Help me choose an apartment

May 30, 2008 9:20 AM

I am headed to law school in Brooklyn with a full ride and a great housing offer-- subsidized housing for 3 years. My partner and I can pick between two apartments, but we can't decide which we should take.

One Bedroom
$1500/month
300 square feet
All but electricity included
Gorgeous historic brownstone building on beautiful residential street (Brooklyn Heights, trees, the works)
2nd floor of a 5 story walk-up
Laundry in basement
No A/C



Two Bedroom
$2040 a month
500 square feet
No utilities included
Great location, steps from subway and school, not particularly attractive street (bland, commercial, Downtown Brooklyn)
11th floor of an elevator building, GREAT view, Statue of Liberty, etc.
Laundry in basement
Central A/C


What would you do? Why? What factors should I be considering here? I can't view the actual apartments.

Thank you for any insight, opinions, anything that will help me brainstorm.

posted by sondrialiac to grab bag (20 comments total)

I should add that our annual income will be 93k or more.
posted by sondrialiac at 9:21 AM on May 30

What subway lines is each apartment adjacent to, and how far is the walk to the stop?
posted by prefpara at 9:27 AM on May 30

I'd go for the second one based on space alone, especially if you plan to spend a lot of time at home. Save your relationship and go for the less-cramped apartment with more privacy. And then the central A/C just sealed the deal for me.
posted by zerbinetta at 9:28 AM on May 30

How I would kill to have central AC.

I think what would do it for me, though, is the space. Do you know the dimensions of the rooms? Can you conceptualize 300 square feet? 300 square feet is not a whole lot of feet. 500 square feet, divided now by 3, is also not a lot of feet. It may help to know the room:room:kitchen areas.
posted by phunniemee at 9:28 AM on May 30

So basically the only benefits of the first one, besides being cheaper, is that the exterior of the building is more attractive? If you're earning $93k together you can surely afford the second. Building prettiness matters way less than space, location, or A/C.
posted by grouse at 9:33 AM on May 30

congratulations. you have two great nyc apartments there.
the a/c and space make the second apartment look quite attractive to me but consider also proximities to supermarkets (you will be schlepping groceries all the time), a subway station and perhaps something like a gym if that's important to you. if you can walk to each of those places in less than ten minutes you have a winner.
posted by krautland at 9:38 AM on May 30

Both places are probably pretty small, as 500sf divided into 2 rooms and probably a living room and kitchen is nothing per room. Maybe figure out the square footage per room, and see if either would end up being more "open"? Getting an AC up two flights of stairs is really no big deal either.

I would get on google maps and yelp and check out places to eat and drink as well as subways. Groceries, farmers markets, attractions, are all pretty important.
posted by shownomercy at 9:42 AM on May 30

Are you sure about the square footage? 300 sq ft is tiny. I just moved to a studio with 380 sq ft, and I can't imagine living with a second person, and you're talking about a 1br with only 300 square ft? You'd be lucky to fit a full size bed.

I vote for the second apartment. With the rigorous study schedule, you (and your partner) will appreciate the second room for quiet and privacy and just not being on top of one another all the damn time.

Also, even though the 1 Br is only on the second floor, that's two flight of stairs to haul your laundry up and down. And like phunnimee suggests, central A/C is delightful and rare commodity in NYC.
posted by kimdog at 9:48 AM on May 30

Definitely the second. I don't know about NY standards, but 300 sqft is *really* tiny. $2040 is only ~25% of your gross pay, which is definitely affordable.
posted by cgg at 9:49 AM on May 30

One more thought. If you can ask follow-ups, find out if the 2 BR is a true 2BR or if it has been converted. If it's the latter, there may be temporary wall that can be easily taken down to maximize the space.
posted by kimdog at 10:15 AM on May 30

I'd probably take the one in Brooklyn Heights, but it would strongly depend on my ability to share such a small space with my partner. BH is one of the most walkable, beautiful neighborhoods in the city, with a lot of nice restaurants, bars and grocery stores. The 2/3 is right there, and it's not much of a walk to the A at High or the 4/5/M/R/W at Borough Hall, so you're good for quick access to Manhatten.
posted by overhauser at 10:27 AM on May 30

