A truly affordable two-bedroom in Ridgewood—with outdoor space to boot

By Lucy Cohen Blatter | January 13, 2016 - 3:59PM

If you think you've been hearing a lot about Ridgewood—the Queens neighborhood at the border of Brooklyn—that's because you have. In 2015, Ridgewood seemed to be the next hot spot with still-reasonably priced apartments. Among those reasonably priced apartments is this two-bedroom with a yard, which is available for $2,200 a month. Per Streeteasy, the price tag seems to be appropriate for the neighborhood.

The kitchen has stainless appliances and decent cabinet space. But the best part about the place is probably the private outdoor space. There's an individual storage room (we think that's the one that kind of looks like a cage in the pictures) and a coin-operated (!) washer and dryer in the basement. Pets are available on a case-by-case basis.

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-bath
Location: 1919 Bleecker Street (between Woodward and Fairview), Ridgewood
Cost: $2,200
Flexible layout: Yes
Days on the market: 3
Subway: M to Seneca Avenue

"The outdoor space and stainless steel appliances are the biggest pros. And the extra storage space is a nice touch. That said, the bedrooms look a little small (though there does appear to be an extra teeny tiny one that could be used as an office). Plus, the apartment is about half a mile from the M train, so this may be a place that works best if you have a car." —Lucy

"Sporting a nice new renovation, this is a rare affordable two-bedroom, two-bath with a yard. The downsides are it's far out in Ridgewood and some of the rooms have an awkward layout. " —Zeb

"When I first saw Bleecker Street, I thought there must have been a mistake that a two-bedroom, two-bath could be in the $2,000s. Then I noticed that it’s the other Bleecker—in Ridgewood, Queens. That said, I like that a lot of care was put into the renovation of this place. Nice ceiling fixtures and subway tiles in the kitchen get my vote. On the other hand, the private backyard is pretty grim (though the potential to make it fab is huge) and the bedrooms are cave-like at best." —Lambeth

Who would this apartment be perfect for?

"A couple of roommates who want an extra little office space and are happy to be part of the neighborhood everyone's talking about." —Lucy

"This is a great find for a couple or roommates who can put up with a little extra commute for more apartment space and a yard. Bike riders will like easy access to Williamsburg from here. " —Zeb

"Two roommates who don’t even have to be the best of friends—with two baths sharing this space will be a lot easier." —Lambeth

The verdict(s):

TAKE IT "If you're one of the many people curious about Ridgewood, this seems like a pretty decent apartment. Just make sure you can handle the commute." —Lucy

TAKE IT "If the commute isn't a deal breaker, this looks like a fun place to live and Ridgewood is getting cooler all the time. " -Zeb

LEAVE IT "Unless living in Ridgewood has been on your 2016 bucket list." —Lambeth

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