I decided to pursue midtown this week in the hopes that I might find a handful of shockingly excellent and affordable places. I did not. On the high end, there were a lot of (very nice) triple-exposure apartments with curved windows, two-bedrooms, and galley kitchens in the $10,000 range. And below $4,000, it was mostly apartment buildings from the ’50s and ’60s, with low ceilings that don’t let in a lot of light. A bit depressed, I decided to take a spin down to lower Manhattan — where I found the usual supply of beautiful but overpriced one-bedrooms and beautiful but overpriced lofts. I threw a few in here just for fun, including the rarest of New York real-estate finds: a house built on top of an apartment building.

$12,600, 2-bedroom: Triple exposure! Otherwise, nice but unaffordable and a little dated — all those register boxes feel very ’90s to me.

$3,695, studio: Teensy-tiny, but affordable-ish! Sweet prewar details (though I’m unsure if the building even is, in fact, prewar) — sunken living room, clever built-in. The kitchen is sad, but there’s a terrace, at least!

$4,200, 1-bedroom: Bright, with a nice view and an upgraded kitchen.

$14,950, 4-bedroom: JFF (just for fun) — but imagine having this many windows?

$7,500, 2-bedroom: Huge! Pretty fireplace, nice beams in the living room.

$3,100, studio: Pathetically small, but moderately charming.

$3,950, 1-bedroom: A lot to like here, including apparently ten-foot ceilings, two apparently working fireplaces, and a window in the bathroom.

$5,400, 1-bedroom: To live amongst the skyscrapers! In an Emery Roth building! With a very pleasant deck! Maybe I’m warming up to midtown.

$3,925, 1-bedroom: Finally, some PERSONALITY. A floor-through in a townhouse in Kips Bay. Very rare! Get rid of the curtains if you take this one.

$2,485, studio: It’s not great, but there’s a fireplace and a new oven.

$6,250, 2-bedroom: This doesn’t knock me out. But it has some nice details — crown moldings, nicely maintained wood floors. Also, I love all the doorways.

$3,400, 1-bedroom: Casement-window alert! Lovely Turtle Bay one-bedroom.

$6,250, 2-bedroom: Intriguing duplex with some potential, if you look past the red flags like the kitchen and the lack of bedroom.

$6,850, 2-bedroom: Funky duplex with track lighting and an intriguing built-in in the bedroom.

$13,000, 4-bedroom: One of the best kitchens I’ve ever seen — it has so many windows and skylights, it’s practically a solarium.

$12,500, 2-bedroom: The aforementioned suburban house built on top of a building.

$5,500, 1-bedroom: This otherwise cramped apartment is elevated by the entire wall of windows that look out into the trees, giving the space an almost ecclesiastic feel.

$6,000, 2-bedroom: Overpriced but lovely two-bedroom in the Wordsworth, one of the more charming prewar buildings in the Village.

$9,500, 2-bedroom: Previous design choices are not great! But the bones are sort of idiosyncratic and fun. First up in home improvement: removing the car mural over the couch.

$6,950, 2-bedroom: The most completely ideal summer sublet (it’s only available for July and August).

$5,500, 1-bedroom: Lovely and light with high-beamed ceilings and a very nice kitchen renovation.

$4,000, 1-bedroom: Another short-term rental. There’s a lot to like in this one: The living room feels spacious and stylish (if you like exposed brick), the bathroom is tiled nicely, and the kitchen is not a total nightmare.

$3,500, 1-bedroom: A sweet living room and bridge views are the highlights here.

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