Is a Brooklyn one-bedroom plus office for $1,700 too good to pass up?

By Lucy Cohen Blatter | February 25, 2015 - 1:59PM

If original details and that quintessential Brooklyn brownstone style are your thing, this $1,700/month one-and-a-half-bedroom floor-through apartment in a two-family house in Sunset Park might hit the spot.

It's got nice closet space (it looks like there are three lined up in a row!), hardwood floors, and original details like a fireplace and ornate moldings. Some potential cons: Pets aren't allowed, and Sunset Park doesn't quite have the same cachet as other parts of Brooklyn.

But are the downsides enough to negate all those upsides? We asked our veteran renters, including RentHackr founder Zeb Dropkin, freelance writer Lambeth Hochwald, and myself, to weigh in for this week Take It or Leave It.

Size: 1.5-bed, 1-bath
Location: 559 45th Street (between Fifth and Sixth)
Cost: $1,700/mo
Flexible layout: Yes
Days on the market: 4
Subway: R at 45th St.; N,,R, D at 36th St.

Pros and Cons:

"I've got to give the broker credit here for calling this a one-bedroom with an office and not a two-bedroom, as so many do. That probably means that the second room doesn't have a window. But the living room has nice big windows, and this place screams Brooklyn brownstone charm to me. Sure, those wood kitchen cabinets could use a bit of an update, but the kitchen is big, with plenty of room to work." - Lucy

"Sunset Park may be the next affordable neighborhood to get a lot of renter attention, and here's a spacious one-bedroom for under $2,000, but a half mile from the express trains." - Zeb

"There’s lots of charm packed into this Sunset Park one-bed plus office. I’m a sucker for original details and those hardwood floors are pretty fab. I won’t even take issue with the three-doors-in-a-row oddity. Could this be three closets? It’s unclear from the broker snaps." - Lambeth

Who would this apartment be perfect for?

"A couple, one of whom works from home either full time or occasionally." - Lucy

"If you're ready to forego your fancy coffee shop in exchange for great affordable Chinese and Mexican food on the same street, check out this area. The cafes will come. They always do." - Zeb

"A newly-wedded couple eager to find out what the Sunset Park hype is all about." - Lambeth

The Verdict(s):

TAKE IT "The price is right and the space/charm are a nice added touch. Just check out the neighborhood and make sure you like it first, since relying on the R might mean you'll be staying put a lot." - Lucy

TAKE IT "Double check that your express train commute isn't too far a walk, and then settle in." - Zeb

TAKE IT "Provided you don't mind a broker fee and don't have to rush into Manhattan each day for work. You'll be relying on the R or D train if you take this apartment and that can be a schlep." - Lambeth

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