61 Perry Street
Photo-Illustration: Curbed; Photos: Compass

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 around the internet. 

In honor of the Knicks parade on Thursday and the beautiful circus that erupted around it, I mostly stuck around lower Manhattan this week. On my journey into the unaffordable, I visited the Lower East Side, the West Village, and Tribeca before venturing north to Gramercy Park and Nomad. I grew so depressed by the time I’d seen my third $3,000-plus studio that I had to retreat to Brooklyn to find cheap relief.

$3,495, studio: They just raised the rent here by $100, lol.

163 Ludlow Street
Photo: REAL New York

$2,995, 1-bedroom: It’s very Tenement Museum (blink and you’ll miss the “kitchen”), but it’s the best deal I’ve seen all week.

$4,675, 2-bedroom: Pretty wainscoting and there’s a backyard. But it’s also a Murphy-bed situation in the second bedroom, which looks like it’s been carved out of the living room.

$15,000, 2-bedroom: Someone here took the neighborhood name very seriously. And I actually totally respect the commitment.

240 Centre Street
Photo: Douglas Elliman

$4,795, 1-bedroom: The fact that they’re marketing this 800-square-foot apartment with no discernible windows as “over-sized” is a bit of a tragedy. But looking past that, the building is great and the parquets pass my inspection.

$4,200, 1-bedroom: You know we’re all screwed when I look at this and think: That’s sort of affordable. 

377 Bleecker Street
Photo: Bond New York

$4,500, studio: And this one is even smaller! But I like the cheerful color palette.

$3,750, studio: Funkytown!!!!! Seeing more and more of these loft built-ins all over the Village. The girlies see charm; I see a landlord’s creative interpretation of what constitutes a bedroom.

$10,495, 1-bedroom: I would barely call this a duplex — listing because of the bizarre-o layout.

$12,000, 1-bedroom: A very Alice Waters carriage house with outdoor space.

61 Perry Street
Photo: Compass

$8,000, studio: A 1,200-square-footer with Corinthian columns. If there are no Corinthian columns, it’s not a loft in my book.

6 Varick Street
Photo: SERHANT

$4,495, 1-bedroom: One of my favorite finds of the week. I’m such a sucker for terra-cotta tile.

106 Lexington Avenue
Photo: NY Casa Group

$3,500, studio: Whether or not you’re willing to pay this for a studio apartment, there’s no denying that it’s a nice studio apartment. Strong hardwoods, separate kitchen, blush-pink tiles in the bathroom.

352 East 19th Street
Photo: Compass

$15,000, 2-bedroom: Big price jump there — should have issued a trigger warning. But couldn’t not list this stunner with sky-high ceilings, fireplaces (two), and an en-suite bathroom that’s drool-y.

126 East 19th Street
Photo: Compass

$3,300, 1-bedroom: Had to list because … what … even … is that? It’s sort of reminiscent of this?

$2,800, 1-bedroom: After what I’d seen in Manhattan, the pricing here is feeling like taking a gulp of cold water in the desert. Good bones, nice moldings and hardwoods; kitchen and bathroom could use some renter-friendly tiles. 

$3,400, 1-bedroom: Dramatic bay window, strong parquet, and the cutest kitchen built in!

1042 Bergen Street
Photo: eRealty Advisors USA Inc

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