Take It Or Leave It

Take It or Leave It: Is this NoHo studio worth $2,500/month?

By Leah Hochbaum Rosner  | January 29, 2014 - 11:17AM
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This week our troupe of Take It or Leave It renters critiques a renovated $2,500/month NoHo studio with exposed brick, a Viking stove, and a large, windowed bathroom. Our panelists—who have 43 years of rental experience between them—are RentHackr founder Zeb Dropkin, freelance writer Lambeth Hochwald, and BrickUnderground’s own senior contributing editor, Lucy Cohen Blatter.

The Apartment:

Size: Studio, 1 bathroom                                                       
Location: 308 Mott St. between W. Houston and Bleecker Sts. in NoHo
Cost: $2,500/month
Flexible Layout: No
Days on the market: 62 days
Subway: 6 at Bleecker St.; B, D, F, M at Broadway-Lafayette St.; N, R at Prince St.; F at 2nd Ave.; J, Z at Bowery

Pros and Cons:

Zeb: “This studio is in an awesome neighborhood. It’s close to great food, shopping, nightlife, transportation, and most importantly, coffee --shout out to La Colombe! On the downside, the only place to sit in this studio is your bed. There doesn’t seem to be any living or workspace in this tasteful but cramped apartment.”

Lambeth: “If you dream of living in NoHo, have cash to burn and don’t mind one-room living, this is the micro studio for you. The kitchen is well laid-out, though I’d check to make sure that the woodsy cabinet seen in the photos actually contains a fridge. The beamed ceilings and bathroom are swanky, too, but it’s too steep a price to pay for a walk-up.”

Lucy: “The apartment, which is in the incredibly bustling and charming NoHo neighborhood, is beautifully renovated, and the design is great. Check out that awesome kitchen and bath. On the negative side, there’s not much more to the apartment than the kitchen and bath. I would also have a problem sleeping just a few feet from the kitchen. Furthermore, it’s important to note that the apartment’s a co-op, so there are likely limits to how long you can rent there--usually it’s two years max.”

Who would this apartment be perfect for?

Zeb: “An extremely social lover of downtown who’s ready to work, caffeinate and do a lot of things outside of this tiny home.” 

Lambeth: “An artist who doesn’t spend any time at home. A visiting gallery owner who wants to ditch Paris for New York City for a year might like it, too. FYI, the apartment is available furnished or unfurnished.”

Lucy: “Someone who wants a pied-à-terre, or anyone who just wants a downtown crash pad more for the location and the cool look than the space. It could also work for someone who knows they’re only going to be in the city for a couple of years, but wants to take advantage of the downtown locale.”

The Verdict(s):

TAKE IT “It’s a tight squeeze, but the place seems classy.” —Zeb

LEAVE IT “…but make sure to take a stroll down Mott St. for a real downtown experience.”—Lambeth

LEAVE IT “…unless you’re thinking about making it just a part-time residence.”—Lucy

Ready to rent? Check out our How to Rent Guide...and if the apartment you like requires a guarantor that you don’t have, see if the landlord accepts Insurent, a guarantor solution from one of BrickUnderground’s sponsors.


Take It Or Leave It is a weekly column in which a panel of long-time renters weighs in on the pros and cons of an apartment that’s currently on the market.

Brick Underground articles occasionally include the expertise of, or information about, advertising partners when relevant to the story. We will never promote an advertiser's product without making the relationship clear to our readers.

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