If the building is crap, then it's NOT a great apartment.

I live in a good neighborhood that is full of yards and huge old trees in Chicago but my patch of street is slightly ugly and the entryway to my building & stairs to my apartment are dirty. My apartment is beautiful. It's the first time I haven't lived on a pretty street w/ trees outside of my window (even though I'm low income) but it's not a big deal. Ideally, I'd have it all but for now, my apartment is gorgeous and an absolute steal. No one leaves trash out and my neighbors are great. But the entry is filthy from NEVER being swept or mopped.

Agreed. A scuzzy building reflects bad management, and that affects you directly when you need repairs or even upgrades. Also, a gross building is embarrassing to take visitors into, and that's their first impression of your place. A loft in a warehouse or something is a different story, perhaps, but I lived in a fairly grody building for 3 years and decided never, ever again.

Three Words: Don't. Do. It.

I've lived in low-rent districts for most of my life, and it has generally suited me just fine. Besides the affordability factor (it's nice to have a few bucks left over after meeting the monthly obligations), there's my preference for districts with more visual interest than you generally find in the more affluent, well-scrubbed precincts.

However, open garbage and break-ins and thefts of packages are deal-breakers. An apple core on the stairs? May as well put out the welcome mat for the rodents.

If it's just a matter of a bit run down neighborhood, but the neighbors are nice and the apartment is a gem, then go for it.

If it's a dangerous, filthy neighborhood where you have to worry about making it home safely, the safety of visitors, whether things in the building that are broken or dangerous are EVER fixed, if your mail might have been stolen or whether your (lovely) apartment might have been broken into in your absence? No amount of cozy, stylish or unique can make up for running that gauntlet.

the BEST apartment i've ever lived in was this type of situation. the walls of the hallways were graffitti-ed and trash regularly collected on the stairs (torn up scratch tickets, empty Rockstar cans, etc.). it always surprised my friends who would walk up the stairs wondering what kind of place i was living, to emerge into my gorgeous apartment. (i sort of loved this effect, because they would always look around a little wide-eyed.)

the neighbors were not great (see: hallway trash) and i moved out shortly before the mail-stealer and doorstep defecator targeted me (thank god.) i did get my laptop computer stolen out of my bag by a neighbor as i moved out.

i still miss that apartment, but the neighbors/building definitely contributed to my reasons for moving out.

My husband and I lived in a decent apartment, in a crappy building, but in a great neighborhood/area.
We did the best we could in the apartment without spending too much of our time and money on it.
We dealt with the buildings issues for 4 years. That included everything from "thin" walls between our neighbors, bums sleeping in the car port, plumbing back-ups and eventually flooding in our unit, a change in landlords from ok to bad, poorly maintained common areas, etc. At the time it was mostly worth it to us. I think it just depends on what you're willing to put up with and to what end.
We saved our pennies and eventually were able to buy our own house!
Despite the downfalls of the place we had a enjoyable and happy existence, mostly. That may have had more to do with the fact that we lived near the ocean, could ride our bikes to work, and walk to the corner for a cup of coffee and pastry on the weekends.

It depends on whether it's a little disheveled or if it's falling apart.

Beautiful apartments are less wonderful if roaches come in from the garbage left in the hall. Even though home may be an oasis, if I don't feel comfortable going out after dark I don't want to live there.

That being said, living in a less-well-maintained apartment building for a year and a half was a great decision - the rent was affordable and we were able to save up to buy a car and move to a wonderful new place (that's a little farther from transportation options).

In my first apartment I loved the floor plan. Inside I was a great apartment, but outside it was not. It was a very old building, the gate never worked, and I had to go through a hallway to get to my unit which I never felt comfortable about. I say don't do it. Unless the owner has plans or is in the process to fix it and the neighborhood is safe. Stay way.

It depends on if your friend can handle it. I live in one of these, I enter and exit through the back and even possibly have drug dealers as neighbors but I love my apt, and its so affordable. I can pretty much do anything to it. Over 2 years it is wearing on me that all the responsible people live on the high floors, and people I meet in the apt, instantly go "Oh you live next to them?" But I think its worth it a the end of the day. Plus its always a surprise when people come over and expect disaster to see my awesome 10 ft ceilings and APT inspired designs here and there. :) good luck!

if there are pests, there is no question that they will eventually break into your 'gorgeous apartment bubble'

i live in a gorgeous old building that isn't run-down, but is in need of repairs. the maintenance guys are questionable, and all live in the complex, but the location is superb. we're in the oldest part of the city surrounded by gigantic victorian mansions and only the richest of the rich live in the area.

though we love the apartment, we have had our fair share of issues (mainly because it was an old building), such as roaches, moldy walls, sagging ceiling, leaky toilet, etc. etc.

even after having to basically live out of our bedroom while the living room ceiling was gutted, we still love the place.

the neighbors though, those could be a deal breaker. one of our neighbors (a professional chef and recluse), left his gas stove on for 2 days, almost killed his dogs and at any moment, our building could have burned down.

though you don't see neighbors very often, they could have a very huge impact on you and everything in your apartment if something like that were to happen.

just sayin.

