Would you rent this one bedroom in Bedford Park, the Bronx, for $1,750?
If you want a rental with good bones, this renovated apartment in Bedford Park, the Bronx, built in 1927, might be the ticket.
The one bedroom, 225 East 202nd St., #5D, is asking $1,750 with no broker’s fee. That’s higher than the median asking price for one bedrooms in the neighborhood, which is $1,625, according to StreetEasy. The apartment has been available since September, so there may be room for negotiation.
The lobby has a very grand, carved wood ceiling and a checkerboard floor, and the apartment itself has picture frame molding and what appear to be large rooms with high ceilings.
The listing says the apartment has been newly renovated and the kitchen has custom cabinetry and stainless steel appliances, including a dishwasher. There are hardwood floors that look like they’ve been redone. (If the bathroom has been renovated it looks like very basic fixtures were used). At least the place looks very bright.
The building has 24-hour video security and a live-in super. Pets are allowed.
What about the neighborhood? The street is lined with large, red-brick apartment buildings, although next door is a small single-family home. Localize.city says the neighborhood is slightly below the average crime rate.
It’s half a block from the Grand Concourse, where you can pick up the B and D trains. Lehman College, where you can catch the Bronx Opera performing Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” this month, is a 10-minute walk. The entrance to the New York Botanical Garden is a 13-minute walk. The Bronx’s Little Italy and the Bronx Zoo are about 14 minutes by car. Midtown Manhattan is 50 minutes by subway.
So, what’s the verdict on this apartment?
As always, when weighing New York City apartment listings, we turn to our Take It Or Leave It experts: Constantine Valhouli, founder of real estate research and analytics firm NeighborhoodX, freelance writer Lambeth Hochwald, and myself.
But first, here are more pictures of the apartment.
Pros & cons
“Calling all commuters from Westchester: This Bronx one bedroom is shiny and renovated and waiting for you to sign the lease. My main concern is that this apartment has been lingering (big time) on the market. Why hasn't it been snapped up in 70-plus days? I'd want to do some diligence and see if there are any red flags.” —Lambeth Hochwald
“It looks like M.C. Escher designed the lobby floor and ceiling, and this is a gorgeous detail that would make you smile every time you pass through. (The problem is that you need to ensure you're not in a fifth-floor walk-up designed by Escher, because those endless Möebius strip staircases can be really challenging on moving day).” — Constantine Valhouli
“The apartment’s classic good looks are big plus for me. And who doesn’t like a separate entry foyer? It may be priced high for the neighborhood, probably because it has been renovated, but this a very good deal when you consider that the median asking rent for a one bedroom in Manhattan is $3,450.” —Jennifer White Karp
Who is it good for?
“Reverse commuters or even an adjunct professor at Lehman College who wants a walkable commute to class.” —Hochwald
“Someone who wants their morning selfies to look like a Vermeer painting, between the black and white tiles, and the breathtaking ceiling.” —Valhouli
“Someone who wants a more affordable place to live and likes Italian food and checking out flowers.” —White Karp
Take it or leave it?
Leave it. “There are two strikes against it: One, because of its long time on the market and; two, it's a higher rent than the one bedrooms in the neighborhood which, for me, pushes this into the no-go zone.” —Hochwald
Leave it. “You're 15 minutes from the Bronx Opera and 50 minutes to Midtown. Now, if those two were reversed...” —Valhouli
Take it. “You are going to have a hard time finding an apartment like this, at this price and a half block from an express train.” —White Karp
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