Value Neighborhoods in Manhattan BELOW 96th street

Not sure if it's your thing or not- but you can find 1 bed, 1 bath on the Lower East Side around that price point. Run a Search on the Talk section for it and you will find a lot written including this one:

http://www.streeteasy.com/nyc/talk/discussion/1204-grand-street

Upper East side, east of 3rd Ave. We are zeroing in on this area. Here are a few apartments we were looking at.

http://www.streeteasy.com/nyc/sale/316078-coop-446-east-86th-street-yorkville-new-york

http://www.streeteasy.com/nyc/sale/391672-coop-435-east-77th-street-upper-east-side-new-york

$1400 monthly maintenance for a small one bedroom...why not rent for a year and watch the prices go further down

We are doing that, I was just giving some examples.

There are over 100 one bedrooms between 400K and 500K listed on the upper west side -granted some are north of 96th. Many though are on park blocks and some with outdoor space. I see tremendous opportunities here for you but you may want east side if you're working in Brooklyn.

http://www.streeteasy.com/nyc/sale/393392-coop-318-west-15th-street-chelsea-new-york

Parlor floor, not first. If you're patient I think you will be able to find what you're looking for, at a price that won't be toward the top of your budget.

Thanks, the lower east side rec looks good, as does the upper west. the upper east side apartments, however, seem to have higher maint. fees? or is just that me imagining things? i'm pretty much looking for "more bang for the buck" when I say value, generally speaking larger square footage and/ or better shape apt for my money. I dont really care what neighborhood I live in, as long as its NOT washington heights/ harlem-ish but any neighborhood that has restaurants and cafes other than Spanish food 10 years of cafe con leche and sub-par ghetto Chinese food and not a single Thai restaurant within walking distance sucks! How about Murray Hill area or parts in midtown, east or west? This street easy is a bit overwhelming and maybe I need to learn the search features better but I think I'd rather just narrow things down to a neighborhood or two and search that way.

Additionally, just thought I'd mention that I plan to purchase by the summer, so waiting is not an option for me. Prices are low enough for me right now and I'm comfortable sneaking back into the real estate market now while I have a chance, even if it means prices dropping further. Honestly, they've dropped enough for me.

Try looking also at Hell's Kitchen.. and the financial district which would work fine for your Brooklyn commute... just go to advanced search and select the neighborhood ..
If you want more than one, hold down the control (for Mac + command or apple symbol key) and select again
Very simple..
Otherwise wait.. prices are sliding down and after the summer the may take another hit

here's a murray hill listing. a little high but would almost certainly take below asking. take a good long look at the unit's pricing history, however.

http://www.streeteasy.com/nyc/sale/365181-coop-120-east-36th-street-murray-hill-new-york

07/27/2004 Previous Sale recorded for $365,000.
04/02/2008 Previous Sale recorded for $518,000.
11/08/2008 Previously Listed in StreetEasy, already sold, by Bellmarc at $589,000.
11/12/2008 Listed in StreetEasy by Bellmarc at $589,000.
11/21/2008 Price decreased by 3% to $569,000.
12/02/2008 Price decreased by 4% to $549,000.
12/03/2008 Price decreased by 4% to $529,000.
12/17/2008 Price decreased by 2% to $519,000.
01/15/2009 Price decreased by 7% to $485,000.
02/03/2009 Delisted temporarily.
03/05/2009 Re-listed by Bellmarc.

Upper East Side, no doubt. Friend just did a search over most of Manhattan. Crazy what you can get on UES, and its generally cleaner and safer than many of the comparables...

I think like for like Fidi and BPC are still cheaper than UES, and closer to Brooklyn for TOP, and BPC at least is a million times cleaner than any part of Manhattan, if that is your criteria. I agree that UES is generally nicer looking than HK or LES, though.

BPC isn't really cheaper... you're paying for the land leases. A co-ops isn't "cheap" if its 10% less but the maintenance is 3x (part of it paying for that cleanup).

FiDi I agree with you when you factor in quality level. 20 pine selling for $600 psf now.... and that is higher end construction.

Ah, yes, I was thinking as a renter, not a buyer. Of course BPC is more expensive because of the land...for buyers.

You think renting in BPC is cheaper than UES? You can get 1 bedrooms for $1700 now (a friend just did) uptown close to the express stop.

FiDi costs a little more, but the quality is greater. BPC, though, not seen anything close in the value equation.

FiDi does not have a community.. I would live down there.. New developments are falling apart at FiDi and plenty of shadow inventory. I think it is worth around 400 $persqft.

Like for like, BPC is absolutely cheaper for renters!! Are you on crack? For a doorman building built in the last ten years (or even new) BPC is a good 10% less than the UES on a per square foot basis, unless you go all the way over to Yorkville.

Thats a pretty freaking big "unless".

The guy is looking for one apartment, why on earth would you be using the median for comparison when it includes a VERY high section and a VERY low section.

OF COURSE you need to look at Yorkville.

