I think that deep down, a little part of each of us had been hoping that someday, when we had to move, the J/M/Z would be our untapped resource. I mean, the Z is a rarely-seen ghost train, and the line is brown, for Chrissakes. Who really wants to live off of a brown train line? Huh. The answer is actually a lot of people, apparently.
According to Brick Underground, who made this nifty train map thing, rent gets predictably cheaper as you eke deeper and deeper into Brooklyn—but all the options are still entirely more expensive than anyone ever wants to spend on an apartment.
These numbers may not look grim for communal living situations, but 2-bedroom apartments are the size referent here. Brick Underground’s map shows that median rent in deep Bushwick is $1,200/person? Say it ain’t so. And amazingly, there’s a $100 increase in the median rent from Halsey to Chauncey. We have no idea what caused that.
The Hewes and Central stops on the J/M seem to boast lower rents in relation to their location along the line, so that’s some comfort. And you can find some of the best little food holes underneath the bridge itself, including way cheap produce at the Mr. Piña and Mr. Kiwi delis off Marcy and Myrtle-Broadway, respectively.
So anyway, if you still had questions about being able to afford the rent in Williamsburg and Bushwick, the answer is: of course you can! These are median prices, which means there’s a whole bunch of real estate below ’em. Just keep up the hustle and look hard for it. Then you can brag to all your friends about having scored the cheapest place on the block.
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