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https://www.blackenterprise.com/nyc-apartment-brokers-fee-high-renter/
A new analysis exposes the steep fees New York City brokers charge renters, with costs reaching as high as $13,000.
A recent study by rental-listing company StreetEasy shows that the average upfront cost for renting an apartment in New York City with a broker’s fee has skyrocketed to nearly $13,000. This hefty sum covers the broker’s fee, the first month’s rent, and the security deposit, the NY Post reports.
In 2023, the average upfront cost for apartments with a broker’s fee was $12,667, compared to $9,984 in 2019. The increased figures come at a pivotal moment as New York City prepares for a critical vote by the City Council on Wednesday. The City Council will consider a bill designed to alleviate the financial burden of costly broker fees on tenants. The bill, known as the Fairness in Apartment Rentals (FARE) Act, seems to have strong, near veto-proof backing.
StreetEasy surveyed over 500 tenants for its study and found that more than 80% of respondents believe landlords should cover broker fees. Additionally, 76% said they felt compelled to pay the broker’s fee to secure a home in New York City’s highly competitive rental market.
“The average New Yorker will be spending more than 10 percent of their annual income just to come up with these upfront costs,” StreetEasy Senior Economist Kenny Lee said.
Renters are speaking out against the high fees they were forced to pay brokers to snag an NYC abode.
“It doesn’t seem like that’s something that happens elsewhere,” Kayla, a 31-year-old Williamsburg, Brooklyn, resident, said. She estimates she paid $4,000 in broker fees for her apartment seven years ago. “Because I did all the work for this [apartment], I feel like I wasted my money.”
Jemma Rowlands, from Melbourne, Australia, believes the broker’s fee she paid for her first New York apartment in 2018 felt “expensive and unnecessary.” Doing away with the upfront cost “sounds good to me,” she says of the proposed bill.
Supporters of the council bill argue that it will alleviate the financial burden on renters. However, critics contend that landlords will offset the broker fee by increasing rent prices on annual leases.
“The FARE Act will fundamentally disrupt New York City’s real estate market, raise rents, and make it even more difficult to find an apartment, and nothing StreetEasy has proposed will address any of those concerns,” a rep from the Real Estate Board of New York said.
Supporters of the measure argue that the bill would benefit both tenants and brokers, the latter of whom often work to rent a property without any guaranteed payment.
“Once we see this bill in place, both landlords and agents will have the opportunity to negotiate how the compensation will be taken care of, and tenants will finally have a choice when it comes to if they want to work with a broker,” Lee said.
RELATED CONTENT: NYC Mayor Eric Adams Claps Back At A White Woman, Comparing Her To A Plantation Owner Over Rent Question
Photo Credit: Melina Pizano / Matchroom 
Alycia Baumgardner has always embraced a fighting spirit. Growing up in a family of fighters, she didn’t just learn to Photo Credit: Emma Sharon
Outside the ring, Baumgardner’s interests are as varied as her boxing >HBCUs to inspire young fans are a testament to that commitment, as she encourages them to embrace self-confidence and strive toward their dreams.
For the accomplished pugilist, her place in athletics goes beyond the titles and belts. “To be the face of women’s boxing is a blessing,” she says. “With my story and what I can offer outside the ring, I can reach so many people. It’s bigger than the sport.” She sees her role as a legacy-maker, one who’s known not just for her victories, but for the words she shares and the impact she leaves. “People aren’t going to remember me just for the belts,” she insists. “They’re going to remember what I spoke about, what I told that young girl who dreamed of becoming a champion one day.”
Her journey, however, isn’t without obstacles. As a Black woman in a male-dominated sport, the boxing star had to confront challenges head-on, often feeling like she stood out in a world where she didn’t see many who looked like her. Reflecting on her experience, she says, “Being a young Black girl with muscles wasn’t common. But I always believed one day, people would respect my work ethic.” That belief continues to fuel her as she balances the demands of her sport with the pressures of being an influential figure.
