Probably realizing that skeptical viewers might question how a coffee shop waitress and a newly-minted chef could afford such a large apartment in the trendy West Village, Monica frequently offers the hand-wavy explanation that her apartment is rent controled. Rent controled apartments are near-mythic beasts in New York City in 2023 — though they do exist. Investopedia describes rent control as “a government program that places a limit on the amount that a landlord can demand for leasing a home or renewing a lease.” Needless to say, rent control apartments are a hot commodity and Monica was lucky to snag hers for just $200 per month from her grandmother, who previously lived there.
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Eagle-eyed viewers have estimated the two-bedroom domicile between 1,125 and 1,500 square feet of living space, far more generous than the average New York City digs, which hover around 740 square feet, according to NBC News.
Nowadays, and without the constraints of rent control, such a large apartment could fetch $7,000 to $8,000 per month. The actual building at 90 Bedford Street doesn’t have any apartments that large, but the units it does contain have a going rate of approximately $3,000 to $5,000 per month. If you’d prefer to own your apartment instead of renting, the average price for the neighborhood is approximately $1.6 million, according to Zillow.