Types of Housing in Manhattan

The Manhattan real estate market is different from nearly all other places in the country. Most prospective home buyers are shocked by the small amount of space a huge amount of money can buy. In few other areas would a million dollars purchase a studio apartment. Luckily, there are different options if you are looking for a place to live in the Big Apple.

Apartment sizes

The main distinction between living in Manhattan and in other areas is that the vast majority of housing is apartments, not houses. Certain parts of New York City have brownstones, which are individual houses that are built directly next to one another. These can cost several million dollars for an entire building, but most are subdivided into smaller apartments. The smallest size apartment is a studio, which means that the bedroom and living area is combined into one room. There is usually a private bathroom, and the kitchen is most likely part of the larger main space. An alcove studio signifies that there is a partially separated bedroom and living space. Picture an L- shaped room. One section is an alcove which you can use for a bedroom. With a creative arrangement of bookcases or temporary walls, this can turn into a more private space. A true one-bedroom apartment in Manhattan has a separate room containing a real wall, door, window and usually a closet. When you see the word "convertible" in an ad, such as a "convertible 2 bedroom," this means that it has one large bedroom which could turn into two if you add in a temporary wall. Real estate advertisements are designed to make you think the apartment is bigger than it really is. Prepare yourself and do your research first so you are not tricked by misleading information.

Housing in Manhattan is tricky. It is quite expensive and the apartments are usually smaller than you may imagine. However, the convenience of walking to work and hundreds of restaurants and stores within minutes makes it all worthwhile.