Photo courtesy of Matchroom. This past September, Alycia faced an unexpected setback during her highly anticipated match with Delfine Persoon at Trilith Studios in Atlanta. The fight was intense, with her determination to defend her undisputed super featherweight title. By the fourth round, a cut over Persoon’s right eye—caused by an accidental clash of heads—forced the ringside doctor to call the fight, resulting in a no-contest ruling. While the decision was anticlimactic, she viewed it as a temporary hurdle rather than a defeat, exuding the same resilience that’s defined her career.
As she looks to the future, the 30-year-old’s focus remains clear. She’s dedicated to her craft, to her community, and to inspiring the next generation of fighters. And while the challenges ahead may be tough, she’s grounded in her faith and her purpose. “Prayer is important,” she says. “I’ve always had this faith that I was meant to be something great, and through obstacles, I’ve learned to overcome.”
Baumgardner’s journey is one of grit, grace, and undeniable strength—a true testament to her belief that, in boxing and in life, every setback is an opportunity to rise. As she continues to train, mentor others, and push the boundaries of the sport, she shows that her fight goes far beyond titles; it’s about redefining life’s possibilities.
TOPICS: black women in sports boxingThe post Alycia Baumgardner On Faith, Femininity And Breaking Barriers In Boxing appeared first on Essence.
Episode one of Uzumaki was supposed to be a crown jewel in the offering for the Anime Fall 2024 season this year. Delayed a few times, the series production labored to finally bring this anime adaptation of one of legendary horror mangaka Junji Ito’s most popular works to life. Airing on Adult Swim, we were given the green light to prepare for a visual feast for old and new fans alike. The first episode aired to good fanfare: introducing teens Shuichi, Kirie, and the madness of the spiral that overtakes their town and the people within it. I loved the high-quality animation, the music, and the creepy, atmospheric look of the series and how I looked forward to watching more.
And then I watched the second episode and as goes the title of one of my favorite albums by The Roots, Things Fall Apart. I was looking forward to watching this episode as I figured that it would be the one to tackle the iconic hair spirals that Kirie falls victim to as more and more spirals start manifesting in the town. That much proved to be true with an unfortunate truth: the drop of quality of the animation dropped tremendously making fans question (and meme endless, online), what happened, here?
Spoilers Big and Small, Up Ahead!
@zoros110cm the first episode was godly bro what happened
♬ original sound – EliaZ#uzumaki #uzumakimanga #uzumakianime #junjiito #junjiitocollection #animation
Animation Blues?
Episode two of Uzumaki brought the jokes and memes on social media as the animation was noticeably and laughably bad. A general consensus online that started to circulate that even fan created projects have looked more decent and polished. Toonami co-creator and Uzumaki executive producer Jason DeMarco did address the animation quality and fan backlash online as first spotted and reported by CBR:
“It’s fine, we knew this would happen. I can’t talk about what went down but we were screwed over and the options were A) Not finish and air nothing and call it a loss, B) Just finish and air Ep 1 and leave it incomplete or C) Run all four, warts and all. Out of respect for the hard work, we chose C.”
DeMarco continued, “After waiting so long, it makes sense people would be mad. Unfortunately, I can’t tell them who to blame it on…but someone is definitely at fault here, and we all just had to do our best when things imploded. Maybe others would have made different choices. We did the best we could with what we had.”
“But again, a lot of [people] worked very hard on this show, and I didn’t think the actions of just one or two people should be the reason it never saw the light of day. Maybe that’s the wrong choice, I truly don’t know. But those people have a right to be annoyed and disappointed.”
Game Rant’s reporting of the sudden decline of quality in the series via episode two of Uzuamaki featured some of my favorite tweets documenting the bizarre pieces of animation and very noticeable–stop and stare parts of the episode, seen here. Speculation abound leading to many of us wondering if severe budget constraints, outsourcing some scenes overseas to cut costs and meet deadlines–already a problem as the project was five years in delays–a serious issue that would soon plague the entire series and the end result.
