Renting in West Village

What it's like

The West Village is what people picture when they picture New York, which is exactly why it costs what it costs. Low brick, tree cover, streets that meet at angles the grid never reached. It is quiet by Manhattan standards and the quiet is real, not marketing.

The apartments are small and old and frequently strange: rooms shaped by two hundred years of subdivision, ceilings that step down, kitchens in what were clearly hallways. You are paying for the outside of the building and the block it stands on, and it is worth being honest with yourself about that before you tour.

Who it suits

People with the budget to stop optimizing, and anyone whose commute is downtown or on the west side.

The catch

Broker fees are still common here and still run twelve to fifteen percent of the annual rent, because demand does not force the issue. Ask whether the fee is negotiable before you fall for a place, not after.

Getting around

The 1 runs down Seventh Avenue, the A, C, E and B, D, F, M meet at West 4th, and the L hits Eighth and 14th. Getting to Midtown and downtown is easy. Getting to Brooklyn is a project.

What to check at the viewing

• In a walk-up with a shared stair, listen on the landing. Sound travels through these old party walls better than through the floors.
• Ask about the basement and whether the building has flooded. Much of the far west is in a coastal flood zone.
• Confirm laundry. A surprising number of these buildings have none and no room to add it.