An Empire State View to Give the "Suburbs-Curious" Garcias Amnesia
The Great $1M Tradeoff
View from the Top is a series exploring NYC real estate for buyers, sellers, renters, and investors by a long-time New Yorker, licensed real estate professional, husband-dad, and Lower East Side local. Bop the button below to subscribe, and scroll down for the goodies.
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Welcome to the penthouse, where I’m sharing the best views in NYC with real estate buyers, sellers, investors—and yes, even voyeurs. 👀
After analyzing and enriching data from buildings across Manhattan, I’m serving up insights designed to save you time and money. 💡💰
Last time, we met the Garcias—newlyweds who have some things figured out (they love being together and are ready to put down roots) but are still weighing others (kids 👶 or pets 🐶). They work in Midtown and they’re a little “suburbs-curious”—as one of our dear subscribers phrased it recently.
Today, we’re kicking off our property tour—and our first stop happens to be right in Midtown. Here’s a link to the detailed methodology, and you’ll find a mini version at the bottom.
🏡 Property #1: 7 East 35th Street #14A, New York, NY 10016
A 1,460 sq ft duplex co-op in Midtown South featuring:
🛏️ 2 bedrooms
🛁 2.5 baths
🌇 Private balcony with Empire State Building views
🛋️ Open-concept living space
🔥 Wood-burning fireplace
🧺 In-unit laundry
🛠️ Custom built-ins
The primary bedroom is en-suite, and the second bedroom can flex as an office or guest room—perfect for work-from-homers or out-of-town in-laws.
Located in The Antoinette—a full-service building with:
🛎️ 24-hour doorman
👷♂️ Live-in super
🚴 Bike room
🛗 Elevator access
Steps from Grand Central, Bryant Park, and Fifth Ave shopping. 🛍️
🧾 Details on Property #1
🏢 Property Type: Co-op
📍Location: Manhattan / Midtown
🚇 Commute Breakdown
Train Stop: Grand Central Terminal (0 on the Harlem Line)
🚶Distance from Station: 0.4 miles | 8 min walk
🚆Train Ride to GCT: 0 min
🕒 Total Monthly Commute Time: 6 hours
💳 Monthly Commuter Cost: $0.00 (Train only)
💸 Financial Summary
List Price: $995,000.00
🏦 Monthly Mortgage (P&I): $5,031.00
🔧 Maintenance/Carrying Costs: $4,079.00
💡 Utilities (Internet & Electric): $200.00
📊 Total Monthly Cost: $9,310.00
🧐 Comments
First thing you might be asking: “Aren’t the Garcias taking the train?” Fair! But let’s not overlook the big benefit here—they could walk to work. 🚶♂️🚶♀️ No train. No stress. No Metro-North schedule to chase.
A Midtown apartment checks their box for a walkable lifestyle, puts them near their offices, and lands them just blocks from Grand Central—our central hub for commute comparisons.
This one’s got some rare Midtown charm:
✅ Duplex layout
✅ Great light and potential views
✅ Small outdoor space
✅ Fireplace (yes, really)
Methodology
I identified properties priced at or below $1,000,000 near Harlem Line stops (plus one LES subway wild card) to compare commute time, costs, and ownership overhead. Assumptions include consistent walking pace, standard fares, and normalized monthly costs across property types.
➡️ Full methodology here.
📈 Catch the next elevator up!
