Delacroix to Delancey: L’intrigue parisienne
Camille Delacroix Seeks a 1BR on the LES
Camille Delacroix is boarding a flight to New York City. The 26-year-old photographer has a dream in mind and a Leica in her bag, along with a visa that will keep her on American shores for up to two years.
Her ultimate destination? The Lower East Side and the International Center of Photography, located on Essex Street.
After studying visual anthropology at the Sorbonne and assisting on two documentary projects, she realized she wants to define her own voice and be seen in her own light — not that of her famous father. (More on him below.)
Camille applied to the Documentary Practice and Visual Journalism Certificate Program at ICP, drawn to its investigative rigor and emphasis on long-term projects examining the human experience. She was also influenced by the work of program chair Karen Marshall, whose style and longitudinal storytelling style resonated with Camille.
Not to mention that she wants to live in New York in a part of town with a little edge, a lot of history, and an even more interesting intersection of people.
Camille grew up in the 11th arrondissement of Paris, the only child of celebrated French documentarian Étienne Delacroix, a filmmaker who rose to prominence in the early 2000s with two widely screened documentaries:
Les Déchets le Long des Berges de la Bièvre (Waste Along the Banks of the Bièvre) — a haunting, observational portrait of families living along the Bièvre during a period of economic decline. The film premiered at Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight and later aired across ARTE and PBS.
Les Garçons Berbères (The Berber Boys) — an intimate, cinéma vérité portrait of young Moroccan men from the Atlas Mountains who travel to Paris to support their families, confronting hardship and isolation while forging brotherhood in the margins of the city. The documentary was nominated for a César Award and screened internationally at IDFA and Sheffield Doc/Fest.
Camille grew up absorbing not just the craft, but the connection between the auteur and the subject. Dinner table conversations were often about the filmmaker’s responsibility to the people and the stories being told.
After pursuing still images, she gravitated to moving ones, and now seeks a new city where her father’s reputation won’t follow her. Oh, and she’s seeking an apartment close to ICP where she can avail of:
Proximity to ICP’s facilities, specifically the ability to spend late nights in the darkroom and studios without a long trek home.
The neighborhood’s rich immigrant history, as a means of unlocking ideas and subject matter.
Burgers at Eel Bar on Broome Street, especially after reading about them on Eater
Unlike a majority of searches on More For LES, Camille is looking to rent. She wants a one-bedroom that’s within walking distance of ICP. She’s young and hip and modern — and she wants her pad to resemble herself in the this way. It will be a place where she might make new friends, invite fellow students over for cocktails and conversation, and also feel grounded and safe during a moment of significant change in her life. Her budget is strictly between $5,000 and $7,000 per month, which should get her pretty far on the Lower East Side. Let’s see the candidates.
Monthly Rent: $6,850
Bedrooms / Bathrooms: 1 BR / 1 BA
Approx. Size: 736 SF
Listed: December 7, 2025
Details: This 1-bed, 1-bath has 10’ ceilings, 7” white oak floors, Gaggenau appliances, marble countertops, and radiant heated bathroom floors, as well as a 24-hour doorman/concierge, fitness center, entertainment lounge, and landscaped rooftop terrace. (Note: This building does not allow pets.)
Commentary: Camille couldn’t ask for a better location, as 242 Broome is less than a block from ICP. This particular unit has been on the market for a little while, but that not necessarily a red flag in and of itself, as it’s also not the only apartment at 242 Broome that hasn’t been rented. Besides proximity, this unit is reasonably spacious, including high ceilings, modern amenities, and the subway practically downstairs..
Monthly Rent: $6,195
Bedrooms / Bathrooms: 1 BR / 1 BA
Listed: March 2, 2026
Details: A new-to-market 1-bed, 1-bath with floor-to-ceiling windows, luxury plank flooring, smart lock entry, and in-unit washer/dryer. The kitchen includes Blomberg stainless steel appliances, quartz countertops, and Kohler fixtures, along with a 24-hour attended lobby with concierge, rooftop pool, fitness club, yoga studio, resident lounge, co-working spaces, package room with cold storage, and pet-friendly policies.
Commentary: Just adjacent to 242 Broome is 55 Suffolk Street. As evidence that rentals move quickly, during our quick pre-publication research, #2603 is now gone. Oh là là…!
Camille shouldn’t fret, as this isn’t the only rental within the Suffolk. This building has a lush amenity suite, although Camille may need to make friends in class first before really taking advantage of them. (What better way, though, than an invite over to The Suffolk?)
Monthly Rent: $5,980
Bedrooms / Bathrooms: 1 BR / 1 BA
Building: The Chrystie
Listed: February 20, 2026
Details: This relatively new-to-market 1-bed, 1-bath unit features a kitchen with granite countertops, private terrace, and dishwasher, with a building that has a 24/7 concierge, live-in super, and a fitness center.
Commentary: The Christie is well situated a bit farther west, so not quite a stone’s throw from ICP. Still, it’s less than 10 blocks with French restaurant Lucien in between on the north side of Houston. (We all get a little homesick sometimes.) That, or she can just head directly downstairs from her apartment to hit up Whole Foods.
Monthly Rent: $5,700
Bedrooms / Bathrooms: 1 BR / 1 BA
Approx. Size: 695 SF
Listed: February 4, 2026
Details: This 1-bed, 1-bath has Miele appliances, 5-inch stained oak floors, marble bathroom with radiant heated floors, and an in-unit washer/dryer. (Camille still has to do the washing, though.) The building also has a 75-foot saltwater pool, basketball and squash courts, and a 42-person movie theater.
Commentary: Something magical happens at sunrise at One Manhattan Square: The building turns a glorious blushing red. (That, though, can only be appreciated by people not inside it.)
Either way, unit 50J appears strangely dark. Perhaps it’s simply below-par photography — but the idea of being 50 floors up and feeling like you’re in the shade is mind-boggling. Then again, photos can deceive. It’s worth Camille seeing the place in person to confirm what might just be an illusion.
Monthly Rent: $5,300
Bedrooms / Bathrooms: 1 BR / 1 BA
Approx. Size: 662 SF
Listed: February 27, 2026
Details: Does an 86 square-foot balcony excite Camille? Well, this 1-bed, 1-bath has one of those, along with 8-inch European oak floors, Miele appliances, an in-unit washer/dryer, and radiant heated bathroom floors. The building provides doorman service, a fitness center, resident lounge, and a rooftop terrace.
Commentary: If it seemed like I was harsh on One Manhattan Square, I can’t say that I’ll be less harsh about 208 Delancey. When crossing back into Manhattan on the Williamsburg Bridge, I often wonder: “Why would anyone would want to live there?”
To be fair, Camille might find the private terrace appealing, and the modern amenities are certainly attractive. Still, there’s something irksome about renderings that suggest an unobstructed entrance when, in reality, the building sits right beside the bridge’s exit ramp — likely a noisy spot, especially on the lower floors.
The Verdict?
Listing these units in descending price order was something of a happy coincidence — simply the way I sorted the spreadsheet during my analysis. Still, there’s something to be said for paying a little more for comfort and convenience.
The two least expensive options, at 208 Delancey and 252 South Street, aren’t the ones I’d recommend for Camille. 252 sits in a bit of a people desert, and the corner of Ridge and Delancey (re: 208 Delancey) is not only noisy but a little seedy for someone new to New York.
If price sensitivity matters, I’d point instead to 229 Chrystie, a bit farther away, or 55 Suffolk Street — about $700 less per month than 242 Broome while offering similar amenities, proximity to school, and easy access to those Eel Bar burgers.
Which would you choose if you were Camille?
