Katherine Marks for The New York TimesTracy and Thomas Forzaglia landed a great pandemic deal. Their charming prewar rental in the Lenox Hill neighborhood of Manhattan had two bedrooms, two bathrooms, five closets and a terrace, all for around $4,775 a month.
“It was such a beautiful apartment, just like Mrs. Maisel,” Mrs. Forzaglia said. “It was more space than we needed. Nobody needs a foyer, but we had one. I could have done yoga in the foyer.”
It wasn’t perfect: On the terrace, roaches would scatter when the couple turned on the twinkle lights. Worse, there was a pending construction project next door, with a 21-story condominium tower planned. And the kitchen offered “a front-row seat of them digging a very large hole,” she said.
The construction was especially problematic for Mr. Forzaglia, who works from home as a software engineer. Mrs. Forzaglia, a metadata librarian, does so one day a week. What’s more, their post-pandemic rent was set to rise to $5,400.
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Last summer, the Forzaglias got serious about finding a smaller place to buy — one that would require a smaller monthly outlay — in the area east of Central Park. “Rents were getting out of hand,” Mr. Forzaglia said. “We wanted less variability in our monthly costs.”
They contacted David Son, a licensed real estate agent at Douglas Elliman, whom they had met at an open house. “When you’re making a purchase, there are other things than just the apartment itself to consider,” Mr. Son said. “And going through a first-time co-op purchase, there are a lot of rules, regulations and policies that most people are not familiar with.”
The Forzaglias were willing to sacrifice prewar charm in favor of a cookie-cutter one-bedroom in a newish co-op building, which they felt would offer better infrastructure with a lower risk of breakdowns and assessments — something bland but serviceable. “Charm is more expensive,” Mrs. Forzaglia said.
They set a budget of up to $700,000. Because they would be downsizing, they sought a workable layout and plenty of storage. Mr. Forzaglia has video game equipment and five bass guitars. “Each bass has its own kind of sound,” he explained, “so each one fits a different song.”
Mrs. Forzaglia wanted space for shoes, bags and beauty products. “I am not a beauty editor,” she said, “but I have a closet that looks like I am.”
Among their options:
No. 1
Katherine Marks for The New York TimesThis one-bedroom, with almost 800 square feet, was on the top floor of a 15-story 1959 building near Second Avenue. A glass door in the living room opened to a wraparound terrace facing north and east. The bathroom allowed for entry from the living room and the small bedroom, which had a Murphy bed and built-ins. Closet space was abundant but encroached upon the bedroom space. The asking price was $679,000, with monthly maintenance in the $2,200s.
CompassNo. 2
Katherine Marks for The New York TimesThis Midtown East one-bedroom, with around 650 square feet, was centrally located, facing east to Second Avenue. It had a renovated but drab interior with a small pass-through kitchen, plenty of hallway closet space, and a bedroom with a walk-in closet and built-in cabinets beneath the windows. The 1977 building had a roof deck and renovated common spaces. The price was $675,000, with maintenance of just under $1,400.
Next Stop NYNo. 3
Katherine Marks for The New York TimesThis renovated, north-facing one-bedroom near the East River was about 925 square feet. It had a spacious living-and-dining area with a built-in bookshelf providing a partition, a windowed galley kitchen and multiple closets with bifold doors. The 1960 brick building had a roof deck and was relatively close to the subway, shops and services. The price was $649,000, with maintenance in the $1,700s.
CompassFind out what happened next by answering these two questions:
Which Would You Choose?
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No Frills in Midtown East
Which Did They Buy?
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No Frills in Midtown East
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