Welcome to It Happened One Weekend, our weekly roundup of The New York Times real estate section...
The Hunt: 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 French UN worker posted to New York and eager to own a home.
Price
Dream: $500,000 to $600,000
Reality: $505,000
Neighborhood
Dream: East Village
Reality: Hudson Heights
Amenities
Dream: One-bedroom
Reality: One-bedroom
Summary
Nicolas Gérard, a United Nations worker from France, moved to New York four years ago, following a posting to Togo. After living with a colleague in Park Slope, he rented at Stuyvesant Town, but then he wanted to own his own place. He sought a co-op, but was told his being a foreigner was a problem. He tried again and realized that for the space he wanted and price he could afford, he'd have to head uptown. He passed on several places in the Hudson Heights section of Washington Heights and in Morningside Heights, for one reason or another, including poor layout or a bad view (not no view, a bad one). Eventually, he found a one-bedroom with a courtyard view in Hudson Heights. He won a bidding war and is happy there. He accepts the long commute on the A and 7 trains and has started reading books again. [The Hunt/A Hudson Heights Co-op With a View]