Welcome to It Happened One Weekend, our weekly roundup of The New York Times real estate section...
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: bros looking to rent
Price
Dream: $2,800/month
Reality: $2,540/month + $2,000
Neighborhood
Dream: Financial District
Reality: Financial District
Amenities
Dream: 1BR (convertible living room)
Reality: Studio, terrace
Summary
This weekend's Hunters are a couple of dudes who decided to move in together. They had a budget of around $2,800/month and decided to only look in the Financial District, which means their search options were pretty much limited to studios and one-bedrooms. At this point, you're probably wondering, "Why would they not even consider looking for a larger apartment in another part of the city?", which would be a very reasonable question. Anyway, these gents soon found a "large" studio apartment with a terrace on John Street, which they then divided into a two-bedroom using temporary walls. They moved into the place and are paying $2,540/month, plus an additional $2,000 for the walls and a 15 percent broker's fee. Now, they say that each bedroom "is like a big cubicle" and their wall "has a gap of around 18 inches at the ceiling and two doorways but no doors." This bizarre living situation definitely sounds preferable to renting a larger apartment in a neighborhood that isn't the Financial District. [The Hunt/Financial District Roommates; photo via Michael Daddino/Curbed Photo Pool]
Loading comments...