If being near Central Park is your goal, you might want to check out this $3,495 two-bedroom

By Lucy Cohen Blatter | August 10, 2016 - 3:59PM

Located in a prewar brownstone, this two-bedroom, two-bath has outdoor space (small as this particular tar beach may be), and a price tag—$3,495—that's more commonly associated with one-bedrooms in the neighborhood.

All appliances in the kitchen are full-sized, and the apartment is about a block from Central Park. But you're going to have to be okay with stairs, both to get to the apartment, and then inside with a spiral staircase. Also, pets aren't allowed.

So is it worth considering? We asked our experts (and veteran renters), RentHackr founder Zeb Dropkin, Brick Underground senior contributing editor Lucy Cohen Blatter, and freelance writer Lambeth Hochwald, to weigh in on this week's Take It or Leave It.

The apartment:

Size: Two-bedroom, two-bath
Location: 43 West 76th Street (between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue)
Monthly rent: $3,495/month
Flexible layout: No
Days on the market: 5 days
Subway: B, C at 81st Street

Pros and cons:

"On paper this place sounds amazing—a two-bedroom, two-bath (don't see that second bathroom, so make sure it's there), with exposed brick, outdoor space, and a separate kitchen—all well under the area median price ($4,200, according to StreetEasy). But, when you look closely, one of those bedrooms has no door and is a walkway to the roof, the other is narrow, the outdoor space is makeshift, and the separate kitchen is dated." —Lucy

"This is a relatively affordable two-bed, two-bath just a block off of Central Park with an outdoor patio! But it's a walk up to the apartment, a spiral staircase to the upstairs, it's unclear how narrow some rooms are and if the roof is accessible to all or just one bedroom. And no pets." —Zeb

"I’m having serious flashbacks to my first NYC apartment located in a building like this, just one block away, but this one’s way better mostly because of that terrace which isn’t big, but will give you just enough fresh air and maybe room for a window box or two. On the flip side, while the place looks tidy, the whole place feels very dated (those kitchen cabinets!), which may be why the price is reasonable for the neighborhood where two-beds can go for $7,000." —Lambeth

Who would this apartment be perfect for?

"A couple of close friends who don't need a lot of space, but want to be near Central Park (on a budget)." —Lucy

"Roommates who will enjoy the small roof deck, use the heck out of Central Park, and who are in great stair-climbing shape could make this place a great UWS home." —Zeb

"A pair of Central Park runners in amazing shape who won’t even think twice about hustling up four floors to the 'penthouse' of this walk-up, multiple Fairway bags in tow." —Lambeth

The verdict(s):

LEAVE IT "I guess I'm in the minority here, but I find this place 'meh'." —Lucy

TAKE IT "After checking out the space for yourself, if no red flags, this could be a great apartment to enjoy living uptown near the park." —Zeb

TAKE IT "Provided you’re not expecting more than a tar beach outdoor space here—it’s hardly a pristine deck and is it my imagination or is part of the space on an angle that’s just perfect for skateboarding down?" —Lambeth

The Market Upper West Side to Brooklyn Heights: A neighborhood that feels more "us," with better parking

Sales Market Upper West Side to Gramercy East: It hurts to lose Central Park, but my social life is downtown

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