Forum
« Wanted: Silent Paint Remover Ikea Ovens »
May 27, 2008
Garden-level Apartments
what is it like living in a ground floor (garden) apt? Is it cold or damp in winter? What type of heat is best? I love the idea of garden access - but wonder about comfort.
Comments
i live in the garden level and absolutely love it. it's not for everyone, i don't think, but i enjoy the easy access and communal feeling with the street. coming from manhattan, it's nice to sometimes see people walk by, see the garden, etc. i don't find it cold or damp, but we have a good (natural gas) heating system.
i also like not having any stairs at all and being outside in one second.
of course being on a side street helps. if i were on a main drag, garden level would be less than ideal...
if it feels right to you, it's good. when i walked in here, i knew it was for me. go with your gut. it's usually right...
Posted by: guest at May 27, 2008 9:09 PM
I lived in a garden-floor apartment for almost a year. The garden access was nice, but it seems like there is no good way to light a garden-floor apartment. There's minimal natural light, but it also seems like no amount of artificial is sufficient to light the space. One advantage is that it does stay cool in summer. However, you will definitely hear your upstairs neighbors. Cell phone reception can also be a major problem.
Posted by: zev299 at May 27, 2008 9:42 PM
moved from second floor to first floor garden apartment.
Pros:
very easy access (come and go much more easily, spend more time in front of house than we use to)
Cons:
cold
dark
damp
less space (missing hallway room)
noisy
after all that still like the first floor better.
Posted by: guest at May 27, 2008 10:11 PM
moved from second floor to first floor garden apartment.
Pros:
very easy access (come and go much more easily, spend more time in front of house than we use to)
Cons:
cold
dark
damp
less space (missing hallway room)
noisy
after all that still like the first floor better.
Posted by: guest at May 27, 2008 10:12 PM
I loved being on the garden level when my children were little: so much easier to get in and out. We had the warmest spot in winter (right above the furnace) and the coolest in the summer. Main negative, as stated above, is light. If you work out of home all day - you will really miss the sunlight. I didn't find noise an issue - a lot of street noise carries up.
Posted by: guest at May 27, 2008 10:31 PM
same as others have said:
pros:
-no stairs, makes it easier to just pop out to go to the deli than if you had to go up and down 3 flights of stairs.
-garden access
-for some people who worry a lot(i worry too much), its good no one is below you so you don't have to fret about getting up in the night and your footsteps bothering people below.
cons:
-noise: the floor between this floor and above i think was traditionally left less insulated than other floors. Also the ceiling is usually low. For this reason footsteps/noise from above can be present.
-cell phone - to talk clearly you have to step outside, this may get annoying in the winter months. Your probably going to want a landline.
Posted by: reno911 at May 28, 2008 3:31 AM
Spent 3 years on the garden floor of a brownstone, and it was lovely. Sure, the center is a bit dim, but we had an open floor plan so it wasn't too bad. The cell phone thing is accurate - I'd never realised that's what it was. It's fine and having a garden in this city makes anything worth it!
Posted by: guest at May 28, 2008 7:42 AM
bugs and dirt are on the same level as your apt. That can be an issue. I lived in a garden apt and the bugs that looked like a feather appeared for a while. Light can be an issue and privacy (or lack there of)
Posted by: guest at May 28, 2008 10:42 AM
I live in a garden apartment now. People walking by on the street make for less privacy. BUt the garden is lovely, it is easy to let my dog out when he needs to run around and it is very warm and dry -- but this is because there is a basement under me. I'd never live in a garden apartment that didn't have a boiler level under it.
My biggest complaint is that I get a few mice. Every old house gets them I know but they have an easier time getting in here.
Posted by: breukelenbelle at May 28, 2008 11:45 AM
I live in a garden apartment now. People walking by on the street make for less privacy. BUt the garden is lovely, it is easy to let my dog out when he needs to run around and it is very warm and dry -- but this is because there is a basement under me. I'd never live in a garden apartment that didn't have a boiler level under it.
My biggest complaint is that I get a few mice. Every old house gets them I know but they have an easier time getting in here.
Posted by: breukelenbelle at May 28, 2008 11:45 AM
I find my garden level bedroom very noisy from people walking by and buses (for those apartments along a bus route... they stop ALL night, so I can never leave my windows open it's too noisy for me to sleep).
Plus, I always need to draw the shades to have any privacy. I would not live on the garden floor in my next apartment.
Posted by: Gravy at May 29, 2008 12:19 PM
Post a comment
Please be patient while your comment is published. It may take a moment.