Take It Or Leave It

This two-bedroom Yorkville duplex has several serious pros and cons

By Lucy Cohen Blatter  | November 25, 2015 - 12:30PM
image

Our theory that decently priced duplexes almost always have less-than-ideal layouts is proven in this two-bedroom, two-bath in Yorkville, with an asking price of $4,150 a month.

It's located at 525 East 81st Street, between York and East End, and is actually the furthest you can be from the  subway in this particular neighborhood—more than half a mile from both the express and locals at 86th Street and the local at 77th Street. 

On the plus side, there's significant outdoor space (big enough for a suburban-style basketball hoop), two full bathrooms and bedrooms, and no broker's fee. Plus, the elevator building has a live-in super and laundry room in the basement.

There's a bathroom, kitchen, living room, and bedroom upstairs, and the lower floor has a bedroom and bathroom, and opens up to the terrace.

So is it worth considering? We 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: Two-bedroom, two-bathroom
Location:  525 East 81st Street (between York and East End avenues)
Cost: $4,150
Flexible layout: No
Days on the market: 8
Subway: 4, 5, 6 to 86th Street

"As for pros, it's got two bedrooms and two bathrooms and a decent outdoor space. But even that outdoor space looks like it has seen better days. It's also a really far walk to the subway and I'm not crazy about lower-level bedrooms." —Lucy

"Pros for this place include outdoor space in the back courtyard, a dishwasher, and two bathrooms. Cons are it’s a far walk to the subway, the space is cramped and awkward in many of the rooms, it’s close to or at street level, and it’s priced high." —Zeb

"At first I wasn't sure about this first-floor two-bedroom duplex located way far east on  the Upper East Side as the rooms seem quite cozy. And then I saw the potential of the outdoor space—a basketball hoop, a grill, the outdoor parties could be epic here! The only problem: This place probably won't work if you've got young kids as the bedrooms are located on opposite floors." —Lambeth​

Who would this apartment be perfect for?

 "A couple of roommates who each want their own bathrooms and plan to entertain outside. Via enthusiasts won't mind the commute as much." —Lucy

"It looks like a family lived here, and that’s probably what this place is best suited for." —Zeb

" A couple or two friends just starting out who love the idea of throwing parties outside." —Lambeth

The verdict(s):

LEAVE IT "There are just too many strikes against this place. Unless you're desperate to move ... and quickly, I suggest you look for a place with fewer hiccups." —Lucy

LEAVE IT "It's priced a bit high for the area, and a lot of the rooms look awkward or crowded." —Zeb

TAKE IT "Provided you can cope with the long walk to the 6 train. Then again, just think of all the Uber rides you can take with all you'll be saving on a broker fee." —Lambeth

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.

topics: