THE NEW YORK TIMES, SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2020 MBRE 9Megha Chopra and Rahul Sevani spent
three years in a one-bedroom rental in Rose
Hill, that nondescript section of Midtown
Manhattan in the East 20s. The apartment
was depressingly dim, facing north and sur-
rounded by other buildings.
When the couple, who met as undergrad-
uates at New York University, learned last
winter that a baby was on the way, it
spurred them to start looking for a sunnier
two-bedroom, two-bathroom place with an
elevator, preferably nearby.
“Given all the changes that come along
with having a newborn, we thought we
would make it easy on ourselves by staying
close to our existing neighborhood,” Ms.
Chopra said.
Besides, their location was close to work.
Ms. Chopra, 32, is employed by a city
agency with offices in the financial district;
Mr. Sevani, also 32, works in private equity
and has an office in Midtown East.
They were ready to spend up to $6,000 a
month. “It was our first family apartment,
so we wanted to have it be somewhat nice,”
Mr. Sevani said. But they had no idea how
difficult that would be.
The couple felt they could find something
nicer in a condominium than in a rental
building, but there was little suitable hous-
ing stock in the area.
They did find one rental in a high-rise
condo a few blocks away that was listed in
the high $6,000s. It was a big upgrade from
their dim walk-up.
But for various reasons, including a bur-
densome application process and obstacles
related to the coronavirus pandemic, deals
for that apartment and then another in the
same building fell apart.
Realizing they would be working re-
motely for months, they decided a conven-
ient commute was less important. So on a
whim, they went to Brooklyn, and found
Williamsburg was filled with young families
and had comparatively lively streets.
“We were the last people to the Brooklyn
party,” Ms. Chopra said. “My friends made
so much fun of me, like, ‘You’re literally the
last people on earth to discover Williams-
burg.’ ”
Among their options:
1.CONVERTED WAREHOUSE BUILDING
This 1910 former warehouse was in a prime
location, two blocks from McCarren Park. A
three-bedroom they saw on the fourth floor
had more than 1,000 square feet, with
beamed ceilings, exposed brick and indus-
trial charm. The rent was $7,000 a month.2.CONVERTED FACTORY BUILDING
This six-story former pencil factory was
half a block from the Brooklyn-Queens Ex-
pressway. A two-bedroom there had 1,200
square feet, with high ceilings, big windows
and southern, eastern and western expo-
sures. The rent was $5,500.3.WATERFRONT CONDO BUILDING
In this 2010 condo building two blocks from
the waterfront, they saw a two-bedroom
with about 1,400 square feet, floor-to-ceiling
windows and a home office. Amenities in-
cluded a pool. The rent was $6,495.THEIR CHOICE
At the converted warehouse, the couple felt
the layout was odd, with a lack of closet
space and only one living room window.
The waterfront condominium was far
from the subway and didn’t have the neigh-
borhood feeling of other parts of Williams-
burg.
But the couple loved the converted fac-
tory. “It had a warm vibe, and people loved
living there,” Ms. Chopra said. The layout
was practical, and the apartment had good
closet space and “quite nice finishes for a
rental building.”
They offered $5,300 a month but learned
that someone else had submitted a full-
price offer. They raised their offer to $5,500.
They found the process in a rental build-
ing to be much smoother than in a condo-
minium. “Rentals have stronger incentives
to fill the vacancies, rather than condo
boards putting their foot down for months
on end,” Ms. Chopra said.
The couple arrived in early summer, a
few months before the birth of their daugh-
ter, Roma.
They were concerned about noise from
the nearby B.Q.E., but it turned out to be
barely audible, unlike the loud music and
noise from the bar on the corner, which one
neighbor had warned them about.
After years in dark walk-ups, though,
they are thrilled to be in a more livable
home and a more luxurious building.
“I know I sound like a weirdo, but it’s my
first time living outside Manhattan, and I
feel people are so friendly,” Ms. Chopra said.
“We are actually friends with our neigh-
bors. I’ve never had that before. I don’t
know if that’s normal, but it’s really nice.”The Hunt
A Young Couple Wander Into Unexplored Territory
After some disappointing
experiences, maybe it was time
to join ‘the Brooklyn party.’
A three-bedroom unit in a
1910 former warehouse
was more than 1,000 square
feet, with beamed ceilings and
exposed brick.A two-bedroom unit in a
former factory was 1,200
square feet, with high ceilings
and big windows and near the
Brooklyn-Queens Expressway.A two-bedroom apartment
was 1,400 square feet,
with big windows and a home
office. The condominium
building has a pool.‘It’s my first time living outside Manhattan,’ Ms. Chopra
says, ‘and I feel people are so friendly.’
ROBERT WRIGHT FOR THE NEW YORK TIMESBy JOYCE COHEN[email protected]1 23The RentersRahul Sevani and Megha Chopra, with their daughter, Roma, in their new neighborhood.The Options©2020 Snaidero USASnaidero USA New York Flagship | Stunning New Redesign NOW OPEN
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