housing in new york is tricky for sure...do you know people here who can help you out? like looking at places for you and stuff? or maybe someone to crash with when you first get here while you do the apt search in person?

craigslist is your best bet. most people i know avoid brokers, figuring they might be moving after a year or two anyway. it's actually not too hard to find housing if you have enough money; it's the compromise between where you want to live and what you can afford that's the painful part. i assume you've been doing your own research and such, so i don't want to tell you things you already know, but if you have questions i'll try and answer!