My office is almost 300sf, and I'm not about to share it with anyone. I can't imagine voluntarily sharing living space that small with anyone outside of my womb. I'd say go for door #2.
posted by notashroom at 11:25 AM on May 30

Those room sizes don't seem correct and definitely don't seem subsidized. I know people in university-subsidized apartments living in Manhattan with less rent and over twice the square footage. Two people in a 300 sf 1-bedroom sounds like a nightmare, especially when you can afford more space. Though I will say there are two grad students living next door to me sharing a tiny studio, so it can be done. I don't know much about Brooklyn, but I know people paying the same rent for FAR better options. Are you sure the info is correct?

I would take the second (more space, AC), but would also explore market-rate options in the area if you can. I don't think this is a great housing offer.
posted by ml98tu at 11:41 AM on May 30

I would definitely check Craigslist before you take either of these apts. These both seem very small for two people. I've lived in Brooklyn for a number of years, and know that CL can be a bit of a pain (not as advertised) but I think you can do better.

Here's an apt for $2000 in Brooklyn Heights that is most definitely more than 300 sf:
http://newyork.craigslist.org/brk/fee/699583914.html

What about Park Slope? This one is 900 sf for $1900. And if you are near the Q 2/3 you can pretty much get anywhere.
http://newyork.craigslist.org/brk/fee/676368708.html
posted by anthropoid at 12:01 PM on May 30

Yeah, something's weird about this - even here in NYC 300 ft² is a small studio, not a one-bedroom. And NYC landlord normally overstate square footage! Make sure you're being quoted "usable" square feet.

Brooklyn Heights is nice though.
posted by nicwolff at 12:41 PM on May 30

go for number 2. hands down. unless its location is significantly worse than number 1 in terms of proximity to transit.
posted by misanthropicsarah at 12:43 PM on May 30

Am I correct in assuming that you'll be attending Brooklyn Law?

If so, then one thing to consider is that assuming the two bedroom is in the new State St. building, that building will be home to a couple hundred of law students, and might be a more stressful environment, particularly around exam times, than the brownstone, which I'd assume to be quieter. State St. is very convenient to the law school, and having the second bedroom would make it possible to have a separate office at home in which to study.

As far as the neighborhoods, downtown has less going on, but it is closer to Smith St./Boerum Hill, which is generally more happening than Brooklyn Heights proper.

If you have any other questions about Brooklyn Law or the neighborhoods, feel free to mefimail me.
posted by andrewraff at 2:01 PM on May 30

Also, I suspect that something sounds off about the quoted square footage. 300 sq. ft. is small even for a studio apartment in Manhattan, much less Brooklyn.
posted by andrewraff at 2:04 PM on May 30

The smaller apt is definitely only 300 square feet. So, yes, it is tiny. The only advantage is the price. Thanks for reality check about how small 300 sq ft really is--we can't go look at the actual apartments, we're comfy in a one bedroom now, and I was blinded a bit because I love post-war buildings and it's in a prettier location. But at that size, it's not really livable for a student and a guitar player.

The larger apartment is actually 800sq ft! So the answer is clear, the two bedroom will be better.

Both apartments are within 2 blocks of the 2,3,4,5,A,C,F,G,M,&R. So, yeah. Great locations.

Manhattan is not necessarily more expensive than the desirable parts of Brooklyn.

Thanks much!
posted by sondrialiac at 6:55 PM on May 30

Square feet EVERYWHERE includes hallways, closets and bathrooms. What I've learned in looking at places to rent and buy in NYC and Boston is that "one bedroom" can mean that space (which won't necessarily go floor-to-ceiling) has been partitioned off from the "living room" and "two bedroom" often means a one bedroom with an alcove without a door. The rental places I finally settled on in Boston and NY were : the two rear rooms on the first floor of a chopped up brownstone with pocket doors that didn't shut (listed as one bedroom in Boston) and a combined studio and one bedroom (listed as two bedroom in NYC). I strongly urge that you have a local friend check out these places.
posted by brujita at 10:08 PM on May 30