Post-divorce rental options under $2,000 a month
Is real estate keeping you in a loveless marriage? "There's a reason so many miserable couples stay together," notes an UrbanBaby.com commenter about the difficulty of supporting two households on a one-household budget.
Elsewhere on the site, a divorcing parent of a 5-year old is searching for a Manhattan rental in a good school district for $2,000 or less. The suggestions range from leaving NYC, converting an alcove studio or one-bedroom into living space for two, getting a roommate, looking in the boroughs, or living with your ex-.
Feeling her pain, BrickUnderground.com decided to take a look at some options. Though the living isn't large in Manhattan for $2,000 or less, we found some choices in good school zones that do not involve converting an alcove studio or moving to Jersey. It's true that these apartments are not best in class, but they are priced well below the rental averages reported today over on CurbedNY.
- This winged convertible two-bedroom unit at 325 East 21st Street, between First and Second Avenues, looks rather grim in the pictures, but we are assuming it is currently being renovated. It is being offered for $1,650 for the first six months of an 18-month lease, and $1,790 for the next 12 months. While the landlord is clearly trying to time the lease renewal for a busier part of the year (and likely obtain a rent increase), it is a couple of hundred dollars below the $2,000 limit and has both a good elementary school (P.S. 40), and, an even greater rarity, a decent middle school, (M.S. 104). This is a walk-up building, and there is no indication of how far upstairs you'll have to trek to reach your new home.
- A convertible two bedroom is available in an elevator building at 203 East 27th Street, near Third Avenue, for $2,000. The kitchen isn't beautiful, but the apartment seems well maintained, and it is zoned for the well-regarded P.S. 116 and M.S. 104.
- Assuming the vaunted public elementary school has enough seats, your child will be able to attend P.S. 6 if you rent this one-bedroom at 120 East 80th Street between Park and Lexington. It's on the small side but nicely renovated. Although this is a walk-up building, the unit is on the ground floor and faces the garden.
- If downtown and P.S. 234 (and M.S. 104) sound attractive, and you can stretch just a bit to $2,045, this convertible two-bedroom at 11 Maiden Lane, near Broadway, is available. It is a sunny, pre-war loft, with high ceilings in an elevator building that allows pets.
- If the above options seem too expensive, or not large enough, these two apartments in Forest Hills and Riverdale might be preferable. This Forest Hills two-bedroom, one-bath located at 102-30 Queens Boulevard has been renovated, has a separate dining area, and an eat-in kitchen, for only $1,675, and is zoned for the well-liked P.S. 24. In Riverdale, this $1,700 two-bedroom, 1.5 bathroom co-op rental at 601 Kappock Street has hardwood floors, an outdoor pool, and eat-in kitchen. Here you will be able to send your child to P.S. 144.
Related posts:
Sharing a building with your ex-, for the kids
No guarantor? Don't panic (yet)
