Obama Was Here

by max a. goldstein

president barack obama's former room is available for rent for a mere $1,900 a month. citi-habitats is renting out the president's old apartment at 142 w. 109th st., where he stayed for a semester in 1981 while he was a student at columbia.

according to the listing for the rental, apartment conditions have improved since obama's days. the two-bedroom unit on the fourth floor boasts "hardwood floors, exposed brick, nice marble bathroom, high ceilings, big windows."

dalila bella, a senior associate broker at citi-habitats, holds the listing.

"i have a lot of people interested in renting it, which is funny because there's another apartment in the building," bella said. "but everyone seems interested in this one, i guess because of the history."