You probably think that looking for an apartment in New York City is the same as everywhere. However, you are in for a unique real estate experience. Be prepared to learn new jargon and definitions and research different financial requirements. On top of that, there are so many kinds of apartments that it will make your head spin. But we’re here to give you a little apartment hunting boost. We’ve prepared a list of New York City’s most common types of apartments that will hopefully help you choose the perfect one for you.
Types of housing in New York City
Even though there are four main housing types in New York City, its real estate scene is unique in the entire world. So before you start thinking about what you need for your first Manhattan apartment, we’ll explain what housing options are there in NYC.
Here’s what type of housing is present in New York City and what each brings:
- Single-family homes in NYC can mostly be found outside Manhattan. Brooklyn, The Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island offer plenty of single-family homes and lovely suburban neighborhoods.
- Multi-family homes are widespread in NYC. Most people live in one unit and rent others, which pays off a part of their entire mortgage.
- Condos are one of the most popular housing options in NYC. Great thing about condos is that you wouldn’t have to worry about maintenance.
- Co-ops are similar to condos; however, you wouldn’t own the property but rather buy shares of the corporation that owns the building complex.
What are New York City’s most common types of apartments?
NYC is known for various apartment options and specific jargon used to describe them. This can be pretty confusing for someone with no experience with New York City’s real estate.
So, we’ve decided to step in and help by presenting you with New York City’s most common types of apartments. Hopefully, we’ll inspire you to find a perfect apartment you can later make luxurious or minimalistic or implement any other style you like.
Micro apartments
As the name says, these units are pretty small. Even though New York zoning laws require all NYC apartments to be at least 400 square feet, in 2013, an exception was made for “micro-apartments.” They are typically between 260-360 square feet and offer plenty of storage and big windows. Micro apartments are designed to be functional, and there are always plenty of ways to make them look and feel even more spacious.
Classic six
The classic six apartments are in many prewar buildings in the Upper East Side or Upper West Side. These three-bedroom apartments usually have a large dining room, living room, and separate kitchen. Most of these apartments also include at least two bathrooms and a foyer. There is also the classic seven, which comes with an extra bedroom.
Studio apartment
A studio apartment is usually a one-room space about 400 square feet big or larger and has a bathroom. This means that everything is in one room – the living room, bedroom, and kitchen. It’s one of the most common layouts you can find all over NYC. Given their size, you might want to consider renting storage for your extra belongings but when choosing, keep in mind that green storage solutions are the best. You will be doing the planet a favor, and you will feel good about yourself.
There are many different types of studio apartments. One of them is the alcove studio which is specific as it has a nook where you can place a desk or a bed. Even though they’re small, studios can be convenient, and if you decide to move into one, there are always ways to make your NYC studio look bigger.
Junior one
This type of apartment is probably the most confusing out of them all. It’s a studio apartment that has been partially converted and now has a designated and walled-off bedroom. So it’s not a studio, but not a standard one-bedroom either, as it originally had a studio floorplan. It’s prevalent for alcove studios to be transformed into Junior ones. It’s one of the fantastic design decisions for small apartments.
Junior four
Junior four is a one-bedroom apartment with four separate rooms (usually a bedroom, kitchen, living room, and dining room). People sometimes market these apartments as two-bedroom due to the ability to transform one smaller room into another bedroom. However, keep in mind that if the fourth room doesn’t have a window, it can’t legally be a two-bedroom place.
Convertible
Another type of small apartment you can find in NYC is the convertible. It’s an intermediate floor plan between a one-bedroom layout and a studio that’s usually large enough to be home for one person.
Should you decide to move to a convertible apartment, keep in mind that you won’t have enough room for all of your belongings. The team from NYC Mini Storage suggests decluttering and renting a storage unit for the things you need but have no room for. Nowadays, there are plenty of storage facilities all over New York City, so you’re sure to find one close enough to your convertible.
Loft
Out of many of New York City’s most common types of apartments, lofts are probably the most famous ones, thanks to movies and TV shows. They were initially industrial spaces but were later transformed into living spaces. Most of them kept their original features, such as high ceilings, large windows, and visible structural beams.
Lofts have open floor layouts without designated spots for any specific room. The only separated room is usually a bathroom. However, many renovated lofts have been subdivided into rooms or zones, so if you plan to move to one, you can always consider this.
Which one is for you?
We hope our list of New York City’s most common types of apartments helped you choose a place to call your new home. Let us know which one you’ve chosen by leaving a comment! And if you need further inspiration to fix up your new NYC apartment, you’ll find everything you need on beautyharmonylife.com.