Take It Or Leave It

This small Park Slope one-bedroom is Brooklyn charm personified. But is it worth $2,395 a month?

By Lucy Cohen Blatter  | April 15, 2015 - 1:59PM
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This week we're turning out attention to a Park Slope one-bedroom that's on the small side. It's a charming apartment in a brownstone apartment but has just about enough space for one person (and no dogs).

At $2,395 it might seem pricey given how narrow the rooms are, but keep in mind you won't have to pay a broker's fee,  and at least it's not on the top floor of the walk-up; another listing in the building  seems to be (that one's similar, if slightly bigger, and $20 less per month).

Also, note that it's still $200 less than the median price for a one-bedroom in the neighborhood, and a lot of those apartments are also in multi-family houses (read: walk-ups). The building also has laundry facilities and bike storage.

So is it worth paring down your belongings to fit? 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: 1-bed
Location:  853 President Street (between Seventh and Eighth)
Cost: $2,395, no broker's fee
Flexible layout: No
Days on the market: 4
Subway: 2, 3 to Grand Army Plaza; B, Q to 7th Avenue

Pros and Cons:

"This place has got brownstone Brooklyn charm down pat, and it's smack in the middle of prime Park Slope. Plus, the outdoor space is a really nice perk. But it looks like the only way out is to squeeze through the bedroom window, so make sure you're lithe before you sign the lease (and anyone who comes to visit  better be too). The kitchen is also small (though it seems to have everything a single person might need), and rather than shiny new stainless appliances, it's got the usual rental whites." — Lucy

"Here's an affordable one-bedroom in Park Slope, just a few blocks from Prospect Park, with a nice private deck. The rooms are narrow—especially the bedroom—and the only way to the deck is to squirm through a window. " — Zeb

"This place might be small but you’ll be living the prime Park Slope life if you lease this one-bed. And am I the only one who would like to take a nap on that cozy-looking bed? The only downside is that the price is pretty steep." — Lambeth​

Who would this apartment be perfect for?

"A single person who doesn't have a lot of stuff, has a good paying job and is tempted by the allure of brownstone Brooklyn." — Lucy

"A single professional or a student — with no dog — that'll capitalize on living close Prospect Park and can handle high stroller traffic in Park Slope." —Zeb

" A late 20-something ex-Manhattanite eager to give this ever-gorgeous neighborhood a test run. " — Lambeth

The Verdict(s):

LEAVE IT "I'm not sure how long you could stay there without feeling seriously claustrophobic. And if you like having people over, you're out of luck." — Lucy

TAKE IT "The good outweigh the bad in this apartment, as long as you're comfortable with the narrow layout." — Zeb

TAKE IT ... and prepare to spend your summer sitting in your private deck, novel and iced tea in hand." — Lambeth

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