After reading yesterday’s New York Times article about smiling renters I decided to use a fun (not necessarily reliable) web tool called Rentometer. The results for my apartment in zip code 10013 indicated that, “Your apartment is reasonable for your area. About 34% of listings are lower priced.” Great.
Now, if I follow the lead of a number of subjects in the article and explore the possibilities of moving to Brooklyn and choose zip code 11201 for the same price, I get, “Your apartment is reasonable for your area. About 56% of listings are lower priced.” Even better.
The tangible and intangible benefits of paying less or the same amount for commensurate space are fairly easy to calculate. So what will I get more of? Longer crowded commutes and that easygoing Brooklyn state of mind. What will I get less of? Choices in restaurants and other neighborhood amenities and parking rates. For now, the decision is in the balance.
Please keep a weekend open to help me move, just in case.