I think it depends on how much you really love the place and how truly awful the public spaces are, but it could be tolerable. Even better would be to commit yourself to keeping those areas tidy (w/out feeling overly bitter or anything). It could lead to positive changes among the neighbors - people tend to let the whole "no one cares so I don't either" mentality build. It may not work, but it's just something you have to consider.

I'm in the exact situation as Hollers. It's a great neighborhood, but the building entry is a bit dirty, the staircase walls are somewhat covered with cobweb. It didn't bother me when I first looked at the apartment. LL does not live in the building, nor do we have an on-site manager. But, he is nice enough that I'm sure if I said something about it, he would clean it up.

I have to agree with most of the commentors, If given another option I definitely wouldn't chose to live in a gross building. I did it once while living in L.A., I moved into this 100 year old building in Koreatown, a cute little studio for $1000/month- I caught 6 mice in 1 month, had to listen neighbors mexican rodeo music on what would have otherwise been quiet Sundays, and gang activity on the block. Not to mention there was no reserved parking, and street parking was hellacious, looking back I don't know how I did it, and will NEVER, God-willing, do it again!

Your friend must prioritize. Are the hazards merely eyesores or will affect her health and safety? Will the LL fix health hazards, hazards making it impossible for her to live in her apartment should they arise? Or is she going to end up opening an escrow account and depositing her rent there while her LL attempts to evict her for nonpayment in lieu of fixing said problems?

We live in a terrible house (housemates and I) in a wonderful neighborhood. The house has been slowly falling apart over the years I've lived in it and the LL has no interest in maintaining, let alone upgrading it. It hasn't sunk to the level of health hazards per se, but I know what I have in an LL and am prepared to fight it out for the property, which COULD BE gorgeous and is in a very popular neighborhood...

Nope, def not worth it. Been there and done that, I really do miss my old apt though. Gorgeous apt just in a busy neighborhood. Don't get me wrong there were some great people there, but it's the bad one you need to look out for. I have had all kinds of things stolen ad there would be police sirens all hours of the night. (At least it taught my son to sleep through noise.) Once a car came tearing around the corner maybe going 50mph and a cop right behind them, the culprit eventually lost control and ran into a house. No one was hurt thankfully but still it was a scary night.

No way would I live in a crappy building. I need a clean building.

I lived in a Rent Controlled building for the past few years in NYC's Lower East Side. The location and actual apt were fantastic but my building was horrible. The conditions in the hallway were beyond disgusting. I lived across from a park and every now and then I would find a homeless person sleeping/doing their buisness in the hallway. The Tenants apt below me always smelled like Shit when you passed by. Visitors would use their sleeves to open door and try not to touch anything when going up and down the stairs. The shining light was seeing their amazed expressions when finally entering my unit. For me as I got older I became more and more embarrassed by the conditions and ended up moving out recently. I still live in the LES but moved to a newer building .In the end I felt a bit stifled by the conditions and was too embarrassed to have people over for parties etc. If its that bad then I recommend finding something better. You never know how long your going to be living there .You should try to think where you want to be in you life in the next two years or so and see if it fits into your vision.

Personally, I couldn't do it anymore, I need to love my neighbourhood and feel happy when I approach my home. However one apartment I lived in was a beautiful old building that was totally neglected by the (3 other) neighbours who were all ok, but very 'not my job' about maintenance. After a while, it got me down so I attacked the front yard with a broom and shovel, clearing the entranceway, scrubbed the front door and steps, vacuumed and cleaned the stairwell myself, bought a wastepaper basket for the mail shelf (so they'd stop chucking junk mail on the floor!!). I did it cheerfully, smiled and waved at the neighbours when they snooped at me and from then on, they were so much more respectful. It mostly fell to me to maintain it, but 30mins a month made a huge difference to how much I loved that place.

Three reasons not to live in a shitty building: roaches. Bed bugs. Mice.

