What websites, publications or real estate professionals would you recommend to people looking for rentals in Kips Bay, New York City?

I would start off looking on Craigslist. If you don't want to pay a broker fee, look under "no fee" and "by owner" apartments. If you can afford a broker (10% of a years rent) then I would start with either Citihabitats or Bond. They are the two biggest brokerage companies so they'll have the most to offer at your price point; and, they can find you something quite quickly.