CBR also reported a change in directors and animation studios with Episode 1 being directed by Hiroshi Nagahama (Mushishi, The Flowers of Evil) and animated by studio Fugaku. Whereas Episode 2 was directed by Yuji Moriyama and animated by studio Akatsuki. It makes me wonder between the delays how long the production really took. As Gizmodo reported, “Moreover, eagle-eyed fans registered that much of Uzumaki‘s promotional material centered solely on the show’s premiere episode, with very few showcasing scenes from the limited series’ other three episodes.” It makes me wonder between the delays how long the production team went between doing work on the episodes and when the hand-off was during the COVID-19 pandemic (early) days?
Spiraling Out, I mean Crashing Out
My question with what the second episode of Uzumaki gave us, why would people return for more? Why keep eyeballs on this series when Fall Anime Season fan fave Dandadan had just started to great fanfare and reviews? Why would Uzuamki be a series to keep on the radar of an anime fan’s streaming list when a new offering of Shojo and Josei anime adaptations and titles like Nina the Starry Bride, How I Attended an All-Guy’s Mixer and Yakuza Fiancé would be easier to jump into and enjoy? But I did return to watching this adaptation of my favorite Junji Ito’ manga for the next two episodes without much glee or satisfaction, sadly–if only to satisfy my completionist spirit when it occasionally comes to anime.
Episode 3 of Uzumaki had an edge over the previous with a slight improvement animation wise over episode 2, but the pacing of the episode dragged on. I really found it hard to be excited to watch and keep focused on the happenings in the episode but did my best to carry on, regardless of the padding out of the original source material–the manga. Episode 4 of Uzumaki, while not as great as the first episode, showed glimpses that the animators and team that handled the first episodes had hands in the last. Showing some stiff and awkward scenes here (please tell me the tornadoes made you giggle too?!) and there, the very last episode helped attempt to bring back the standard of the first episode and wrap up the story. There were some really cool visual effects included in this last episode that helped push the narrative into its final scenes along with more strange and terrifying happenings.
Over-Hyped and Over-Hated?
What do we, as the audience, take away from this dismal showing of this long-awaited adaptation?
What did this adaptation of Uzumaki do right or well enough?
First and foremost, it gave a solid first episode that introduced the lore and creepiness of the source material well. Secondly, the attention to detail regarding body horror (yes, even the episodes that made it ridiculous to watch) worked in its favor. Lastly, the soundtrack and the sound design was masterful, and this was the one consistent part of the creative process that stayed true, in my opinion.
Having Colin Stetson’s talent on this haunting and steadfastly creepy musical score is the perhaps, the most positive part of watching what this series literally descended to and visually illustrated the horror of the story. If you adored the soundtrack like I did, you can find it online via YouTube and Spotify and even pressed to vinyl (with some really neat packaging) as well.
Uzumaki may have started off, in my own words, as an unsettling and darkly picturesque adaptation, but it quickly dissolved into a disappointing mess of animation and awkwardness. At only four episodes, it should have been an easier task versus a momentum regular season or cour of an anime in the likes of twelve episodes or more. I don’t know how to feel that as anime became even more popular globally during COVID-19 crisis, the production of the adaptation of this long-awaited series spiraled into a forgettable, near mediocre mess.
There were a host of anime series, films that were impacted by the health crisis (Here’s a list back in 2020 from Crunchyroll for example) but Uzumaki’s failure to have a consistently solid showing makes me just feel incredibly sad. The thing is I’m not even mad anymore, just disappointed and wondering what could have been and what we could have had. It makes me wonder what is the state of animation outside the United States and what this means for partnerships and collabs between such adored giants like Adult Swim and Toonami and Japanese animation studios to come, like Lazarus?
I really, really wanted this to be the one to break the “Junji Ito Adaptation Curse” especially as Ito-Sensei is only growing older. Plus, we’re all much more aware of how fragile the health and lives of creatives are, especially living through the pandemic years. When it comes to creatives and artists of the Asian Diaspora — particularly Japanese creatives who make manga, the world has lost several greats. In recent years we’ve lost Kazuki Takahashi (Yu-Gi-Oh!), Mia Ikumi (Tokyo Mew Mew), Motoo Abiko (of Fujiko Fujio fame, one of the creatives behind Doraemon), Kentaro Miura (Berserk), Leiji Matsumoto ( Galaxy Express 999), Hinako Ashihara (Sand Chronicles) and even Akira Toriyama (Dragonball).