I had an entirely opposite experience. Wehn I was looking for my first apartment, I was driving around in the neighborhood I thought I wanted to live in, saw a newish looking building with a well manicured lawn, flowers by the doors, etc. Instantly called to see if I could look at the place. I knew the minute I walked into the halway that I wouldn't be renting there. It looked like there had never been any matience whatsoever in the hallway, and the apratment was even worse. The whole thing took on a very facial aspect as the landlord kept commenting on how clean the place was as we moved from room to room admiring the carpet stains and cigarette burns in the counter tops. Needless to say didn't end up living there.

Two other things- I can't spell so I apologize for all the typos, and that should be farcial (farce-like?) not facial.

thank you so much for this great post! This brings up so many good points for conversation around the affordability of rentals and housing in general. My personal opinion is that one should always live in the best neighborhood and dwelling they can afford and I sincerely wish there were many more affordable options for those who earn an honest if inadequate living. I have two kids and for this reason we live in a relatively good neighborhood albeit one not without its share of metropolitan concerns. The building we live in is relatively well kept if dated , uninspiring and overpriced for what it really is. The unit itself doesnt have any of the lovely architectural details I so wish it did, no hardwood floors or lovely trim, it has boring aluminum sliders for windows and souless hollow core doors. But it makes up for it by having great parks within walking distance, a lovely landscaped courtyard and a decent public school nearby. We dont feel unsafe traveling to and from our apartment and there is no trash anywhere to be seen except where it belongs - in the dumpster in the alleyway. I had previously tried to shop at a lower price point but found there were hidden "costs" to our travel time and safety that I was not willing to incur for the sake of myself and children. Would I accept the scenario you describe if I were single? Probably not - I dont believe that four walls can truly conceal or offer protection from external threats even if those are only rats and mold etc.The greater issue thats always fascinating to me and worthy of much more discussion is that of the lack of decent affordable housing for the working low income. If for instance everyone who like myself can barely afford a place in a better neighborhood did so - there wouldnt be enough units for us all. This is a big problem no?

I live in a beautiful flat in a slightly run-down building on a a fairly ugly street (though my flat overlooks a gorgeous (to me) industrial art deco building). Most of the other flats in the building are owned by slum landlords and therefore getting anything done about cleaning the place up/getting anything fixed is a nightmare, as they do not give a damn. That said, I could never have afforded to buy somewhere as lovely on a pretty street, and so it's got me on the property ladder and once I'm inside I love it. I think as long as you know it's not a 'forever home' and you feel safe inside, you can put up with a bit of compromise.

Sometimes things do upset me, but reading the other posts here has helped - it's my first owned apartment and I'm not a millionaire. I'm doing OK!

i live in a cool, old, beautiful apartment in a not so great & close to downtown area. it's cheap and i love the place, but hearing gun shots on my balcony at night and neighbors cars getting windows broken isnt worth it to me. i'm trying to move but my (awful) landlord is being a pain and isnt cutting me any slack on the lease (even though many things that he promised would be fixed haven't been...he says i'm legally bound). i can't wait to live in a nicer, farther from the ghetto, more quiet and although i hate it...more expensive area.

true story: my second apartment was great. everything me+roomie always wanted. and the rent was cheap. the building, not so much. but, what the hell! we were broke college students, the bus stop was across the street, and the building+neighborhood had just the right ammount of fugly to be palatable to a couple of art students.
a few months in, we discovered the why of the low rent: sewer backup in our kitchen. a whole building's worth. enough to fill up the apartment and cascade down the building's staircase. let's just say everything that couldn't be boiled 3-4 times was trashed, which included all our furniture.
yeah.

The answer, from experience, is no.

DONT DO IT!!!

Yes, horrible building issues will eventually taint your perfect apartment. I am currently moving out of an apartment for this very reason. Good location but crappy block, hideous yard and facade, terribly maintained building. The apt is actually a condo I'm renting from a former coworker. He gutted it before moving out of state for work, and even left his ginormous HDTV mounted to the wall (apparently cheaper to buy a new one than have one moved?). It's great in the unit, but after 6 months the gypsy neighbors and their insane children (who think it's funny to pee in the hallway or stairwell) were driving me nuts, and I sometimes got a contact high from walking through the hallway. By the following December someone brought bedbugs into the building and we got them, which anyone will tell you is nothing short of an epic nightmare, and surely makes for the most miserable Christmas ever. It's now summertime and even 3 floors up we have mice, one of whom is so bold as to wander through the apartment in the evening and come into the bathroom while I'm on the commode. Not worth it at all.

I was in this exact situation in my last apartment. The building was on a corner with windows on three sides and hardwood floors throughout. The place was huge and cheap. My issue was the downstairs neighbor who moved in after me. The following is a story about our first encounter: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKr17CrNgbw

@cccb12 --

You're not legally bound for anything except the loss of your deposit. (And who's to say whether the LL would even return it to you at the end of your lease?)

