A New York apartment broker once tried to rent Adina Kalish Neufeld a $1,950-a-month studio apartment — with roaches and a shower stall in the hallway.

In an era when pink guide books for girls function as a trusty cash cow for the publishing industry, it’s difficult to tell if books like Neufeld’s (“Making It in the City: A Girl’s Guide to Starting Life on Your Own in a Ridiculously Expensive City You Can’t Afford”) will deliver any actual helpful advice.

Still, Neufeld, a Syracuse University grad, knows her stuff. In addition to finding a roomier apartment for $700 a month with a roommate sans broker, she supported herself as a freelance writer in Manhattan for 10 years.

A lot of her tips are surprisingly useful, especially when it comes to jobs and apartments. Don’t want to temp or wait tables en route to your real profession? Try fact-checking for magazines or opening doors for wealthy apartment dwellers (both jobs command $25 hour or more).

Looking for an apartment? Don’t be a sucker. Yes, the housing market is competitive in major cities — especially New York — but Neufeld lists 60 free, city-specific resources to help with obtaining one without a broker.

While the first two sections of this book, “Living” and “Working,” are worth your $14.95, other parts of “Making It in the City,” well, aren’t. In chapter three, “Opening the Door,” Neufeld explains the importance of networking, but her approach is slimy. In a hypothetical networking conversation at a wedding, she explains how to get what you want from a prospective employer at your table.

OK, “paying your dues” is inevitable. But should someone really put up with a tyrannical boss if the only benefit is having the juiciest story to share during cocktail hour?

Again, “Making It in the City’s” job and apartment sections are worth reading for any urban dweller — male or female — especially one living and working in a major city like New York, L.A. or Chicago.

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