Why on earth would he want a measure that includes a much more expensive section he won't be living in.

Again, back to the point... you can get 1 bedrooms for $1700.... haven't seen anything like that in BPC. Calling BPC cheaper doesn't make a lot of sense.

Interesting you should mention Yorkville, nyc10022, I'm looking at about 4 places there, some above my target price, but they seem like such great values! BTW I Drive to work, so access to the trains isnt relevant. Battery Park City looks pretty good, but not as enticing, besides, isn't it kinda dead there at night -- not that Yorkville is buslting with nightlife, but BPC just seems a little isolated, eh?

There's a few really interesting, unique places in that neck of the woods -- a duplex and a lot of places with "recreation rooms", two story places, very very interesting and unique floor layouts...

Yeah, I've always seen a lot of unique places as you get far east. I think a lot of that was former brewery and carriage house and commercial buildings, which got chopped up weird. In the 1st - 2nd - 3rd zone, you get mostly those townhouse walkups with the "bows" for light shafts., not super amazing, but they look nice renovated with the exposed brick.

Not a ton going on so far east, but 2nd ave has its strip most of the way in the 70s/80s, and first ave has a surprising amount of stuff lower down.

Walking a bit might not be ideal, but IMHO its a HUGE difference from having to cross a highway. My high school is actually in BPC, and its just such a difference being on the wrong side.

Personally, I prefer 3rd/lex more (and of course the super expensive park stuff) but you're never really that far away from something. I used to hang out in the mid 70s, there is actually some fairly late night drunken stuff going on there if you know where to look.

Always been a fan of American Trash at 76&1.

http://www.streeteasy.com/nyc/sale/326983-coop-229-east-81st-street-yorkville-new-york

Hey nyc10022, would this be one of those "carriage houses" you are talking about? Looks very interesting!

"Again, back to the point... you can get 1 bedrooms for $1700.... haven't seen anything like that in BPC. Calling BPC cheaper doesn't make a lot of sense."

I said LIKE FOR LIKE. You can not get a NEW doorman building in the UES near the subway for less than BPC - where all the buildings are new. As in the oldest was built in 1980, and most were built in the last ten years. Find me a new doorman building on or west of second south of 96th that is cheaper than the equivalant size in BPC. Gurentee you can't. GO to Rockrose, Brodsky, Glenwood, whatever. Their BPC buildings are cheaper than their UES ones. Look on streeteasy until you are blue in the face. Remember - BUILT in the last ten years. Doorman. Can't be east of second.

And its gotta be like for like. As in you can't compare a rental coop to a rental condo or Rockrose bldg.

Since I have been actively looking for some time now, i am 100% sure I am right and 100% sure you will never come back here with such a link.

"You can not get a NEW doorman building in the UES near the subway for less than BPC - where all the buildings are new"

You're now stretching into a completely different argument. There are BY FAR cheaper apartments on the UES. Claiming that makes BPC cheaper is just ridiculous. Saying that there are no upside down townhouses or whatever is irrelevant. The apartments are cheaper. Face it.

"Hey nyc10022, would this be one of those "carriage houses" you are talking about? Looks very interesting!"

Nah, thats just an old school clapboard house. There are a few on the UES.

Carriage houses look more like garages.

Here is a copy of one I remember in Brooklyn Heights:
http://www.brownstoner.com/brownstoner/archives/2007/02/house_of_the_da_263.php

They're often not this nice.... but they're all the same type of shape... these would be on the small block behind the big houses on the big block (so say 95th or something). For the horses and servants.

"You're now stretching into a completely different argument. There are BY FAR cheaper apartments on the UES. Claiming that makes BPC cheaper is just ridiculous. Saying that there are no upside down townhouses or whatever is irrelevant. The apartments are cheaper. Face it."

No, ten posts above I said "Like for like, BPC is absolutely cheaper for renters!!" You kept arguing after that. Like for like means SIMILAR buildings. Show me a buidling similar to any of the buidlings in BPC other than Gateway - that is a new buidling with a doorman, on the UES, for the same price as BPC. YOU are the one who said they were all close to the express subway AND cheaper...so you can't give me somethng on 93rd and york. Here is what you said:

"You think renting in BPC is cheaper than UES? You can get 1 bedrooms for $1700 now (a friend just did) uptown close to the express stop."

So is it a new building with a doorman? Show us a streeteasy or nybits listing.

So, let me get this straight... a toyota isn't cheaper than a Mayback, because its not the same thing?

Now you're just being silly...

BTW, Glenwood just came out with its latest round of pricing.... fidi/BPC one bedrooms start at $2700, UES $2300.

Who would compare a Maybech to a Toyota when comparing the "cheaper" car? A walkup in the UES or a BLDG built in 1972 in the UES in not comparable to a brand new BLDG built in BPC.

> Who would compare a Maybech to a Toyota when comparing the "cheaper" car?

I know, crazy. But thats what you just did...

A place where the minimum rents are significantly higher you tried to call "cheaper".

Absolutely silly in my book.