By Nora DeLigter
Listen, it is not as though getting an apartment in New York City 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 spilling out the door and wrapping down the block. Renters face a relentless market where competition is fierce, inventory is tight, and compromises have to be made on almost every front—whether that means sacrificing square footage, enduring a brutal commute, or living in a space that has seen better decades.
Amidst this unending urban real estate scramble, renters are forced to comb through endless listings just to find the rare gems. These are the spaces that are actually worth looking at, genuinely worth the exorbitant costs, and occasionally surprisingly affordable for those who prize authentic architectural details like well-worn parquet floors.
Finding these diamonds in the rough requires casting a wide net across the boroughs, keeping an eye on both historic charms and unexpected contemporary spaces. First of all, a quick shout-out to the creators behind Ohana, the subletting site, who are continuing to produce important journalistic video content highlighting the realities of the housing landscape. Second of all, the broader housing crisis is officially on the ballot this election cycle, making it more critical than ever for residents to get out and vote for candidates who address affordability head-on. Third of all—and this is perhaps neither here nor there, but very New York—the city now boasts its very own Vegas-style elopement center, a development that has captured the attention of locals scrolling through neighborhood dispatches.
Shifting focus back to the primary pursuit of shelter, the latest round of apartment hunting hits Clinton Hill, Ditmas Park, Crown Heights, Bay Ridge, and beyond. This week’s slate of properties brings a wealth of great Victorian-era finds, dependable prewar classics as always, and even a tentative, open-minded foray into new-build territory. Growth, it seems, is happening across the board.
The journey begins with high-end grandeur in Clinton Hill at 160 Hall Street, where a massive three-bedroom house commands a staggering $15,000 a month. Who is to assume that prospective renters are not looking for a sprawling three-bedroom house at that price point? For those with the budget, the property offers a particularly drool-worthy double-height living room complete with exposed wooden beams and a dramatic winding staircase that anchors the space.
Moving along to Washington Avenue, a two-bedroom unit asks $4,850 monthly. While it is certainly not cheap by any means—especially situated within what feels like a local transit desert—these distinct downsides are largely offset by charming Juliet windows, a very dignified rooftop dining area that offers elevated views of the surroundings, and an abundance of natural light pouring through the windows. Nearby on Waverly Avenue, a one-bedroom listing priced at $3,899 presents a totally standard floor-through layout characterized by a shiny red floor stain that might not appeal to everyone’s aesthetic tastes, though individual preferences vary.
Venturing deeper into the borough reveals the rich architectural history of Ditmas Park, where Victorian craftsmanship takes center stage. At 326 East 17th Street, an entire fabulous Victorian house is available for $13,000, offering enough room for a large family. The overarching rule for prospective tenants touring this home is simple and absolute: do not touch the kitchen, the mahogany-clad study, the living room, the historic floors, the pocket doors, or the original windows.
For renters trying to expand their horizons beyond the traditional charm of prewar architecture, a modern alternative presents itself at 2021 Farragut Road, where a two-bedroom apartment lists for $3,600. This amenity-rich new build features building perks such as a bike room, a resident gym, and shared office space. The unit itself leans into industrial aesthetics with concrete ceilings and walls, complemented by hardwood floors that manage to be surprisingly agreeable.
Staying in the neighborhood, 2333 Foster Avenue offers a four-bedroom home for $4,999, packing an impressive amount of real estate under a turn-of-the-century roof. The space boasts windows galore, nice parquet flooring, and touches of stained glass, alongside a remarkably cozy broom closet. For a more budget-friendly option nearby, 383 East 17th Street offers a spacious one-bedroom prewar apartment for $2,750, featuring a strange little stage at the entryway of the kitchen and leafy, calming views from the bedroom window. Meanwhile, 457 Stratford Road presents an adorable attic apartment for $2,400, complete with sloped ceilings and decidedly unpolished listing photography, tucked inside an equally charming baby-blue Victorian structure that earns its keep.
The search then shifts to Crown Heights and neighboring central Brooklyn corridors. At 666 Park Place, a three-bedroom prewar apartment asks $5,495 and features unusually delightful latticework, with the elaborate wood paneling in the formal dining room serving as a standout architectural highlight. Over at 1160 Dean Street, a two-bedroom parlor-floor apartment priced at $4,650 showcases grand proportions alongside several details that urgently demand attention, including an oddly bisected heart-shaped applique on the wall, hallway tile resembling Formica, and a series of questionable light fixtures.
Further down on President Street, a three-and-a-half-bedroom brownstone apartment lists for $4,000. The lack of an official floor plan leaves the exact configuration somewhat mysterious—specifically how three and a half bedrooms fit onto a single floor and what constitutes a half-bedroom—yet the space proves that determination goes a long way. The interior has undergone a rather heavy-handed renovation, though squinting hard enough reveals faint traces of the original details. Nearby at 925 Sterling Place, a $3,250 one-bedroom garden-level unit offers a much more cohesive aesthetic, featuring a charming exposed-brick fireplace and beautifully under-stained hardwood floors.
Finally, the tour concludes in the quieter, transit-dependent stretches of Bay Ridge, where neighborhood charm often compensates for the longer commute into Manhattan. At 263 86th Street, a one-bedroom railroad apartment rents for $2,850, offering pretty parquet floors and soothing pastel paint choices that provide a calm retreat from the city. On Senator Street, a two-bedroom brownstone railroad apartment asks $3,600 and comes equipped with tin ceilings and original wainscoting. While tenants will need to address the radiators, the market provides creative solutions like rustic wooden radiator covers with built-in shelving.
Additional Bay Ridge options include a sweet one-bedroom apartment at 91 Gelston Avenue for $3,000, situated inside a detached postwar brick house. This unit provides 1,200 square feet of living space and features a charming terrace overlooking a gorgeous, tree-lined street. At 16 94th Street, a two-bedroom prewar apartment lists for $3,500, offering a sunken living room anchored by a lovely gate, curved architectural passageways, and an abundance of uninspired wall sconces that will require some immediate lighting updates from incoming tenants.
Closing out the week near the cultural hub of Prospect Park, 25 Eastern Parkway features a two-bedroom apartment for $5,200. The primary aesthetic pull here is the large-format black-and-white tilework in the kitchen, anchoring an otherwise standard apartment whose primary selling point remains its immediate proximity to the green space of the park.
