How To Research A New York Neighbourhood Before You Move
Public records answer most of the questions a viewing cannot.
A viewing tells you about an apartment on one afternoon. Nearly everything else worth knowing is in public records, and most of it is free.
The building's record
The Department of Buildings publishes complaints, violations and permits by address. Open violations, a history of complaints about heat or water, and a pattern of unpermitted work all tell you something a broker will not.
Housing maintenance code violations are recorded separately by the housing agency and are the more informative record for a residential building. A long list of unresolved violations describes how the building is managed.
What is coming
Check for active construction permits on adjacent lots. A neighbouring development changes light, noise and views for years, and permits are public well before work begins.
Zoning maps show what could be built next door. A low building on a site permitting far more is a view that may not last.
Flood risk
Flood maps are public and matter increasingly in coastal parts of the city. This affects insurance costs and, for owners, long-term value.
Transport, measured properly
Time the actual commute at the actual hour rather than trusting a stated walking distance. Check whether the line has planned works, and whether the station is accessible if that matters to you.
Noise
Complaint data by location is published through the city's service request system. It is an imperfect measure — it reflects who complains as much as what happens — but persistent clusters around a particular address are informative.
The visits that matter
Visit on a weekday evening and on a weekend night. A street that is quiet at eleven on a Tuesday morning may be a different place at eleven on a Saturday, and no record captures that as well as standing there.