If you're in an unsafe place, then you need to move - sooner rather than later!

No! After my personal experience with landlords trying to get me to sign a lease by saying "oh, yeah, we're in the middle of fixing that railing, it should be done by your move-in" and nothing changes by move-in, that's the first sign. Don't do it. If they don't keep the stairs clean, they won't fix your leaking sink. They have no pride in ownership, it's probably just that the previous tenant wasn't scummy. Don't subject yourself to it!

These examples are why people organize into tenant's associations and why the people still dealing with poor situations need to get active. Most of the conditions described violate the apartment lease, municipal and state housing/building codes, and health regulations. Instead of putting up with "scuzziness", start writing letters to your landlord describing the unacceptable conditions and if that doesn't work call and/or write your state and municipal governments. Unless the property owner is a slumlord, most neglectful landlords will begin fixing their property once they get a letter from you, or call, nastygram, or fine from a government agency. Don't accept the poor conditions and never accept no for an answer.

As for myself, I've lived in apartments that didn't look like much on the outside or in the clean but plain corridors, but when people entered my place, their jaws dropped on the floor.

I live in an apartment that I really love. It has a nice fireplace, vaulted ceilings, and I see nothing but trees when I look out my windows, of which there are plenty! My daughter and I call it the Treehouse. When I finish school next year, I plan on buying a house. Until then, this is our home.

Here's the downside: while most of my neighbors are nice, many of them think renting means they are exempt from manners, cleanliness, or common courtesy. They take no pride in their homes and think nothing of throwing trash off their balconies, leaving cigarette butts in common areas, and don't even get me started on the people who won't clean up after their dogs! The property management is good about cleaning up, and reminding people, in nicer words, to get their shit together and act like grownups. But, every time I walk by butts, or dog poo (I do clean up after my own dog), it tarnishes how much I love my apartment, and the community in general. So, I took a lot of words to say it, but my advice is don't do it. It will bother you more and more every day, trust me.

Depends on how decrepit the building is.

It's also a good idea to keep in mind that new paint and spackle can temporarily hide some horrible problems in an apartment.

I moved into an apartment once that *looked* fine, but then started to get a little smelly - until I finally tracked the smell and source of bugs to find that the bathroom had a leaking problem, and the entire back and bottom of the sink vanity was a rotten, black, pulpy mass.

Before I'd moved in they'd just slapped on a thin sheet of panelling over the wet rotting mess, painted over everything, and left it alone to get worse. And I hadn't even realized something was wrong because they used such smelly paint.

So my advice is that if you're tempted by a "bargain" apartment, go over everything with a fine tooth comb, and make sure they haven't just papered over major problems.

nope. not on my life.

When I initially started looking for an apt. I was fixated on living in a gorgeous 1920s art deco building. High ceilings, period crown molding and vintage bathroom/fireplace and inlaid wood floors held so much appeal. Problem is that all within my pricerange/distance to job lay in the neighborhood of Koreatown here in Los Angeles. Not the greatest neighborhood to begin with and on some really questionable streets. Didn't feel like dealing with the blight and gangs so I had to re-evaluate what I was looking for and make some amends.

I ended up in a fairly nice, safe area in the hills for the about the same amount (got lucky) but I had to really wait out the apt hunt longer then I wanted to.

so long story short. no way jose.

My first NYC apartment was similar to this - terrible building, sketchy neighborhood, cheap rent, pretty new apartment. After 2 years of living there I was robbed, my gas was turned off for almost 3 months because the LL installed an illegal pipe that was syphoning gas from another building, the roof of my bathroom collapsed (after months of water damage from leaking pipes upstairs), and during the winter the steam heat almost NEVER came on. But I could afford the rent so whatever, and sometimes those are the breaks. But honestly, I don't think I would ever take the experience back, (and when it comes to pests, some of the nicest building in NYC have roaches & bedbugs). I think you really have to assess what you can and can't take. Dirty floors, crappy old paint jobs, (in my current case, a neighbor whose apartment's urine smells permeate the common hallways) might be OK for you if you can deal with it. My apartment is HUGE, near a good subway, but across from a ton of public housing and has less than great common areas. And I'm cool with it!

It's a rental, right? If the apartment itself is beautiful and affordable that's already half the battle.

The only exception is if the neighbourhood is truly unsafe. If friend's cars are going to be vandalized if they're parked visiting you, or if you're going to be uncomfortable or even in danger walking home late at night it's not worth it.

