Luxury 1BR, Astoria
Sarah Chang, 27, analyst; Hanford Mau, 28, municipal underwriter
Rent: $2,805, plus $250 for covered parking
Broker’s fee: None
Broker: Maria Hadjidemetriou, Citi Habitats (917-623-2931, mhadjidemetriou@citi-habitats.com, city-habitats.com)
Deposit: First and last months’ rent
Moved in: January 2012
THE SEARCH: “My boyfriend and I had been living in Manhattan for about five years, but we were just moving from one shoebox to the next,” says Chang. “When we started looking for this place, everything we saw in the city sucked. They were so tiny, with windows facing brick walls and a hike from the train. When we saw the ad on Craigslist [craigslist.org] for this brand-new apartment, we made an appointment and just fell in love with the place. We filled out an application and paid for the background check that night, and signed the lease a couple of weeks later.”
THE SPACE: “From the moment we walked into the lobby, you could tell it was a gorgeous luxury building, and then the unit itself was just amazing. The space is huge and the layout is really smart. It’s an open concept, which is great because I love to cook and entertain. It’s almost my dream kitchen—there’s a five-burner stove that I’m still trying to figure out how to use and a huge island setup with lots of preparation space. The unit is on the seventh floor facing west, so we have sweeping views of the city and outdoor space. I have a small dog, and he loves being able to run around as opposed to being cramped up in a little studio. Sometimes after work, I’ll open a bottle of wine and just hang out on the balcony. It’s very relaxing. Plus, there’s an in-unit washer-dryer, which is a huge bonus.”
THE BUILDING: “There’s a doorman, a gym on the first floor that’s open 24 hours, a rooftop terrace and on-site parking. We pay extra for it, but it’s cheaper than paying for parking in the city. It’s a little more than we had originally wanted to spend, but being that it’s a brand-new building with all these amenities, it’s worth it.”
THE NEIGHBORHOOD: “It’s been an adjustment. Astoria is a transition area between the urban city and the suburbs, so there’s really nobody walking around, everyone has cars. It was a little depressing in the beginning, walking home without all the foot traffic I was used to. But now it’s getting warmer and there are a lot of people out. I’m surprised—the restaurants are better than in [Manhattan]. There are a lot of great spots within a few blocks of our building. I really like Vesta [2102 30th Ave at 21st St; 718-545-5550, vestavino.com]. Everything there is locally grown and organic. They even have locally made wine on tap. Where our building is, on 21st Street, lacks foot traffic, but as you get closer to the train on 31st Street, there are so many cafes and restaurants. It’s very lively—especially on the weekends, when everyone is walking to Astoria Park or the shops on Broadway.”