264 Clinton Avenue Photo-Illustration: Curbed; Photos: Compass
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Listen, it’s not as though getting an apartment in New York has ever been easy. But one could probably argue it has never been harder than it is right now. The most god-awful studios are regularly renting for thousands and thousands of dollars with lines of interested tenants out the door. Here, we’ll find the actually worth-looking-ats, the actually worth-the-costs, and the surprisingly affordable-for-those-parquet-floors from all around the internet.
Let’s see here: The world continues to devolve in every direction, and this includes the news that Anthony Weiner is running for office again — and has something to say about real estate! (Seemingly, he’s into rent increases and partnering with developers.)
To match the chaos of Weiner’s return, I had a very random and frantic week of roaming around the tristate area in search of rentals — from Sheepshead Bay, where I found a few very affordable and less-than-renovated one-bedrooms; to Clinton Hill, which is suddenly, to my eyes, filled with new developments; to Greenwich Village, where everything is overpriced and small (shocker!).
Need a short-term stay? Keep reading for sublets of interest, at the bottom.
Clinton Hill Apartments
$15,000, three-bedroom: No one I know can afford this, but everyone I know would kill to live here. (I think.) I mean, it’s close to perfect: the cheeky colors, the beautiful old porch (equipped with a rocking chair, obviously), the roof and backyard — the list of shining qualities honestly doesn’t end.
10 Grand Avenue Photo: Compass
$4,600, one-bedroom: Clinton Hill has gotten pricey since I last lived there! These refurbished lofts are kind of ugly and have an aggressive design element, but I’m also kind of drawn to them. Home office and laundry unit, too.
Sheepshead Bay Apartments
$2,800, three-bedroom: The floor is literally coming up in some places, and the plywood is very apparent, but oh my God, the mint green of that bathroom tile!
$1,699, one-bedroom: A little rough around the edges, but I just relish seeing a price point in New York like this. I like the parquet floors and the curve of the living room. Seems to be highish up, so it gets good light, too.
2330 Ocean Avenue Photo: Real Street Inc
$1,960, one-bedroom: CHEAP prewar with all the built-ins, rounded corners, and hardwoods a girl could want.
Prospect Heights Apartments
$9,950, two-bedroom: I think this is the big ugly sky-rise building that hovers ominously over the farmers’ market. That said, the apartment’s quite nice with that wall of windows and a massive terrace overlooking the park.
1 Grand Army Plaza Photo: Compass
$9,995, two-bedroom: PPA: personal-pool alert. This is not a drill.
Gowanus Apartments
$3,400, studio: PPA: PUBLIC-pool alert, not to be confused with personal-pool alert. (Hmmm, might need to workshop.)
Cobble Hill Apartments
$3,250, one-bedroom: It’s tiny, it’s cheapish, it’s Cobble Hill. No, there is no dishwasher or washer-dryer.
East Village Apartments
$3,995, one-bedroom: The varnish is a little whoa, but the light is very nice. Windows at every turn. Plus a backyard. Okay, yard is a stretch. Let’s call it an area?
114 E. 13th Street Photo: Compass
$13,500, two-bedroom: An aspirational loft! This one is a corner duplex with high-to-the-sky ceilings and a roof-deck. Plus a fireplace. Feels kind of like a poor use of space, and a lot of the finishing details are very ’80s (see: mirrors), but it’s fun to tour.
Greenwich Village Apartments
$12,990, one-bedroom: The price of living on Bleecker Street, I guess. A duplex, which, maybe if you were to divide it by four and sleep head to toe in that king-size bed, is not so bad!
$15,000, three-bedroom: Loft life returns! At a price point I can better understand, considering the amount of space.
110 MacDougal Street Photo: Blackwater Associates Inc.
$3,300, one-bedroom: Feels like a breath of fresh air to come back down to the 3,000s. At what cost, you ask? You just have to be ready to live in a set-decorated basement.
$5,100, one-bedroom: Wildly overpriced, relatively decent one-bedroom in the West Village.
$3,995, studio: I like it here for a few reasons: the ceiling “beams,” the original windows, the beautiful (but sadly decorative) fireplace. The cherry stain on the hardwood is looking cheap, though, and don’t even glimpse at the bathroom.
14 Minetta Street Photo: Courtesy the owner
$6,250, one-bedroom: Really oddly configured but pretty fabulous duplex on Minetta. The garden level feels extra basement-y, but I can look past it for that 148-paned window next to the fireplace.
Battery Park Apartments
250 South End Avenue Photo: Corcoran
$12,500, two-bedroom: Stunning. Like living in a greenhouse.
Sublets of Interest
My favorite ventriloquist, Sophie Becker, is looking for a roomie! Located on the third floor of a bright and spacious prewar apartment building in prime-time Cobble Hill. You can rent with an office included ($2,300 per month), or without ($2,000). Email Sophie at sophiebecker12@gmail.com — serious inquiries only!
Photo: Sophie Becker
Over in Bed-Stuy, actress Amelia Jane is subletting her spot for a short-term stay starting on May 26 and ending June 6. Yes, for 12 days her chic apartment could be yours for the price of $850. DM her if interested.
Photo: Sophia Amaral
In Ridgewood, stylist Sophie Amaral is renting out a room in her apartment: a spacious two-bedroom off the Myrtle-Wyckoff L/M with a shared office space. She’s asking $1,650 plus utilities. It’s cute! DM her if interested.
And lastly, model Katie Grace is renting out her Bushwick apartment from now until Thanksgiving-ish off the Myrtle-Broadway J/M/Z. She’s asking for $2,700 but can be flex!
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