What you can get for $1,700 in NYC vs. Miami Apartment Rentals

So I went on Zillow. I found many Miami apartments listed for around $1,650 per monthly, which is the price I pay to rent my Brooklyn apartment.

I was interested in a Zillow listing for a 2-bedroom apartment in Little Havana for $1700. This is only 40 minutes from Downtown Miami via public transit.

Source: Zillow

The apartment measured 1,100 square feet and was twice as big as my Brooklyn apartment. It also had two floors.

Brooklyn is home to me. It’s only 500 square feet. Lower Manhattan is 30 minutes away by train.

My lease says it is technically a 1.5-bedroom apartment. It is technically a 1.5-bedroom apartment, but I only use one of the rooms as a bedroom. I also have two tiny spaces that I use to work or for recreation.

While I love my Brooklyn apartment with all its quirks — I’m looking at you, windows that face each other — I decided I had to tour this Miami apartment to see what I was missing.

As I entered, I was greeted with a bright kitchen that was approximately the same size as my Brooklyn kitchen and had the same amount counter space and storage.

The Miami apartment had windows in its kitchen, just like my home. I loved it.

The interior window that looks into the living area of the Miami apartment was a cool feature I didn’t have in Brooklyn. I imagined being able to do the dishes while watching TV.

My sink faces a Brooklyn wall and the fridge blocks my view of my small living area.

On the other hand, the living area in the Miami apartment felt huge, almost triple that of my Brooklyn apartment.

It was exciting to see a sliding patio door from the living room that leads to a small deck.

I thought that the patio, which overlooked the lush greenery of the lower yards, was big enough to accommodate two people.

Brooklyn: My bedroom opens to a fire escape and overlooks a sidewalk.

The fire escape is too small for two people so when someone comes over, they have to each sit on the sill.

A half-bathroom was located downstairs and a full bath upstairs in the Miami apartment.

I only have one bathroom in my home. I thought it would make sense to have another bathroom, especially if I have friends over.

Upstairs, there were two bedrooms that were decently sized in Miami. These were smaller than my main bedroom but still had windows and large closets.

My Brooklyn apartment has two small rooms that lead to the main room. I use one of the rooms as my music room. However, I have thought about using the other to exercise or for other purposes.