After living in a large one-bedroom in Manhattan's Washington Heights neighborhood for seven years, Ariana Semjen and Matthew Schwartz were eager to move further downtown.
Rental rates at Audubon Park Historic District are approximately $2,300 per month. Located near the George Washington Bridge, it was perfectly located for a bike trip into New Jersey. However, they were dissatisfied with the kitchen, which always looked dirty and lacked a range hood vent. “We have made the apartment non-smoking many times,” Schwartz said.
Non-stop construction work was going on right in front of our eyes. There are very few restaurants in the neighborhood, and when I was walking my dog Beacon, I was worried that he might step on something sharp. “I felt like I wasn’t living in the city and I wasn’t living in the suburbs,” Semjen said, missing the best of both worlds.
So the couple, who met as students at Binghamton University, decided to move to the Upper West Side, still convenient to biking routes and close to Semjen's parents. They were hoping to find a co-op with a good kitchen and three bedrooms (so they could have space for a future family), or at least two bedrooms and an office, for up to $1.5 million.
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A store on the Upper West Side would cut subway commute times to Midtown in half.
Semjen, 32, works in graphic design for a media company. Mr. Schwartz, 34, is a lawyer. And when the two work from home, their styles collide. She sits on the sofa and puts the TV in the background. He needs a room with a desk and a door, free from distractions.
“This setup has not been great for our productivity,” Semjen said. Therefore, a suitable work space was essential.
They also liked pre-war buildings. “They were a pleasure to work with,” said Tami Shaul, a real estate agent with the Corcoran Group. However, inventory was low.
Among their options are:
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