I really want a win for him in the realms of an anime adaptation. Sadly, this won’t be it. My hot take is that this anime adaptation of Uzumaki was over hyped and thus over-hated. Yet, I cannot even blame fans (and haters) for feeling let down for this was supposed to be the chosen one–the adaptation to break “the curse.”
I’ll forget Uzumaki, in time (It won’t be hard!), and I’ll return to Junji Ito’s manga as there’s still years of his work for me to devour. I’ll get back to dreaming that one day, the curse will be broken, and fans can rejoice of a faithful, stunning, consistent adaptation that will make us all proud and emotionally invested–the right way for such an incredible source material. Until then, we wait. I truly feel like I was baited and hooked for a series adaptation that did not live up to what we all hoped it would be or what was promised. Shame, but I’m not spiraling out over it anymore or longer than I have to.
WHEW. This was hard to write. Have thoughts? Feel Bamboozled? Join us in the comments section for a group therapy session.
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The post ‘Uzumaki’ Series Results in Being Fumbled and Forgettable appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.
Months ago, I wrote a primer guide introducing audiences to Look Back once the trailer for its animated adaptation dropped.
Look Back follows the coming-of-age tale of Ayumu Fujino, a super confident girl and her shut-in classmate, Kyomoto. The two first cross paths over a friendly rivalry that started in elementary school upon discovering their shared love of manga creation, which eventually blossoms into camaraderie as they mature into their young adulthood.
As for my favorite Tatsuki Fujimoto manga, I could not wait for the animated adaptation that brings a tale on growing up, maturity, and cherishing those we call friends. I knew that I wanted to go watch and review it, so off I went Sunday night to do just that.
Spoilers big and small up ahead!
I was so looking forward to watching Look Back in theaters, and the first five minutes or so cemented that it was in fact, a great idea on my end. Opening to artist Ayumu Fujino and her artwork by way of her four panel manga strips, audiences get to see her short manga animated on the big screen! Seeing those comics come to life visually stunned me and caught the theater by surprise as laughter could be heard around the room. I LOVE the artistic flair that is added to certain scenes through the film as decided by the animation team, like exploring the emotions of Fujino in the scene where she walks home in the rain after first meeting Kyomoto.
Let me set up the scene for you: Fujino–after giving up on manga- has met her then-rival, found out that she was looked up to and seen as a mentor, even referred to as Sensei-teacher by the then shut-in but incredibly talented student. She leaves the girl feeling validated and almost marches home with glee, stomping and jumping in puddles–her body language really alive on the screen and the animators took time to emotionally express the culmination of her younger self’s victory. It is an impressive animation segment of the story where I believe Studio Durian asked themselves: How can we extend the scene from the few pages in the manga and make the audience feel a part of this character’s emotions?
The music in Look Back is composed by Haruka Nakamura (composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist based in Tokyo, Japan) who some anime fans may know for his work on a Nujabes tribute and for Trigun Stampede. Here, his dedication to the piano in the making of the soundtrack for the film gave me a new appreciation of the musical instrument and how at home it sounded in all the music I heard for the film. Look Back’s title song, “Light Song” with vocals by Urara (which is included in the film trailer) sets a nostalgic tone for the film which tonally feels appropriate and helped make it a song I wanted to listen to again and again.
Sometimes when fans talk about adaptation in anime, some of the finer points of the original work gets lost in the sauce–to much disappointment from fans everywhere. While watching the film in theaters, I was happy to see the motifs and visuals from the manga: see the back of Fujino at her desk over the years, starting in elementary school, later with Kyomoto at her feet at her own desk. Seeing the windows, doors and the two girls together in their youth, especially with the overly confident Fujino leading the way for her friend through crowds and streets helped me place the story beats in my head as I watched them along with others in the dark theater.
