We Unearthed the 31 Best Rent Deals in NYC Right Now

As new apartments hit the market each week, we’ve taken on the job of carefully hunting through various listings sites, newsletters, and Craigslist, to find the very best deals out there. A good deal on a rental apartment, of course, can mean very different things for different people. So as we sorted through hundreds of listings, we kept our eye out for places that are worth their asking price — whether that’s an under-$2,000 one-bedroom (that truly is a one-bedroom) or a $7,000 Beaux-Arts townhouse with a spiral staircase and three functioning fireplaces.  

This week, quite a few of our best deals came from the East Side of Manhattan, including a couple of $2,000 one-bedrooms in the East 70s (one with a big eat-in kitchen and another with a cute checkered-floor bathroom). There are also several fairly large private outdoor spaces: a garden-facing deck in Brooklyn Heights, a roof deck in the East Village, plus a 250-square-foot patio in Nolita.

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Astoria/Long Island City

$1,700: Fairly large rent-stabilized one-bedroom in Dutch Kills with wall moldings, an arched doorway, two large windows (on different sides) in the bedroom, and laundry in the building.

$1,750: Well-lit top-floor two-bedroom on a quiet rowhouse block with an especially charming kitchen (it’s ten by ten feet and has two windows, plenty of cabinets, and new stainless-steel appliances on the way).

Bed-Stuy

$2,450 (net effective: $2,246)*: Renovated unit near Herbert Von King Park with a bedroom and bathroom (one full, one half) on each end, a dishwasher, multiple exposed brick walls, plus laundry in the building and a shared backyard and roof deck.

$3,000: 750-square-foot two-bedroom with a balcony, kitchen peninsula, dishwasher, washer/dryer, and huge windows throughout, in an eight-unit newer development that has only had one other rental.

Brooklyn Heights

$3,000: Brownstone one-bedroom with a renovated kitchen (which has a mid-century Sputnik-style chandelier and blue mosaic-tile backsplash) and a spacious living room that opens up to a large private deck overlooking a big tree and rear gardens.

Bushwick

$2,250: Sunny apartment (a three-minute walk from the Myrtle–Wyckoff Avenues L/M trains) with two similarly spacious bedrooms as well as a living room with an updated kitchen on one end, two large windows on the other, and apparently enough space to comfortably house a rather elaborate cat tree.

$5,600*: Converted five-bedroom factory loft on Putnam Avenue near Broadway, with an absolutely massive common living area (there’s more than enough room for a generous sectional, dining table, plus additional counter-height seating by the open kitchen) and an unusually fancy bathroom (which has a large chandelier, black penny tile walls, and a clawfoot cowboy tub).

Chelsea

$2,095: Top-floor apartment on West 22nd Street (between Ninth and Tenth Avenues) with a skylit living room (which also has an exposed-brick wall and a decorative fireplace) and an alcove sleeping area (no door but has a closet and window).

Clinton Hill/Fort Greene

$2,400*: Just a solid, true two-bedroom on the top floor of a brownstone on Lafayette Avenue (right by the Classon Avenue G train), with crown molding, decorative fireplace, windowed kitchen, and a washer/dryer.

$2,975: Railroad two-bedroom (on the top floor of a brick townhouse on Clermont Avenue) with a French-door fridge, dishwasher, washer/dryer, large windows throughout, and tons of storage (including ample kitchen cabinets, extra overhead storage, and almost floor-to-ceiling built-in shelves in the second bedroom).

$4,100*: Gigantic-all-around three-bedroom, two-bath apartment at Fulton Street and Saint James Place, with high ceilings, full-size kitchen appliances (including a French door refrigerator and a dishwasher), and a washer/dryer.

Cobble Hill

$2,990*: 900-square-foot top-floor two-bedroom on Henry Street at Warren Street, with large checkered floors in the kitchen and leafy views from every window.

East Village

$2,100: Pretty spacious and well-lit alcove studio a block under Tompkins Square Park, with exposed-brick walls, parquet floors, a windowed blue-tiled bathroom, lots of storage in the bedroom area, and access to a garden with a bit more inspired landscaping than usual (including a pergola, tiered stone-paved areas, and a wooden ramp that curves around a circular seating nook).

