Usually to get your hands on a rent controlled apartment you need to have lived in the same place for a long time, or inherited a great deal from someone very kind. To get a rent-controlled place handed to you by a stranger? Not likely. That is, until this week's Craigslist deal showed up. In exchange for helping the current renter out of their contract, you get a new lease (no awkward "lease on a lease" or secrecy from the landlord here) without getting the monthly rent raised. It's a sweet deal made even sweeter by the look of the place.

The unit is one the top floor of the building, with a large bedroom, hardwood floors, full kitchen and bath, and both dogs and cats are accepted. At 400 square feet it is definitely best for one person, but somehow the layout manages to make it look more spacious than that. You will be skirting the 'Loin, though Bush and Powell is so close to Union Square that we have a hard time thinking of it as dangerous. On the plus side, its "walk out the door and you're there" proximity to Academy of Art College makes it a perfect spot for students. (Close proximity to Tunnel Top doesn't hurt, either.) Awesome 1 BR Apartment