Welcome to It Happened One Weekend, our weekly roundup of The New York Times real estate section...
1) History Lessons: wherein we explore our city's past, from Bronx to Battery.
The average rental price at the The Cherokee on York Avenue between East 77th and East 78th Streets may be pushing $2,700/month, but such was not always the case. Back in 1909, architect Henry Atterbury Smith set out to build the "model tenement," a low-cost alternative to the infamous dark, stuffy, disease-riddled buildings. The result was a totally unique design in the history of American low-income housing, with open-air corridors, skylights, and—perhaps most curiously—bright, gorgeous floor-to-ceiling windows. ["When the Prescription Is Fresh Air"; photo via lucas_roberts426/Curbed Photo Pool]
2) Every "The Hunt" column begins with the Hunters describing the apartment they want, and ends with them rationalizing whatever they came away with. This is The Hunt: Dreams vs. Reality
The Hunters: A junior at NYU looks to rent her own apartment
Price
Dream: $1,850/month
Reality: $2,100/month
Neighborhood
Dream: Within walking distance of NYU
Reality: East Village
Amenities
Dream: Quiet, bright
Reality: Small, spacious closet
Summary
There is a lot to roll your eyes at this week. The Hunter is a San Diego-native and student at NYU ("an aspiring actress who is studying theater and dramatic literature," strike one) whose delicate countenance required her to move out of the dorms and have her parents rent her a studio apartment for $2,100/month (strikes two and three). After looking at a place on 25th Street that was out of the question because it would require Vanessa to take the subway, she went with her realtor to a pre-war building near Union Square, where a 240-square-foot studio had just hit the market. It was perfect and, apparently, well worth the $2,100/month plus $3,000 broker fee. Congrats, Vanessa. [The Hunt/"An Advanced Degree in Quiet"]