I live in a gorgeous apartment in a totally hideous, ancient building in a neighbourhood that is not at all desireable. But the apartment is truly gorgeous -- newly renovated with refinished hardwoods, a totally gutted kitchen and bathroom and gigantic windows. The common areas stink of old cooking, cigarettes and garbage, and there's virtually no security in the building at all. That said, it's an up-and-coming area that, while underserviced now, will be bustling with young, affluent types in just a few short years.

If the neighbourhood is on the way out, I suggest avoiding it. However if the neighbourhood is making a comeback, getting into an awesome apartment at a great price now comes with a whole slew of benefits for years to come.

Not ever, ever worth it.

Living in a cheap building for a year enabled me to save up enough money to buy my condo. So for that, it was TOTALLY WORTH IT. I now live in a fantastic place I call home in the city that I love.

However, there were huge downsides to living in that building. I didnt live near my friends, work or places we love to go out. So it was a bit lonely.

The entire building had roaches. EVERYWHERE. And no matter how much I sprayed and refused to keey any trash in my apt. I still had them from neighbors.

Unruly kids would urinate in the halls and elevators.

There were interesting smells on every floor. I lived in a very bad building.

Cars would be broken in to and tires slashed.

Management was HORRENDOUS.

However I did have a great view, paid only $900 a month for rent and utilities and SAVED.

Unless you are sacrificing for something like savings or paying off debt its NOT worth it. I would have never lived there had I not had the goal to buy a condo in one year.

To me it really comes down to saftey. I once rented a little house that was perfect for me....it had huge trees in the yard, and open floor plan and lots of light. BUT it was rather shady area. I thought I would give it a shot, but that turned into just hearing gun-shots every other night, finding out that my neighbors were drug dealers, and dealing with gangs hosting regular meetings on the street I lived on. I guess what I am trying to say is don't put yourself at risk just for a space...no matter how awesome the place is.

On another note... old builings that have not been re-habed leave a huge possiblity open for lead paint, piping, mold, and asbestos. All not fun, all not worth it.

Yes, it's worth it if you ask the right questions. I recently bought a mediocre (but large) apartment in a somewhat rundown building in a nice neighborhood. Even though the building is rundown and not much to look at, the board has already started fixing some of the issues since I moved in and even already taken money out of their funds just to go towards building beautification. You just need to ask if the building has any money, or even plans to make changes. And you need to make your voice heard. I make my once mediocre apartment better everyday with small fixes and my board has been doing the same with the building. The best part is that I don't even have to pay more for the big fixes because the money was already put aside before I even was part of the community

Never.

I agree with most of the commentors here:

If it's just a matter of some dirt and a little mainenance, I think it's fine.
However, once your safetly and health is called into question, I think you have to turn down the apartment. No discount is worth your well-being.

We made the compromise to live in an amazingly huge, awesome apartment in a truly crappy building on a questionable street... and it burned down. I'm not saying that yours will, but bad electrical, years of neglect, and accumulated crappiness takes its toll. Be careful. And make sure that the building has sprinklers.

I understand the allure of cheap rent, but it's not worth it!

As an artist, I have lived in less than desirable neighborhoods for years, so when I found an incredible live/work space in an amazing building just blocks from the local art scene, I ignored the fact it was located in a repugnant neighborhood. Walking home I navigate a landscape of frequent muggings, human excrement and garbage on the sidewalks, and drug addicts flitting around. The icing on the cake is a screaming man parked outside my windows at all hours.

After 8 months I'm over it. The atmosphere of anger and hostility is mentally draining, and with the economy in a continued downward spiral, it only seems to be getting worse. (Insert two page essay on how our leaders are failing the urban poor).

I lived in a low-income community in NYC for 9 years before it took it's toll. The apartment was very cute (even a semi-finalist in AT's first smallest, coolest contest) and suited our needs. The rent was dirt cheap. Our super was decent. We even had a porter who cleaned regularly. I didn't mind living there at all, even when people gave me looks when I told them where I lived.

The tipping points were 1) the neighbors (domestic fights/abuse, pot smoking right next to my entry door), and the slow-to-rapid decline of the neighborhood. Drug activity picked up with no NYPD in sight. Streets became filthy, lots of people hanging out.

We were so traumatized by our living conditions that we moved out of state. We didn't want to pay almost double our rent to live in a so-so neighborhood or make a lateral move into another crappy apt.

I say talk to the neighbors (especially ones that have lived there a long time). Check out the place at night and make a wise decision.

Good luck!

I'm in a similar situation...I like my apartment, but the building itself is not so great. It's just an old, unattractive building. But the area is tops, my neighbors are nice, and the managers are great. And my apartment has the largest balcony I have ever seen. I often go back and forth about whether to stay or leave, but so far I have yet to find a place (in my price range) that is attractive enough to make me move. There are a lot of factors to consider...sometimes it's worth overlooking some less than ideal cosmetics but other times, it could be disaster. Each situation is unique.

