Apartment rentals New York with Pre-War Rental Conversions

For some, there’s nothing like the charm of old, New York City architecture, and for some, that translates into an urge to live in a pre-war building. With the glam of new construction, it may be a bit difficult to say no to modern exteriors, but pre-war buildings that have been converted into apartments often pack in ultra-luxe interiors while keeping their façades pure to that of yesteryear’s.

For many Manhattan residents, finding a New York City apartment can seem like a near impossibility, as rents are currently at historic highs. However, several new rental buildings are beginning to surface, with 2,596 new units joining the Manhattan market in 2012. Although vacancy rates are at all-time lows, these new Manhattan rental apartments will surely provide renters with a fresh array of options. This is good news in the long-run too: more inventory means that all that pent-up demand for Manhattan rentals will finally have an outlet. If this trend of new construction and pre-war conversion continues, it will definitely help Manhattan’s sky-high rents come down to earth.

The Tribeca neighborhood is home to some of the most expensive apartments for rent in Manhattan. According to the MNS December rental market report, rent in Tribeca has consistently out priced nearly every neighborhood since December 2010. Only apartments in Soho cost more than those in Tribeca, and even then it's only one- and two-bedroom apartments in doorman buildings that do. Non-doorman buildings are more expensive across the board in Tribeca. Which brings us to the focus of this article, and one of New York's more peculiar trends: the triangle south of Canal Street is the only neighborhood in Manhattan where apartments for rent in non-doorman buildings are more expensive than apartments in buildings that have doormen. Tribeca studio apartments in non-doorman buildings have been more expensive than their doorman counterparts every month since December 2010. And one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments without doormen have likewise cost more almost as consistently. In December 2011, having a doorman with your two-bedroom apartment saved you over $1,000. And a doorman welcoming you into your studio shaved nearly $800 off your rent.