no stove

How much of a cook are you? I'd suggest a 1 or 2 burner induction hotplate (assuming your cookware is compatible), and a countertop combo microwave/convection oven that you could fit into a shelf unit where the stove was. But: is this a rental or something you're purchasing? Banks may balk at financing a space without a working kitchen, and is it even legal to rent an apt in NYC w/o a kitchen?

Make it a condition of the sale that the seller installs a working stove. You don't want to assume whatever problem this may be.

I am quite sure you can't get a C of O without a stove. This leads me to believe that there was an unpermitted renovation and may be other issues lurking

I thought the Housing Maintenance Code required a stove of some kind but I could be wrong. I once rented an apt. that had a gas range but no oven as owner preferred wok and stove top cooking only. But they installed a small range at reasonable cost so all was well.

As for financing, I was renovating my kitchen while applying for a home equity loan a few years back and Citibank would not close until I installed a working kitchen - fridge, sink and cooking equipment.

This is interesting as my apt has a cooktop and microwave but no oven.

They cannot legally sell the unit without a working kitchen. That includes a stove. And there should be a gas line even if they removed the stove - it's likely simply capped.

Here is a section of the Housing Maintenance Code that refers to kitchens. Here, it only says "The owner of a multiple dwelling shall provide every kitchen and kitchenette therein with gas or electricity or both for cooking." No mention of cooking equipment, only access to fuel. If rent regulated, I assume requirements would be different.

http://tenant.net/Other_Laws/HMC/sub3/art3.html