I'm gonna take a guess and say that this apartment is in the Tenderloin.

I live in an adorable studio in a wonky building. Nice landlord, though.

In a really unpleasant building you will probably have fairly unpleasant neighbors. I guess it's just a matter of how important that is to you.

No.

I owned a condo in a cool old school building. It wasn't really a bad place, but the tenants didn't all pay their condo fee and they hadn't built up the reserve fund necessary to patch the roof, chink the bricks, etc.. The old guy who used to clean in exchange for condo fees sold his place, and the halls began to get dusty, shaggy, unvacuumed. The baseboard trim always needed washing. I used to spend my weekends cleaning the common areas, because I was embarrassed to have people walk through the dusty mess to come see me. And that just leads to resentment.

So, no.

No, and I don't even make the distinction that some others make. To me, if it's a dirty and unkept building that speaks to lack of professionalism from the landlord or leasing company and it's a huge red flag. It means that the apple core in the hallway won't stay there much longer once the ants and rats come to party. And it means that management doesn't care enough to take pride in the common areas, so when your dishwasher breaks or you have a leak in your ceiling, are you sure the landlord will even care?

I get the allure of cheap rent. But why on god's earth would you ever live in an unsafe neighborhood? You can find many different places to live, but it's all moot if you are fearful for your life. And any savings in cheap rent are out the door once you have to replace smashed windows.

Oh and consider that you have to report your new address to your car and rental insurance companies. Most to all insurance companies change your preminum depending on your address, associating a higher premium with higher risk areas. If you want to move to that cute bungalow with cheap rent and think the rest of it isn't so bad, consider the money you'll lose because your zip code matches that of drug dealers and gangs.

It's common sense. You can find better apartments, or nicer apartments. You can't find a second life or recover that feeling of security in your own home once it's been violated.

I agree 100% with the first poster. I can only imagine how bad the heat, water, structure, etc. would be.

Would you want to live in a neighborhood you'd be ashamed to have your friends and coworkers know about?

While there are some decent people who will live there, as you can see from the responses, the majority of us would NOT. Therefore your neighbors will be people who BELONG there. Bad neighborhoods don't exactly attract the upwardly mobile.

does the prospective tenant have children? How close is it to public transportation? How close is it to a decent neighborhood? Is there evidence of renewal/renovation/restoration in the neighborhood? Can the tenant fix up the apartment....i.e. more than paint?

I lived in a gross building in Chicago that was in a decent neighborhood. The kitchen dated to the 1920s and the bathroom was covered in mold but the landlord allowed me to do small improvements to the apartment like new floor in the kitchen, paint the cabinets, re-tile the bathroom, re-plaster the bathroom, etc. I put a few bucks into it and when I moved out after two years, he doubled the rent for the next tenant. Everyone was happy in the end.

I lived in a building (in a fantastic Boston neighborhood) that was terribly neglected by the landlord/super. The apartment was huge, full of light and lovingly maintained by the prior tenants. But the obvious neglect in the communal space was a harbinger for eventual problems we had getting anything at all fixed. Dead fridge? No heat? No water? Broken locks? Sketchy elevator? Trash piled-up in the alley for weeks? Could you live with those kind of issues for weeks on end?? Back when I was younger and less fussy--I could deal with it...but now...nope.

Xtina: "Farcical" is the word you want. Interestingly, the word "farce" means stuffing, such as the meat that stuffs a sausage skin. I suppose you could refer to an over-stuffed sofa as "farcical".
Everything leads back to design, doesn't it?

Everyone has their "things" that will make or break a space - I don't care if the paint is horrible in the lobby, but I need to feel safe walking to my car. Think about what makes you twitchy and make sure that isn't part of what makes it a dubious place.

Also? An apple core sat on the stairs for a week? Why not pick it up after the first (or second or third) time you walked by? I lived in an old house that was split into four apartments, and my entryway was a bit of a horror, but the application of a vacuum and the occasional removal of my neighbors' empties were a small price to pay for a nice place at a less expensive price.

Definitely something you want to think carefully about. I had a nice apartment with great trees outside the windows and a roomy floor plan -- but other buildings in the same complex had terrible problems, and kids from the even worse complex down the street used our pool all the time and made horrific noise. But by compromising for two years, I saved enough for a down payment on a house. It all depends on if you have a long-term goal in mind and how long you can stand compromising. That said, don't ever go so cheap you feel too unsafe, and add your own safety measures once you move in!

No

What a gross Google Image search....

