If the classic rent-versus-buy debate in Manhattan real estate were a building, instead of a debate, it would be pre-war. But as old as that debate is -- and as academic as it is rendered by the high price of a Manhattan condo and the comparatively advantageous market for Manhattan luxury rentals -- it's worth remembering that renting in Manhattan isn't just for those who can't afford to buy in Manhattan. Let's take Kings of Leon singer Caleb Followill, for instance. While we could sit here and debate the merits of Kings of Leon's records for hours -- unless you also don't like them that much, in which case we'd have to find something else to talk about -- it's clear that Followill and his model girlfriend (of course) could afford to buy a condo in Manhattan if they wanted to. And yet the foxy pair opted for a luxurious West Village rental apartment at Superior Ink for $8,000 a month.
Could you do this? Well, probably not -- Superior Ink is a condominium development that generally doesn't do much in the way of rentals. But KoL superfans that want to pay the same rent as Caleb Followill will find plenty of Manhattan rental listings in that neighborhood here. And some very excellent luxury rentals in the West Village can be found here. The point, to the extent that a point even exists here, is that renting doesn't just need to be for rock stars. But that it also can be for rock stars.
