Hello!

I will be moving to NYC in about 2 months with a friend that currently lives in Philly. I have lived in Southern California my entire life and am nervous about getting acquainted with the city.

We are looking to live in the upper east and west sides, but also in the east village. Does anyone have any other recommendations as to good places to live for 2 bedrooms that accept pets? Does anyone know of a good place to find apts without fees?

Also, I am a health nut that works out a lot and I need to find a good gym. Does anyone know of any that are relatively inexpensive and that have great facilities?

Pretty much any other advice I would LOVE to get my hands on!

Thanks!

The areas you mentioned are very good. Upper West Side is very nice, especially around Broadway from 70s to early 90s Streets - lots of restaurants, Riverside Park nearby, very lively, just a great place to be. Upper East Side is less cozy. The best portions of Upper East Side are very expensive. But more affordable areas (2nd, 1st and York avenues) are pretty nice too - especially in the 70s and 80s streets.

There are lots of good gyms in this area. Gyms here are quite pricey. If you want to join a really nice gym (like Equinox), prepare to pay 100-140/month. If you're ok with a good but not great gym like New York Sports club or Bally's, you will pay 70-80/month.

Try craigslist for apartments with no fees. If you come gere for a long time, choose the best apartment you can find even if there's a fee. You want to live in a high-rise with a doorman and elevator - that's the best in Manhattan (if you can afford it).

Regarding gym memberships, you can get a good deal if you look around. I had a membership at Bally's for $46/month, and recently just joined the brand new Gold's Gym downtown for only $37.99/month. Ridiculously cheap for NYC. If you can, try to look around for deals and promotions that gyms offer throughout the year. Also, the end of the month is the best time to sign up because the trainers need to meet their monthly sales goals for memberships.

Also, you could try to find an apartment with a gym in the building. It's usually fairly cheap or free (included in the rent).

And here is a good list of some of the no-fee apartments: [www.wirednewyork.com]

Good luck!