Bring on the drama! Our Rental of the Week occupies the parlor level of a landmarked brownstone, and wow, does it show. Stunning architectural details abound in this Upper West Side 1BR, starting with a jaw-dropping ceiling. The location, less than a block from Riverside Park, is hard to beat as well. Let’s take a look!

Address: 321 W. 88th St. #1B

Price: $2,295

Size: 1-bedroom

Neighborhood: Upper West Side

Best feature: Where to begin? This Upper West Side 1BR has a sense of grandeur that’s impossible to deny. From the 12-foot coffered ceilings to the elaborately carved and embellished fireplace, this is old-school New York elegance. It really feels like living in a ballroom.

Our Rental of the Week also has huge, bright windows that flood the space with natural light. That, plus the wide-open dimensions, keeps the dark wood details from feeling too heavy. A massive pocket door separates the living space from the bedroom. It sports another supertall window and more than enough space for a queen-size bed and furniture. The separate kitchen and renovated bathroom add modern convenience.

Finally, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better location. This tree-lined block of brownstones is both charming and close to everything, including the subway, the shopping and restaurants of Broadway, and beautiful Riverside Park.

Why it’s a deal: The median asking rent on the UWS is $2,800, according to the StreetEasy Data Dashboard. That puts our Rental of the Week at about $500 per month below average for the area. But the deal gets even better: One month free on a 12-month lease brings the net-effective rent down to just $2,104. In addition, the last time this unit became available, it rented for $2,650!

Upper West Side Rentals Under $2,600 on StreetEasy Article continues below

Biggest drawback: Every historical property has its quirks. This Upper West Side 1BR has odd railing-lined spaces above the kitchen and bath that seem to be inaccessible without a ladder. (They might make excellent showcase spots for plants, actually, but watering would be difficult!) The bathroom is fully renovated, but the kitchen still feels pretty dated. And finally, this building does not offer laundry facilities, so you’ll have to find a laundromat.

See the listing: 321 W. 88th St. #1B, on the Upper West Side. Listed by Balass Ralph.


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