106 East 116 Street Apartamentos

As far as NYC apartment buildings go, the flats in this East Harlem mid-century brownstone are huge! Twelve-foot ceilings; living rooms are a minimum of 14 x 14 with wainscoting on the walls; and bedrooms generally run about 10 x 12—and have closets! Combined with warped walls, a tilting floor, loud steam heat, and the rattle of the Metro-North train only 1 building away, this is the absolute cliché of NYC apartment buildings. The building is a walk-up, so if you live on the 6th (top) floor, the... 88 steps will save you a gym membership.

You’ll make friends with the building’s mice who will grace you with a visit through the kitchen sink drainpipe. The spectacle of the 24-Laundromat across the street provides both evening entertainment and clean clothes. The local Albertsons has quite a selection of food ranging from store brand to organic. Nearby SpaHa Café and Damore Winebar are signs of gentrification, but the best pastry shop in East Harlem, Capri Bakery, will out live them all—the Red Velvet with cream cheese frosting is to die for.

But despite it all, it is the ideal location for commuting around the city: the building is on the same block as the local #6 train, the cross town bus stops just 20 feet from the front door, and it is only a 10 minute walk to the Metro-North station at 125. Lee mas