Craigs List and neighborhood shenanigans

I'm looking at apartments in Clinton Hill. That's Clinton Hill, NOT Crown Heights, Bed-Stuy, Bushwick, or East Williamsburg. I'm onto you, brokers and shifty landlords.

http://newyork.craigslist.org/brk/abo/1028961911.html

Looks nice, but Utica Avenue? Totally not even near Clinton Hill.

I've been looking at listing all morning and you know how many places that fit my criteria are actually in Clinton Hill? Two. Exactly two.

Wow! What a joke!

If you think that's bad, you should look for apartments in Park Slope. Brokers will send you out to sunset park. When I place an ad for an apartment in park slope, I include a google map link.

It can get really fustrating at times.....but you will find your place.

yeah, you get used to it on CL.

In fact, when i was looking in bay ridge last year, i printed out pictures from CL.... because they would never match up with the apartment they showed me!

So I started to confront them. I would ask them multiple times, "so this is the picture on CL posted by you?" yes? yes? yes?

oh really. So wtf is up with these pictures I have here!?

Oh yeah, awkward silence on their part

Nice move!

hitokiri wrote: yeah, you get used to it on CL.

In fact, when i was looking in bay ridge last year, i printed out pictures from CL.... because they would never match up with the apartment they showed me!

So I started to confront them. I would ask them multiple times, "so this is the picture on CL posted by you?" yes? yes? yes?

oh really. So wtf is up with these pictures I have here!?

Oh yeah, awkward silence on their part

Damn smart! While luckily that's never happened to me, when I was moving out of my place on 4th and 22nd they started listing it on CL a few weeks before i left. And they used a picture of a kitchen from another unit which was TWICE the size as mine. Even had a little table. People musta been pissed.

Subject: Re: Craigs List and neighborhood shenanigans

chickpea wrote: I'm looking at apartments in Clinton Hill. That's Clinton Hill, NOT Crown Heights, Bed-Stuy, Bushwick, or East Williamsburg. I'm onto you, brokers and shifty landlords.

http://newyork.craigslist.org/brk/abo/1028961911.html

Looks nice, but Utica Avenue? Totally not even near Clinton Hill.

I've been looking at listing all morning and you know how many places that fit my criteria are actually in Clinton Hill? Two. Exactly two.

This one?

http://newyork.craigslist.org/brk/abo/1031597979.html

Subject: Re: Craigs List and neighborhood shenanigans

CHApt wrote: [quote=chickpea]I'm looking at apartments in Clinton Hill. That's Clinton Hill, NOT Crown Heights, Bed-Stuy, Bushwick, or East Williamsburg. I'm onto you, brokers and shifty landlords.

http://newyork.craigslist.org/brk/abo/1028961911.html

Looks nice, but Utica Avenue? Totally not even near Clinton Hill.

I've been looking at listing all morning and you know how many places that fit my criteria are actually in Clinton Hill? Two. Exactly two.

This one?

http://newyork.craigslist.org/brk/abo/1031597979.html

Hahaha. I saw that apartment when I was looking on CL. That would be one of the 2 apartments that's actually in Clinton Hill that I stumbled upon!

As an update we found a spot that's perfect, in Clinton Hill and via word of mouth. We're happy!

I think the confusion is all around. I have met many people who purport to live in Clinton Hill when they are clearly East of Classon. I always assumed brokers told renters what they wanted to hear with regards to location. It's a funny thing the labeling of the neighborhoods and issues over boundaries.

Honestly, I don't want to live in Clinton Hill because of the name or really care too much when a street or two is pushed to another boundary. My issue is with apartments like the one I linked to in the first post that are so geographically off it's ridiculous. Anything by the J train is not Clinton Hill and a VERY different neighborhood. It's not negotiable. Utica Avenue on the 2/5 train, again, COMPLETELY different neighborhood. THAT is my big gripe here.

Yeah, occasionally I look at those listings just to see where I can move if I get caught in the next round of layoffs hits. It seems that the best way to find an apartment in Clinton Hill is to search for "Fort Greene."

I also find it funny what realtors will list as "East Willamsburg." They pretty much refuse to list anything as Bushwick or Bed-Stuy, which is weird considering that both neighborhoods have pretty affluent areas.

Glad you found a place, though.

You are so right. I think "East Williamsburg" might be the most commonly misused neighborhood name in Brooklyn real estate.