After moving to NYC, I wrongly assumed that finding a space to live was the hard part. Playing the part of the interior designer would be all fun and games. In my haze of naivety, I imagined my apartment mimicking a Crate and Barrel ad after a few days work.
But a few quick spins around my favorite furniture stores was all it took to slap some sense back into me. Browsing the rows of beds, couches, and decorative knick knacks that priced well into the thousands made me realize that decorating my new place was going to take a bit more creativity and work, if I wanted to still make my rent the next month.
Contrary to popular belief, there are cheap furniture stores out there — even in grand ‘ole New York. We’re picked out our fave four budget furnishing spots that any New Yorker can go to in a pinch to deck out their pad on the cheap:
Jack’s World – Jack’s World has a few stores throughout Manhattan — three to be exact. But if you want to find the higher-end dollar store wares, you need to hit up the location on West 45th Street.
K-Mart – Thought K-Mart was out of business? They may have closed a bunch of them down in middle America, but oddly enough, Manhattan still has two stores standing: one on Astor Place and one in Midtown. Don’t diss the Mart, as they have everything from cheap couches (they start at $150) to $6 wall mirrors.
For really great deals on couches and beds (and other major furniture pieces), hit up Craigslist, Salvation Army, and the Housing Works Thrift Store. As always, be cautious when buying used furniture, and make sure you do a thorough look-over and extensive check for bed bugs.
Bed, Bath, and Beyond – This budget staple is always a fail-proof. The prices are always reasonable, and you can even sign up for bonus coupons beforehand, to get even more money off the final price.
Ikea – Who doesn’t like them some Ikea? This place is seriously the mecca of all budget-priced wannabe designer furniture stores. Need a $7 side table? Done. Looking for a full set of kitchen utensils? It’ll cost you about $20. Head out to Red Hook, Brooklyn on the ferry, and make a day of it.
PostGradApartments.com facilitates the process of finding New York City housing for graduating students and young working professionals at no charge.The site has been designed to help postgrads find the perfect apartment by connecting them with experienced and trusted professionals who will assist them throughout the transaction. By partnering with several established Manhattan real estate brokers, we can assist our clients in finding the absolute best fit, for them.
Photo credit: emilina via stock.xchng
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Ikea is in Red Hook, not Greenpoint.
Hey Laura, Sorry ’bout that. Thanks for the heads up.