May 25, 2010 What You Need to Know About Walk-ups
It is a well-accepted practice to save money every month by living above the third floor in a building with no elevator. How much money can you save by renting a walk-up? In our building, a nearly identical apartment one floor below our fifth-floor one bedroom was almost $400 more a month. So it’s worth it. But what are the downsides? Beyond the obvious hassle of walking up and down 4 flights of stairs every day, there are some things I have noticed that no one told me before I moved here.
First, the temperature. We get all of the heat from the apartments below us, no matter the season. That will probably come in handy in the winter. In the rapidly approaching summer, though? I can only imagine how hard our air conditioners will have to work to keep us alive at night. And I cringe at the thought of people who either lack an air conditioner or the finances to run it.
Another downside is that you are often precluded from delivery services that others take for granted. Our laundry service will not deliver to the fifth floor. And they won’t even let you pay them extra like IKEA. I have no problem carrying my own laundry up the stairs. After all, I didn’t have to actually do the laundry. But the option would be nice. Restaurants and grocers are more than willing to deliver to us, which is great. I just tip them extra and give them a commiserating look when they deliver our things, panting and loathing our existence.
Moving up all those flights of stairs is not to be underestimated. You will suffer. Your friends will suffer. My advice: pay someone to suffer for you. It might save your relationships. An old friend helped our neighbor Kurt move in 16 years ago; they haven’t spoken since. That’s a long time to hold a grudge, and I can’t say I blame the guy. Hire movers, and make sure you packed well.
Should you rent a walk-up? If you’re able to walk, absolutely. All in all, we love our place. All of the downsides of uptown are worth it.
If you have any questions, I’m happy to do what I can. Just leave a comment here.
Tags: new york walk-up, ues, walk ups, walkup
- 7 comments
- Posted under Apartments in NYC, Living in NYC, Moving to NYC
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Donna
said
As long as your tipping doesn’t exceed your rent decrease.
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Chris
said
True. That would take A LOT of delivery, though. I think we’ve ordered something for delivery twice since we moved here.
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Sarah H
said
Sounds like living in a hotel with room service — getting laundry and food delivered?! But I guess having my own washer and dryer that I can use whenever I want is pretty nice too…
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Chris
said
Having a car makes a big difference, too. I am amazed at the little things I took for granted when I could drive anywhere I needed. Lugging a huge bag of laundry around the city is no fun. I miss your washer and dryer, Sarah. Especially your new washer. It’s so fancy.
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Sarah H
said
I never would have thought there wasn’t a washer/dryer in the basement of your building or very nearby. Clearly I’ve never lived in a big city. What a big pain just for clean clothes!
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Sarah Elizabeth
said
that’s why you have the amazing granny cart! did you leave it at Alan’s? It’s invaluable for laundry runs….
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Kathy
said
Walking up all those steps is hard to completely understand until you have to do it. At the end of the day they are quite overwhelming because of all the SUBWAY steps you’ve been climbing as well. It is definetly a totally differnt way to live. On a long term basis, you have to be young to be able to do it.