The raised question is not always that obvious... Still, I'm for DON'T DO IT!
Four years ago I bought my groundfloor studio with a friendly balcony located at a fine building where all neighbors are graduated. I mean, highly graduated like MDs, lawyers, judges and even a european deputy. The problem was their kids and lack of parents' attention. During weekends and vacation period they simply become crazy playing! Constant noise and invasion of private property in order to catch lost balls were unbearable! When I asked for SOME RESPECT, I've got as an answer from those well educated persons: WE'LL DO WHAT WE WANT BECAUSE WE CAME FIRST! As an well educated young MD, I simply rented my flat to some noisy students and got my REVENGE!
On the contrary, bad streets may not be so bad as you may think!:)

so, basically, this is great jail cell. if he has to go through all that just to reach the apartment, the apartment sucks. quality of life includes the outside of home.

I did the same thing a few years ago. Beautiful studio at the right price with decent light and hardwood floors, crummy neighborhood with dirty building. It was somewhere between a midday police standoff, half eaten cheeseburgers in the stairwells, and insomnia that came from fighting bedbugs nightly for months that I realized it was the wrong decision. So I vote no. In the end, it's not worth it and there are better options available.

I have never lived in a big city and reading all these posts has made me wonder is it really worth it? I mean what I pay for a mortgage on a 1600 square foot house in the suburbs of Sacramento would probably not even get me a 1 bedroom apartment in a decent neighborhood in a big city like New York or San Francisco. Not to mention I have a garage to park in and laundry in my house. Is it really worth it to live in these big cities? I seem to find plenty to do here to keep my life busy and fulfilled. I'm not being condescending here, I honestly want to know.

If the building is that bad then chances are, so is the apartment. But they probably did a good job of hiding it for potential renters.

ladybug, I moved back to NYC from the suburbs of Sacramento, and for me, it was worth everything. I was so BORED in suburbia! But I need city living, having the best culture everywhere, infinite restaurant choices, interesting people, etc.

That said, it's an adjustment. Don't need a garage because I sold my car. The laundromat down the street does my laundry (folds it for me too, which is nice).

But not every apartment in a city is a dump. My two non-negotiables are 1. safety and 2. cleanliness/no pests. There are plenty of good neighborhoods here, although if you want something nice that's affordable, you can't live in Manhattan below 96th St., or much of western Brooklyn. I'm in Queens now, and I wonder how long it will be before it becomes trendy. :)

@ladybug5, for me it's worth it. I live about 20 minutes outside DC and work in DC. I have garage parking (parking garage, not my own garage) and a washer and dryer in my apartment. I have access to public transportation, and all of the great sights, entertainment, and food in DC.

You should try it! Honestly, I could never live in the suburbs. We're looking to do things and try new things, so a big city suits our lives much better than a suburb or smaller city. Like skatz12 said, there's just nothing to do in the suburbs.

And not every apartment in the city is a dump. I'd wager that most of them aren't, really. There are enough apartment tours on AT to let you know that! I love my apartment. I've never had pest problems, my neighbors are friendly, management is great, and I've never felt unsafe.

It's really about the pace of life you want to have, but I personally really enjoy having a faster pace and while DC is expensive to live in, it's so much fun to experience that I don't think I could ever not live in a city!

* Big city vs. smaller city...big city like NYC or SF, but a semi-big city like DC vs. a smaller city like anything under 100,000. Not small town, but not a semi-big city either.

Why hand over YOUR hard earned money over to somebody who can't be bothered to make basic repairs and present the building in a positive light?

Not if it's the kind of bad building shown in the pic. A great apartment in a sick building will make you...sick. And the longer you live there, the sicker you will be. Go find something in a better building and area, that isn't so great, then get off your butt and make your new home great.

Good neighbors are golddust, bad ones are Hell.

I lived in council block of 8 flats in a good area with two lousy neighbors. We were responsible for the common areas. One neighbor had 'domestics' going on in their flat everyweekend and the other had a beautiful flat but littered the stairwell and let her son pee in it ( the old folk cleaned the ground floor and I did the other two). BUT, they both moved out and then it was pretty fab. The new neighbors were sound. The other tenants said they didn't want to clean up before because of the young fella peeing, but now that he was gone....

Dodgy neighborhood is lousy, but dodgy neighbors are worse.

Timely topic for me. I just moved from a place that I really loved: beautiful wood floors, thick crown moulding, chair rail, baseboards, with a well thought-out layout and brand new kitchen. The problem? Drug deals were going down right in front of my house. Groups of teenagers would stand in the street at night, and would scarcely budge when I drove by. I couldn't have anything delivered to my home, couldn't go running after work, second guessed what I was wearing when I went outside....basically, I was a prisoner. NEVER, EVER again. You get what you pay for.

