Take It Or Leave It

Take It Or Leave It: Would you pay $4,400/month for this loft-like Carroll Gardens 2-bedroom?

By Leah Hochbaum Rosner  | February 19, 2014 - 2:56PM
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This week, our intrepid team of Take It or Leave It renters takes on a nearly 1,200-square-foot $4,400/month Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn 2-bedroom with an open, loft-like layout, in-unit laundry, and a 150-square-foot private roof deck. Keep reading to see what our panel of perennial renters—RentHackr founder Zeb Dropkin, freelance writer Lambeth Hochwald, and BrickUnderground’s own senior contributing editor, Lucy Cohen Blatter—have to say about it.

The Apartment:

Size: 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms                                             
Location: 404 Bond St. between 2nd and 3rd Sts. in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn
Cost: $4,400/month
Flexible Layout: No
Days on the market: 34
Subway: F, G at Carroll St.; R at Union St.; F, G, R at 4 Ave.-9 St.; B, D, N, R, Q, 2,3, 4, 5 at Pacific St.; A, C, G at Hoyt & Schermerhorn

Pros and Cons:

Zeb: “Central A/C, outdoor space, new kickass kitchen, not one but two amaze-balls bathrooms fit for royalty—this apartment is unreal. But it’s pricey, so you’d better be prepared to dig into those royal coffers in order to finance it.” 

Lambeth: “No doubt this spanking-new apartment has some nice touches—the kitchen boasts a Nespresso machine!—and added props for proximity to the brand-new Whole Foods--just walk the bridge over the Gowanus Canal and head straight to The Roof, Whole Foods’ indoor/outdoor restaurant. Still, the walk-up space feels very cookie-cutterish, there’s no doorman and the price is high for an emerging neighborhood.”

Lucy: “I’m loving the new and open look of the place—the kitchen and bathrooms are ultra-modern and really attractive. The space—which the listing says is almost 1,200 square feet—is pretty generous, although the second bedroom looks a little bit on the small side. Also, while it is technically on the Carroll Gardens side of the Gowanus Canal, this block has an industrial feel—not the cute shops, restaurants and brownstones Carroll Gardens is known for. That said, that area is poised for major change. And it’s close to the new Whole Foods.”

Who would this apartment be perfect for?

Zeb: “A family with one kid--or two if they’re willing to share a room--or professional roommates who can afford this swanky pad.” 

Lambeth: “A hipster family or couple who love taking long bike rides to neighboring Park Slope.”

Lucy: “A young couple or family that likes things modern and clean-looking and are cool with being part of a neighborhood that’s industrial at the moment but likely to change A LOT.”

The Verdict(s):

TAKE IT “If you can afford to live like a king, do it!”—Zeb

LEAVE IT “For that price, seek out a space with more amenities.”Lambeth

TAKE IT “You can take advantage of the charm of Carroll Gardens and live in a brand new condo. That’s not that common.”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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