Is this $1,750 one-bedroom worth a relocation to East Harlem?

By Lucy Cohen Blatter | July 15, 2015 - 11:59AM

In Manhattan, where the average one-bedroom is $3,500, there's no denying that a true one-bedroom for $1,750 a month is a pretty good deal. That said, this one is not in a prime location (it's far east, and the median price for one-bedrooms in East Harlem is more like $2,000), plus it's a walk-up.

Still, the rooms are also generously sized — the bedroom can fit a king-sized bed — and has some charming details like exposed brick, and a recently renovated kitchen and bath. Plus, the building appears to be well-maintained.

So is it worth trying out a new neighborhood? I asked our experts (and veteran renters), RentHackr founder Zeb Dropkin and freelance writer Lambeth Hochwald, to weigh in with me on this week's Take It or Leave It.

Size: One-bedroom, one-bath
Location: 330 East 117th Street (between First and Second)
Cost: $1,750
Flexible layout: No
Days on the market: 10
Subway: 6 to 116th Street

Pros and cons:

"The exposed brick, fireplace and newly renovated bathroom are pluses. The kitchen is kind of 'meh.' I've seen worse and I've seen better. The biggest cons might be the far-east location: A bit of a hike to the 6 train and the walkup. But that's a pretty building!" — Lucy

"This is a pretty spacious one-bedroom with a recent renovation and a brick fireplace. It's way up in East Harlem, though, and it's not close to an express train stop. " — Zeb

"You don’t often see cheery window boxes in Manhattan apartment buildings so this registers as a huge plus for me. It seems as well that the entire building looks tidy, from the brick façade to the apartment itself which, apparently, was renovated last year (though the kitchen gets points off for the cheap and not-so-cheery faux wood cabinets). It’s nice that this one-bedroom is right near Target and Costco — so convenient — but I worry that the far East-ness of this place (it’s located between First and Second Avenues) will be a drawback, especially come winter." — Lambeth

Who would this apartment be perfect for?

"A young couple on a budget that appreciate just how close the Target/Costco complex is." — Lucy

"Good for a fireplace-loving renter that doesn't need to commute far from the uptown 6 train." — Zeb

"A hip young couple interested in giving this East Harlem neighborhood a try."— Lambeth

The verdict(s):

TAKE IT "It'll be hard to beat a price like this. And as long as you check out the neighborhood and commute first and it seems doable, I think you could do a lot worse." — Lucy

LEAVE IT "The commute is long and it's location is too isolated." — Zeb

LEAVE IT "Do you really want to schlep your Costco haul up four flights?" — Lambeth

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