I love scuzziness! I remember as a child walking past this eyesore of a house everyday.. bricks missing, and front windows boarded up.. it was just so ugly! Then a few years later I met a girl who lived there, and I went over, and was shocked with how beautiful it was inside! I found it absolutely fascinating!
Now, I live in a similar place: ugly old black and white striped siding, windows look old and dingy, and these weird rusty window canopies, but oh man! does the place ever look fantastic inside!
I've looked at apartments in those nice pretty neighbourhoods, and would have to spend at least 300$ more every month to live there, which is just not worth it to me. And it tickles me knowing that some people must walk past our place and think "Oh man, what a dive!"

Not worth it. I receive far too many packages to want to risk living in a place that skeevy.

Pi, if you're 20 min outside DC, wouldn't that be suburbs?

I think it's totally a personal preference issue--what are YOU comfortable with when it comes to the condition of the neighborhood vs. building vs. apartment.

It took me almost 5 years and 5 apartments within DC to finally find the right combination for me--I tried the crappy apartment in a crappy building in a great location, I tried the gorgeous rowhouse in an awful neighborhood, I tried the okay apartment in an okay building in an okay location, etc, etc, until I finally found my current place--a great apartment in a dumpy building in a great neighborhood. The building isn't dirty or unsafe--it's just rough around the edges and a bit rundown, and this is the only way I could afford an apartment in that neighborhood. So it's totally worth it for me.

(And yeah, I totally agree with the previous posters who said they love their friends' reactions when they lead them into their awesome apartment from out in the crappy hallway. Priceless!)

I recently looked at a great place in a nice building but the surrounding 'hood was bad. I didn't feel that comfortable in daylight and so decided to pass.

Putting your personal safety of the line because you like an apartment, isn't worth it.

Putting your health on the line with garbage in hallways, etc, isn't worth it.

NOT worth it! If the place is scuzzy, it's a safe assumption your neighbors will be too.

I used to think I lived in a not-so-great building until reading some of the other comments! I have made a compromise by buying a beautiful condo in what I would call just a so-so building. Though it's generally clean and maintained, the common areas are not as nice as they could be. However, nothing gets stolen, the carpets get regularly vacuumed, the walls are decent and no bums are hanging out on the doorstep. It it were an issue of health or safety, I would never have chosen this place. And the good news is that I was able to get on the condo board so now I am actively working on sprucing things up in common areas.

NO!!!! Don't do it. Aside from the negative effect living in an ugly dirty neighborhood will have on your psyche, the people that have been willing to live in a poorly managed building obviously don't take much pride in their living situation and you will likely encounter problems with inconsiderate neighbors.

Remember the three cardinal rules of real estate: Location, location, location.

I did this and it totally sucked. My neighbors and landlord were jerks, I was depressed about the garbage in the yard, and we ended up having to call the city inspector to deal with some of the problems in the building. It was a gorgeous apartment, until the landlord decided to redo the windows while we were out of town (out of spite), ruined our paint job, and left plaster dust all over our furniture. Don't do it!

I did this once. The apartment was adorable, sunny, large, with turn-of-the century touches all over. But nothing worked. The landlord hadn't made repairs in 40 years, and the building was basically falling down. If I needed anything fixed, including massive plumbing repairs and window replacements, I had to do it myself. Pigeons turned out to be living in the walls. I could hear rats scurrying in the walls at night. Needless to say, I moved out as soon as the lease was up.

No. You deserve better. Realizing that is something you need to do for yourself.

Hell no! Safe and clean come first.

In five years, I'd rather be alive than have enough money saved off of rent to buy a car (or anything, for that matter).

A cheap apartment in a shady neighborhood should never trump your health and safety. But even if YOU don't mind an unsafe neighborhood, think about the health and safety of your guests, your partner (present or future), or kids (present or future).

I knew someone who bought a nice condo in a really dangerous neighborhood. I always felt unsafe when going to visit, but she used to laugh about the frequent gunshots she'd hear, and gang members that would hang out on the street corner by her place - almost as though it were a badge of bravery to be admired. It wasn't until she had a baby and had a very close scare that she decided that enough was enough and it was better to move to another neighborhood where violent crime wasn't an everyday occurrence.

Well why not pick up that apple on the stair and attack the front with a broom? In other words, if the apt is beautiful and you feel at home then why not take the initiative and clean what you can...maybe rally some neighbors to do the same.
As for safety, join the block association and become a change maker not a complainer.
:)

oh and if that all fails then MOVE OUT ASAP.