Today, the average cost of renting a one-bedroom apartment in New York City for a year is about $32,940.

Finding an apartment you can actually afford on your starving writer/subway musician/hopeful post-grad income is an overwhelming and challenging process.

Want to upgrade your dingy fifth-floor walk-up but don’t have the cash to bid on Picassos at Sotheby’s?

New York City is unlike any other place on Earth, so it’s no surprise that there are plenty of things people do wrong when they first move here -- from poor judgement calls (like not buying an unlimited MetroCard) to nearly life-threatening ones (like thinking SantaCon is a good idea).

While there are countless major news and lifestyle sites that cover New York City (ahem), neighborhood blogs remain a vital resource for hyper-local, hard-nosed reporting from people who actually live there.

Unless you're a Monica Geller-type who has inherited a rent-controlled apartment in Greenwich Village from your grandmother, you're almost definitely going to need a roommate in New York City.

As you may have noticed, it’s not exactly cheap to rent an apartment in New York City.

If the mere mention of a thrift shop brings to mind dusty, windowless shops packed with an overwhelming assortment of parachute pants and go-go boots, it’s time to reconsider.

It’s time to stop blaming your storage woes on your New York City apartment.

Anyone who’s successfully managed to find an apartment in New York City -- even an affordable one -- has probably dropped thousands of dollars between first and last month’s rent, a security deposit, a broker fee, and all those other surprising costs you have to pay just to get off your best friend’s sofa.

If you've decided to rent an apartment in New York City, you are already (hopefully) prepared to spend a ridiculous amount of money upfront.

“Renting in New York City is like no other experience,” Udi Eliasi, a broker from real estate firm Compass, tells Thrillist.