Seeing such attention to detail in the four panel comics and the montages of the girls creating manga and enjoying themselves included in the movie reminded me that this was an adaptation made with much respect to Tatsuki Fujimoto and his widespread, critically acclaimed manga that the film adapts. I am obviously a big fan of this adaptation, and I’m placing it on a personal list of ‘anime adaptation done right’ in my head–glancing at social reveals that many fans feel the same. The film also holds a pretty decent surprise via Rotten Tomatoes, as well.
Actress Yumi Kawai, perhaps best known for her roles in Plan 75 (2022), Desert of Namibia (2024) and Shigatsu ni nareba kanojo wa (2024) stars as the voice of the more confident Ayumu Fujino. Mizuki Yoshida is perhaps best known for her acting in Alice in Borderland (2020), The Lump in My Heart (2022) and Mayhem Girls (2023) accompanies Kawai as her best friend and creative collaborator on screen as the more timid Kyomoto.
While most fans make take to their more explosive and confrontational scenes in the film, I think both actresses really show us their mettle in the quieter scenes like when Mizuki Yoshida (as Kymototo), thanks Yumi Kawai as (Fujino) for getting her– a shut in student out that room– and into the world. Such quieter and more subtle scenes like this in the film help flesh out the friendship of the girls and the years that bond them together.
The animated credits, that I highly suggest that you sit through, is a subtle and moving part of the story–even if it serves as an animated end-cap. Paying attention to the voice acting talent section will reveal a surprising and beloved voice acting talent credited! (Big Hint: I’m high-fiving my fellow The Vision of Escaflowne fans!) The credits also serve as a quiet time for reflection for viewers seeing that solo character coming back to her desk and working, having a piece of their former friend with them.
Look Back’s North American film distributor included a wonderful surprise after the film (as they are known to do, we love GKids extras!) I was able to watch a prerecorded, subtitled Q&A with director Kiyotaka Oshiyama and two of the main voice actresses of Kyomoto (Mizuki Yoshida) and Fujino (Yumi Kawai). The director who also wrote the screenplay elaborated on taking his time on adapting the original and stopping and coming back to the project to give it his best effort when he felt it wasn’t quite heading in the right direction.
My fellow audience members in the theater got to watch him talk about the care and consideration that went into respecting and adapting the original source material in detail. With the animation, he spoke about the free reign they, as a team, had in making certain scenes ‘pop.’ My fellow BNP contributor Mikkel reminded me of Oshiyama saying that as a director, he went back and made sure the animators didn’t erase their sketch lines because he wanted that imperfection included in–this just stands as an incredible glimpse into the process of making this film and how aligned the creative team were in honoring Fujimoto’s manga.
Watching the segment with the voice actresses talk about their roles revealed so much like Yumi Kawai’s admission that this was her very first voice acting role and the actress favorite lines in the film! I was moved by them admitting their nerves and working around trying to best present the characters’ (voices) for the film. It is my hope that this special is accessible to viewers everywhere once the film hits streaming services and DVD.
Look Back isn’t a long film, the run time is maybe a few minutes short of an hour–and it doesn’t need to be longer, to be a stand out film that emphasizes friendships, connections and creative outlets. When I think back on this film, I know that I highly recommend it to others. If I could paraphrase what I wrote in the Black Nerd Problems Discord: I wanted to watch this again the next day–everyone should bring tissues whether you watch it in theaters or wait for it to be on streaming services.
Seeing Fujino back at her desk and the changes she makes through the film alone, then with Kyomoto and then alone again helps me process their story of pride, validation, creativity. and the heart-breaking tragedy that separates them. I am reminded of why I loved the manga in the first place. This brilliant coming-of-age story that dared to stand out and becomes a great force to recognized with here on the big screen, animated. Look Back is a delightful, heart-breaking film adaptation dedicated to the main core of its source material: focusing in on art, artists, and the pursuit to make and the sacrifices made in that pursuit.
LOOK BACK from Kiyotaka Oshiyama based on the manga by Tatsuki Fujimoto in theatres starting October 4
See screening times, additional cast information and more of the GKIDS website.
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The post REVIEW: ‘Look Back’ is the Stand Out, Coming-of-Age Adaptation We All Need to Watch appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.