Decent living spaces for $1000 (Lawrenceville, Monroe: apartment, rent, lofts)

[Leslie.Shae]

Ready for a challenge?
My boyfriend and I are looking for a place: 1 bedroom with 1 room for him to be able to work. This could be a spare bedroom, an office, or even a decent basement. I don't work in Shadyside.

We've seen Roma Bottling Lofts and River City Flats. We love the interiors of both but no so much the areas. We're looking for the hidden gems of the city that aren't overpriced. Not looking for anything fancy, just nicer than the cat-urine-smelling places we've found on Craigslist.

It's possible. Right??

[bluecarebear]

So you basically want a 2 bedroom for $1000. There aren't any landlords in good areas that are going to announce a spare room as anything but another bedroom. You should start looking for 2 br apts.

[steindle]

Originally Posted by Leslie.Shae

I don't work in Shadyside.

Wait, what does this mean? I would wager that you don't work in millions of places.

[PghYinzer]

Well the first place everyone tells anyone new to the area to live is Shadyside/East End/Squirrel Hill, so maybe trying to clarify that closeness to Shadyside is not necessary.

[doo dah]

OP needs to provide more information. Does s/he work Downtown? Southside? Northside? Cranberry? Robinson? Monroeville? Any pets? Kids? Do they have a car or need to use public transportation or walk or bike or ??

[SuburbanPioneer]

Originally Posted by bluecarebear

So you basically want a 2 bedroom for $1000. There aren't any landlords in good areas that are going to announce a spare room as anything but another bedroom. You should start looking for 2 br apts.

It can be done. Back in my college years, I used to live in a 1br apartment which had a living room, a smaller bedroom and a kitchen. I've converted the living room into a bedroom and the bedroom into an office. Worked really well for what I needed at the time.

[Leslie.Shae]

That, my friend, would be a type. I don't work downtown, closer to Shadyside, so being close to Downtown isn't an advantage.

That's what I get for typing at 2 AM.

[bluecarebear]

Originally Posted by SuburbanPioneer

It can be done. Back in my college years, I used to live in a 1br apartment which had a living room, a smaller bedroom and a kitchen. I've converted the living room into a bedroom and the bedroom into an office. Worked really well for what I needed at the time.

I'm not saying it can't be done. If the area is desirable, then the landlords are going to want to make as much money as possible. They aren't going to add in an extra bedroom for free.

[steindle]

Originally Posted by Leslie.Shae

That, my friend, would be a type. I don't work downtown, closer to Shadyside, so being close to Downtown isn't an advantage.

That's what I get for typing at 2 AM.

Ahh, okay! It seems like a new-ish 2-BR (or equivalent) apartment near Shadyside with the amenities and look of the ones you checked out Uptown... may be a tall order for $1,000 or less. I am not a great resource on this because I pay a $500/mo mortgage for a 3-BR in a "transitioning" area... but I do know that when I left Lawrenceville in 2009, my rent on a small, relatively outdated 2-BR had already gone from $575/mo to $900/mo in two years. Six years later, I have to imagine that trend has continued upward.

[SuburbanPioneer]

There seem to be plenty of options available, especially if you consider nearby suburbs

https://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/se...000&bedrooms=2