’s common spaces.

 

ARO offers easy access to all of Manhattan’s must-visit destinations, whether for business or pleasure. A trip to Wall Street just takes 15 minutes via the plentiful train options, and an Uber down the West Side Highway might be even quicker. Also close to this exemplary no-fee apartment building in Manhattan is the business hub of Midtown East, which is a quick 10-minute walk away. You’ll be minutes from Thomas Keller’s world-famous Per Se restaurant at the Time Warner Center, which also encompasses a shopping center with luxury shops, lounges and restaurants, and even a Whole Foods. Of course, residents of ARO will find plenty to do right at home – with over 40,000 square feet of amenities, it’s safe to say that there is something at ARO for every lifestyle.

 

Take a look for yourself! And be sure to follow ARO on Facebook and Instagram to stay up-to-date on what the New York Post calls one of “New York’s best new buildings”.

BLOG: Your New York City Rental Guide

When you’re flying into New York and the Manhattan skyline emerges from under the clouds, it’s nothing short of awe-inspiring—and the only thing more inspiring than that is getting to live in the social, creative, and architectural playground that is Manhattan every day.

Moving here is a dream shared by many, which is partially why finding a no-fee rental in New York City can seem overwhelming. Fortunately, finding your perfect home in NYC is far more manageable than it seems! There is no smoother way to make that transition or to live well and live to the fullest in this city than to find your new no-fee Manhattan apartment through Algin Management.

Whether you’re already a local and looking for your next apartment, or seeking your very first apartment here, read on to learn more about finding no-fee rentals in New York City.

 

Pick the Perfect Neighborhood!

It’s no secret that NYC is massive, and the sheer variety of neighborhoods can seem intimidating to locals and newcomers alike. While every neighborhood has great food, and something exciting going on at all times (it’s New York City, after all!) it pays to be practical when you’re trying to narrow things down. Many find that Manhattan’s more residential neighborhoods make for shorter commutes, without sacrificing access to services and conveniences that make city living so appealing.

If you’re commuting within the city, you’ll want to consider how far you are from the subway (and which lines you can access). You’ll also want to weigh whether you want to be close to green spaces, the water, or if you know you’ll thrive in a denser and more urban locale. Check out our Neighborhood Guide to learn more about what it’s like to live in popular neighborhoods like Murray Hill, Greenwich Village, Midtown, the Upper East Side and Upper West Side, and others!

 

Avoid Broker Fees!

Most apartment listings are managed by real estate brokers, who have arrangements with management companies that allow them to collect fees from tenants when they sign a lease. This can run as high as 15% of one year’s rent!

Fortunately, Algin Management has been matching New Yorkers with their perfect apartment for more than 50 years, and as a family-run business, we know there’s a better way to rent in New York City. As such, we strive to offer apartments that are “no-fee”, meaning you don’t need to worry about paying a broker for showing you an apartment.

Check out our available apartment rentals and avoid the hassle of broker fees entirely!

 

Find A Great Management Company!

Once you’ve found the right no-fee NYC rental, you’ll want to make sure that your building (and apartment) will be managed proactively and professionally. When you live in an apartment that’s well-managed, you will enjoy a sense of calm and peace of mind that will allow you to focus on enjoying life in New York City.

Because Algin Management owns and manages our properties, we know the ins and outs of each building and apartment in our portfolio, and go above and beyond to keep our apartments in pristine condition for each new tenant that signs a lease with us. From doormen to maintenance team members, our on-site staff is friendly and helpful, and a cut above what you may find in other apartment buildings. Check out our properties to see for yourself.

 

Opt for Amenities

Depending on your lifestyle, you may appreciate having certain amenities on-site, rather than a few blocks away – for example, if you work out often, it might be nice to have a fitness center in your building, rather than a few blocks away. Perhaps you may want laundry on-site, rather than sending it to a wash-and-fold, which can get expensive. And if you’re wondering how you can keep your car in the city, many of Algin Management’s buildings have on-site parking garages.

On-site amenities are a difference-maker, and so while you can opt for a no-frills rental and piece together the services and amenities you need on your own, there is a better way. Algin Management has plenty of available apartments in buildings with amazing amenities, like Hilary Gardens’ rooftop swimming pool, or Sessanta’s outdoor, fully-lit tennis court. Find the building that suits your lifestyle, and you’ll find yourself with extra time (and funds) that can be put to better use elsewhere.

If you’re ready to start your search for a new no-fee rental apartment (or ready to finish it), contact us today – we’ve been helping people find the perfect rental for over 50 years. Algin Management is perfectly equipped and more than ready to introduce you to the quintessential New York experience and make you feel utterly at home in it.