4 floor walkup with 2 year old
I am a mom wondering if a 4th floor apartment in clinton hill with “more” is a worse choice than a 2nd floor apartment with “less” if one has a 2 year old child.. Obviously the stairs are the issue for me. I’ve read the previous topic on this here, but that was more about…
I am a mom wondering if a 4th floor apartment in clinton hill with “more” is a worse choice than a 2nd floor apartment with “less” if one has a 2 year old child..
Obviously the stairs are the issue for me.
I’ve read the previous topic on this here, but that was more about a stoop and brownstone stairs (and two kids).
the foyer only has space for a folded stroller as well, not the kind you can push into a corner and leave.
If you are a parent, would you sacrifice a bedroom for 1 or 2 floors less stairs?
Sorry, 5:25, but I still don’t buy that argument. It used to be that urban living was often less expensive than living elsewhere. Typically, once people made enough money, they bought a house elsewhere and commuted. Or they continued to work hard, live in their cheap apartment, but put their kids through college and the kids, who were now professionals, bought “nicer” apartments that weren’t walk-ups, or houses in the burbs.
I think those families would have found it laughable that people now pay twice as much for a walk-up apartment than they could pay for an entire house in some decent suburbs. Of course everyone makes choices based on priorities, and always has, but please compare what people were paying for those walk-up apartments 100 or 50 or even 30 years ago compared to living in other places. I would bet the rent on those walk-up apartments was far cheaper than the mortgage payment for a house in the suburbs. Now, it’s way more expensive.
Imagine telling those families of the last 100 years that they could pay 1/2 the rent, save hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars each year, and get a much nicer home with lots of space and even a better school system if they moved to the burbs. Or, they could continue to pay twice as much money to live in their 4th floor walk-up. Of course some people would still prefer urban living, but I’m just saying that the hardships weren’t something that families used to pay a high premium to experience. The fact that they are now willing to do so reflects a change in how NYC is perceived. And that’s why just saying “families have done it for 100 years” isn’t really relevant, since they did it because it was cheaper, not more expensive.
Yes, 4:31, but the OP’s other options are already spelled out here: smaller apartment or farther from amenities. Nearly everyone, even those people who lived in walk-ups in the past, has “other options” regardless of financial status. You make choices based on what your priorities are. I don’t think past experiences are irrelevant at all. There are always people (privileged or otherwise) who prefer urban living, despite its hardships.
I’m not 4:23 (and actually I assumed s/he was being sarcastic also). But, I also believe that, in terms of the OP’s question, the issue of how families have done it for 100 years is irrelevant.
I know this is somewhat of a generalization, but I do believe most of the families who lived in walk-ups in the past were people who had no other good options. The walk-ups were inexpensive apartments and I wonder how many high-income families with kids lived in them. More likely, your average professional couple would have lived in an elevator/doorman building or an entire brownstone.
These days, you are paying at least half a million dollars for the “privilege” of owning a walk-up apartment. People who can afford that (in additionl to the maintenance) have other options, so whether they want to put up with the inconvenience of the walk-up is more of a choice rather than a necessity.
Actually, I think 4:23 really thought s/he was telling the truth. There are a lot of people in Brooklyn for whom the natives and longtime residents are invisible. Or whose experiences don’t count when one is weighing an issue like how does a family live in a 4th floor walkup. When the answer is, “just like the families of the last 100 years did”.
yes, i’m pretty sure 4:23 was being sarcastic.
4:23….you are kidding right? I was born and raised here as was my father….the same as my three kids who are 19, 17 and 12…as to getting up and down stairs…wait til the second one comes along then it get really fun. The extra room is worth it. You’ll figure it out!
I think you need to figure out how much the extra hassle of the stairs/stroller will bother you. After all, you may have a 2nd kid and so it could be a longer period of time dealing with stroller stuff.
I lived in a third floor walk-up until my kid was 2 1/2, but I could leave my stroller “out” (not folded) in the parlor floor entrance. That made a huge difference — it really is a pain to open and shut the strollers, even the umbrella ones. And what kind of toddler you have matters, too…my first was quiet and would wait for me, but my 2nd is off like a shot when I put him down. Try folding a stroller when your kid is trying to get out the door.
One of the wondrous things about NYC is being able to walk out your door and have everything there. But I remember that when I lived in the walk up with the toddler, it took much more planning. You pretty much leave once for the day, and if you are back home, more reluctant to go out again because it can be such a headache. If you are someone who isn’t put off by the extra work, then go for it, but it’s definitely a trade off. If you were renting, I’d definitely recommend trying it, because you can always move if you hate the lifestyle. But honestly, if it was me, I wouldn’t buy something unless the apartment was the steal of the century — not just 3 bedrooms, but really cheap, and not just by Manhattan standards. But I know many people who live in walk ups with kids and are perfectly happy.
We have a 16 month old and another on the way;, and we just moved into a 3rd floor walkup with 3 full br’s (vs. 2 brs w/elevator). Yeah, it sucks now, but what would suck even more would be having to move in 4 or 5 years when the kids outgrew a small bedroom. Go for the 3 bedrooms.
As for the stroller thing, we’ve been able to store a jogging stroller in the bsmt for long trips. usually we leave an umbrella stroller folded up in the foyer. (and carefully plan our trips!)
OP, you will really appreciate having the extra bedroom… you’ll enjoy the privacy that the extra room allows.
Being crammed into small spaces with a child is a headache… you need your own bedroom and so does your child…