From Central Harlem to Hell’s Kitchen: We wanted a real two bedroom in a busy and convenient area
- Rachel and her roommate left a $2,700 one bedroom for a large two bedroom where they pay $3,100
- Their new nabe has more restaurants and stores and they can walk to Central Park and Columbus Circle
Rachel's new place has a large living room and separate kitchen. "I'm so happy to come back to this apartment after a long day," she said.
Rachel felt isolated living on a quiet block in Central Harlem. When her lease ended, she and her roommate headed to Hell’s Kitchen. Even though her new building has no amenities, she thinks of her large apartment as a“unicorn.” Here’s Rachel’s story as told to Kelly Kreth.
I was born in New Orleans and raised in Hermosa Beach, California. I moved to New York City in January 2023 to complete my last semester of Syracuse University at its NYC campus. Like most of my friends, I decided to stay in NYC after graduation to pursue musical theater.
I lived in Central Harlem with my best friend and college roommate, and we live together now. Our Harlem apartment was a fourth-floor walkup with zero amenities. We found it in a hurry in the middle of the summer. It had a decent living room and kitchen layout, but there was only one, full-sized bedroom. My roommate slept in a windowless alcove with no wall or door separating it from the rest of the apartment.
Our rent was $2,700. It was not a clean or new space and management was slow to respond to repair requests. There was a laundromat about six minutes way on 116th Street.
[Editor's note: “Transitions” features first-person accounts of what it’s like to move from one NYC neighborhood to another. Have a story to share? Drop us an email. We respect all requests for anonymity.]
The apartment received a lot of natural light and had beautiful, exposed brick in the living room. It was on a quiet street as well but it felt dirty and dated. Our water pressure was awful and our heat would constantly break down. I also got sick of all those stairs.
Harlem is a classic NYC neighborhood, but I didn’t feel comfortable exploring it at night. We lived very close to Lidl but that’s really it in terms of destinations that we frequented. Anywhere else I needed to go—fitness classes, dance classes, auditions, and work—was at least a 20-minute train ride away.
I teach fitness, audition, and dance. My commute to work was 40 minutes. I took the B and C line, which was a six-minute walk. The A on 125th was also an option, but that was a 10-minute walk.
My favorite thing to do was grab a delicious slice of pizza at Rosa Pizza on the corner. My roommate loved to frequent Double Dutch Espresso, a cozy coffee shop right near us.
There were a few bars and restaurants on our street, like Mess Hall, which serves super cute cocktails; Vinateria for Italian food; and Harlem Tavern for beers and football.
Why she decided to move
Our lease was up in December, so we decided to move on Nov. 1st to give us time to settle in and travel during the holidays.
I wanted to be closer to Broadway for work and we decided on Hell’s Kitchen. We enlisted Damon Williams, an agent at BOND New York, to help us find our new apartment. We didn’t want to settle for a listing we found at the last minute, so we thought hiring an agent would be worth it. We told him we wanted a two bedroom and our maximum budget was $3,500.
We viewed four apartments in one day, falling in love with the first one Damon showed us. We sent in an application and were approved.
Damon was communicative and explained how the application process worked. He organized our documents and put us both on the application, which made applying easier. He also set us up with online rent payments, which makes things simple.
Why she likes her new place
I think of our apartment as a “unicorn.” It has a huge living room, a large, separate kitchen, a big primary bedroom, and a decent-sized second bedroom. It’s also a walk-up—this time we’re on the third floor. Our new rent is $3,100. I have the primary bedroom so I am paying more than my roommate: I pay $1,850 and she pays $1,250.
The building is on the corner of a busy street, right above a bodega and near many eateries and stores. It’s not new, but all our appliances are modern and management is responsive.
As two women, we wouldn’t feel safe in a ground-floor apartment, but we also don’t want to climb too many stairs, so this is ideal. There are no building amenities but we don’t care; living in this gorgeous unit in this location is the biggest amenity of all.
What she thinks of the neighborhood
Hell’s Kitchen is very busy and convenient. We live on 57th Street, so we’re only a 20-minute walk away from 72nd Street and a 15-minute walk away from 42nd Street, where my auditions and voice lessons are. I’m also a 10-minute walk to Columbus Circle and Central Park, which is a dream. There is also a crosstown bus directly in front of my building. I rarely need to take the subway anymore.
I live close to great restaurants, coffee shops, shopping, and all my favorite activities. I love how safe I feel walking around and exploring my area, and the excitement of bustling streets. I really feel like I’m living in NYC, as opposed to my previous quiet, isolated block.
I also love how much space I have in my new apartment. I am so excited to host my friends now that I can fit a full-sized couch in my living room.
There are a few drawbacks. Our apartment is on an intersection, so it’s noisy. I’ve had to invest in a sound machine and earplugs to sleep at night. The laundromat is also 10 minutes away, so lugging our laundry is going to get old.
I like to walk on the West Side Highway, which is only a block away. We love going to Emmy’s Squared Pizza or Route 66 for a chicken Caesar salad. I am also a huge fan of Sullivan Street Bakery.
A big perk of living in this area is that I rarely have to DoorDash food anymore since I’m usually walking distance from my favorite restaurants (Little Italy Pizza and Westville).
My mom is excited to visit me and she likes to stay in nearby Columbus Circle, so she’ll see me more easily. I haven’t lived in the area long enough to make any new friends yet, but I’m excited to socialize more.
It was such a good idea to move here. I finally feel like I belong in NYC. I am so motivated and excited to explore the city, and so happy to come back to this apartment after a long day. I feel so spoiled to live walking distance from everything.
I am going to stay in this area for as long as I possibly can. I’m already thinking about renewing my lease and I just moved in.
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