This $2,500 Greenpoint railroad-style one-bedroom has persuasive prewar details

By Lucy Cohen Blatter | September 2, 2015 - 8:59AM

If you can wait till October 1 to move, you might want to consider this $2,500 Greenpoint one-bedroom. It's got original prewar details like tin ceilings and bay windows. The listing says it's about 850 square feet. Plus, it's close to Greenpoint's McGolrick park (yet not so close to the subway -- the G is almost half a mile away).

It's also $100 less than the area median. So is it a no-brainer? I asked our experts (and veteran renters), RentHackr founder Zeb Dropkin and freelance writer Lambeth Hochwald, to weigh in with me on this week's Take It or Leave It.

Size: One-bedroom, one-bath
Location: 162 Russell Street (between Norman and Nassau)
Cost: $2,500/month
Flexible layout: No
Days on the market: 7
Subway: G to Nassau Avenue

Pros and cons:

"The railroad-style is less-than-ideal, but I love the prewar details in the apartment. Plus, the kitchen is pretty big. It could use some updated cabinetry, though." —Lucy

"This fairly priced one-bedroom in Greenpoint gets a good amount of natural light and has decent storage. But its living area is more of a runway layout and the kitchen is old." —Zeb

"Oh the moldings, bay windows and shiny floors—I’d take this place for those reasons alone. Unfortunately, this isn’t exactly inexpensive for such an oddly-configured railroad space. Sure, the kitchen is massive, but it’s dated, too." —Lambeth

Who would this apartment be perfect for?

"A single person or couple who works off the G train, and are okay with a funky layout and some dated cabinetry and closets. Someone who cooks would appreciate the extra space in the kitchen (a rarity in these parts)." —Lucy

"A person living solo could stretch out well and enjoy Greenpoint and Williamsburg. A couple could make this work, too." —Zeb

"A couple eager to try Greenpoint who have a soft spot for prewar spaces." —Lambeth

The verdict(s):

LEAVE IT "The walk-up and the strange layout just detract from it too much." —Lucy

TAKE IT "If it's in one of your target neighborhoods and you're cool with layout, it's a pretty good deal." —Zeb

LEAVE IT "Find a place that isn’t a third-floor walkup and spend the afternoon watching back-to-back episodes of Girls. Doesn’t this place look like a location spot for the HBO show?" —Lambeth

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