Lucy Cohen Blatter

Just because you can't afford your very own Brooklyn brownstone doesn't mean you can't live the lifestyle—albeit on a smaller scale.

This East Village four-bedroom, two-bathroom for $5,688 a month could be the perfect crash pad for the recent grad (and three buddies) who've saved up for a bona fide Manhattan abode. Or, since it's on Second Avenue between Fifth and Sixth Streets, it may appeal to the current student who wants to walk to class at NYU or Cooper Union (and has the money to afford it). 

Living in a landmarked building or house has a certain cachet—period details, a rich history and, presumably, preservation of the aforementioned qualities—but if you're looking to renovate (or even do minor upgrades), the city designation can cause serious headaches.

If you're going to pay nearly half a million bucks to live in a co-op without a proper bedroom, it best have some compensating bells and whistles. Luckily, this alcove studio at 160 West End Avenue , priced at $469,000, ticks that box. 

Parquet floors and a wall of windows are two more features of the co-op