[MrBlue]

For 400k, you can find a coop studio that's about the size of a medium sized bedroom.

I saw one on 84th and 3rd last year for 295k but couldn't figure out how would one fit in a bed, a desk, and a TV. There just wasn't enough room. Oh yeah, and no closets FTL.

If you go further uptown (above 96th on the east side, and above 120 on the west side), you can find something in your range. But IMO, there's no point living in Manhattan if you're going to live that high up anyway. Might as well just move to Queens or Brooklyn. Same commute time.