I just moved to New York last week - I had soo much trouble trying to secure somewhere to live. I sent off dozens of enquiries and got hardly any replies, went to a few inspections that appeared differently to how they were advertised. So disheartening.
I ended up finding this company called [moderated: no free ads pls] and was finally able to find a nice apartment for rent. They went an extra step and not only arranged a place for me, but also gave me local tips about what to see and do specifically in that area! Would definitely recommend them.