Learn the lingo
Like all sports, apartment hunting has its own lingo and shorthand notations. Here's a list of common real estate terms for when you're sifting through scores of listings:

Studio
One big room (including kitchen area) plus small bathroom. The typical studio is long and narrow, like a bowling alley; think of a large college dorm room, plus a few perks.

Railroad (RR)
An apartment in which you must walk through rooms to get to other rooms. Railroads, which generally have two doors on the hallway, are low on privacy but cheaper than similarly sized apartments that boast more convenient layouts.

Box bedroom
A bedroom that is "boxed" within the apartment interior and has no windows.

Loft
A large open space (far bigger than a studio) in a converted factory or warehouse building. Lofts usually have very high ceilings, huge windows, exposed brick walls, and other details that are remnants of its previous incarnation as industrial space. There are generally two types of lofts: "raw" or "unfinished," which can be pretty sparse and will require some work and innovation on your own part to make it cozy, and "luxury" or "finished," which have been fully renovated by developers.

Garden apartment
An apartment in a low-rise building (usually two stories) that is surrounded by open, landscaped grounds… lots of cut grass and shrubbery.

1/2 bath
A bathroom without a tub or shower.

Reno
Classified ad shorthand for "renovated," meaning that a room, or the entire apartment, has been gutted and refurbished with new appliances and fixtures.

Hdwd or HwdFlr
Hardwood floors, which are usually touted as a positive feature.