A duplex in a townhouse--with a backyard!--for $3,500 a month is a steal by Manhattan standards, especially when you take into account the building's back story. Built in 1899, it was purportedly once owned by a mobster and featured in a Katharine Hepburn movie. Even so, West 160th Street can feel like Siberia to some, and the kitchen (along with some of the decor) is in sore need of an update.
Is it worth it for a grand old home to call your own? Our experts—including RentHackr founder Zeb Dropkin, freelance writer Julie Inzanti and BrickUnderground’s own senior contributing editor, Lucy Cohen Blatter—weigh in for this week’s Take It or Leave It.
The Apartment:
Size: 2-bedroom duplex
Location: 869 Riverside Drive between 158th and 160th
Cost: $3,500 a month
Flexible Layout: No
Days on the market: 5 days
Subway: 1 at 157th St.; C at 163rd St.; A, C, 1 at 168th St.; B at 155th St.; A at 175th St.; A, C, B, D at 145th St.
Location: 869 Riverside Drive between 158th and 160th
Cost: $3,500 a month
Flexible Layout: No
Days on the market: 5 days
Subway: 1 at 157th St.; C at 163rd St.; A, C, 1 at 168th St.; B at 155th St.; A at 175th St.; A, C, B, D at 145th St.
Pros and Cons:
"This two-bed, three-bath duplex in a Washington Heights townhouse has history, and it also has outdoor space and walk-in closets! But the interiors are looking a bit dated, and dark, with lots of wood paneling everywhere. It's also a bit of a trek to the nearby 1 train, and the neighborhood--160th and Riverside to be exact--can feel a little isolated, and possibly less than safe at night." - Lucy