Finding a suitable place to live in New York City can be a grueling experience. Rents can be ridiculously high, and good apartments are snatched up quickly. Still, thousands of people put themselves through this every month to live in one of the most desirable cities in the nation.

I’m Mihir Zaveri, a housing reporter on the Metro desk. I’ve reported on the housing crisis for the past three years, including a five-part series called The Housing Crunch. I’m endlessly fascinated by the ways people with vastly diverse needs and preferences find their homes in New York City’s turbulent, unforgiving housing market.

Tell us about your apartment hunt. Do you avoid first-floor apartments for safety reasons or because you fear rats? How far away from a subway station are you willing to live? Do you need a place that will accept your emotional support parrots? I want to hear all of your odd, serious, trivial or most “New York” wants and needs.

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