$3,195: Top-floor one-bedroom with especially high ceilings in the living room (topped by two large skylights), lots of exposed brick, a dishwasher, washer/dryer, French doors, a balcony, plus a huge private roof deck.

$3,600: An actually spacious apartment (at East 4th Street and Avenue D) with three bedrooms (each with space for a full or queen bed plus additional furniture), a living room that comfortably fits a sofa and TV setup, and a windowed eat-in kitchen.

Flatbush/Prospect Park South

$1,750*: Spacious one-bedroom just a four-minute walk from Prospect Park (and the Q train), with wainscoting and a decorative fireplace in the living room.

$1,920*: Gigantic apartment at East 21st Street and Caton Avenue with three windows in the bedroom, crown and base moldings throughout, and a huge renovated eat-in kitchen.

Gramercy Park

$5,700*: 1,000-square-foot two-bedroom (plus a private terrace) in a luxury high-rise that stands out with its custom touches, particularly the built-in dining nook with banquette seating and the main bedroom’s 20-foot-long built-in closets that include lighting, a vanity area, and space for a TV.

Harlem

$2,175: 900-square-foot corner two-bedroom on West 134th Street with high ceilings, an updated open kitchen with dishwasher and counter seating (under three Edison-bulb pendant lights), an updated windowed bathroom with dual showerheads, plus a washer/dryer.

Nolita

$4,000: Apartment on Bowery (just above Spring Street) with space for a sectional in the living room and two queen-size bedrooms, one of which opens out to a 250-square-foot private patio under string lights.

Park Slope

$2,675: A huge living room (with a bay window and skylight) and lovely original details (inlaid parquet floors, white-painted brick fireplace, intricate wall moldings) in a brownstone one-bedroom on Eighth Avenue at Garfield Place (a four-minute walk from a Prospect Park entrance).

Prospect–Lefferts Gardens

$1,695: Large one-bedroom around the corner from the Sterling Street 2/5 trains, with a newly renovated kitchen, lots of big windows, and a checkered-floor bathroom.

Ridgewood

$2,800: 950-square-foot top-floor three-bedroom (near the Fresh Pond Road M train) with separate living and dining rooms (each with two or more windows), an arched doorway, stained-glass window, and an updated windowed kitchen.

Sunnyside

$1,800 (net effective: $1,650)*: Freshly renovated one-bedroom with some glass-fronted kitchen cabinets, only a three-minute walk to the 7 train at 40th Street-Lowery Street.

Tribeca

$8,500: 1,500-square-foot two-bedroom, two-bath loft (above the former Pearl River Mart flagship) with nearly 13-foot ceilings, three massive windows overlooking Walker Street, a large kitchen with a waterfall island that seats four, plus not only a huge walk-in closet but also a truly gigantic walk-in pantry, both full of built-in shelves.

Upper East Side

$1,995: Almost at the river on East 73rd Street, but a true one-bedroom with an especially large eat-in kitchen (which has two windows, a dishwasher, and washer/dryer).

$2,000: Small but charming one-bedroom near the 77th Street 4/6 trains, with wall moldings, checkered-floor windowed bathroom, and a built-in wardrobe closet.

$2,195: Bright one-bedroom with a large lofted area (plus additional storage above the bedroom closet) and a dishwasher in the all-white kitchen.

Upper West Side

$2,700: 750-square-foot rear-facing one-bedroom in a brownstone on West 87th Street, with 13-foot ceilings (there’s space for a sleeping and/or storage loft), multiple exposed-brick walls, and a decorative fireplace.

Williamsburg

$2,800*: Bright one-bedroom duplex with 16-foot ceilings in some areas, central air, a washer/dryer, and private balcony, just off the L train at Montrose Avenue.

$2,850: Large floor-through one-bedroom (literally across the street from McCarren Park at Lorimer and Bayard) with French doors and an especially spacious kitchen (which includes two windows plus counters and storage built into an arched recess).

Our picks are organized by neighborhood in order of ascending price. Didn’t see anything from the neighborhood you’re interested in? We’ll try to include a wide range of locations as new units come up. To keep this list fresh, we’re removing listings that have not been rented after two weeks (and will put an asterisk next to holdovers from the previous week). 

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