Ground floor or walk-up? Such a NYC dweller’s dilemma! When it comes to buying an apartment in a walk-up building, one of the many things you’ll need to consider is the floor the apartment is located on. In walk-up buildings in particular, you need to determine if you’re going to go with an apartment located on a ground floor or one that’s located on the higher floors. There are pros and cons to each.

If You’re on the Ground Floor, You Don’t Have to Deal with Stairs!

Climbing multiple flights of stairs every day can get old really fast. If you suffer from the aches and pains that come from medical conditions or injuries, climbing the stairs to your apartment can turn a simple daily task into one you dread with every fiber of your being. Lugging items like groceries and laundry up and down stairs gets old really fast, so if you live on an upper floor, you’ll want to make sure that you have an in-unit laundry if you don’t send your clothes out to a laundry service. You’ll probably want to have grocery delivery services like AmazonFresh,  Fresh Direct (and its new sibling FoodKick), or Blue Apron  so that you’re not breaking your limbs lugging up gallons of water and cat food. If you’re on the ground floor, moving things in and out of your apartment and simply accessing the apartment will be an envy-inducing breeze (for your upstairs neighbors).

On the Ground Floor, You May Have Access to the Outdoor Space.

Ground floor apartments usually have shared or private access to any outdoor space, an amenity that’s a true luxury in NYC. Outdoor parties, gardening, and outdoor yoga sessions will be at your fingertips. HOWEVER, access to outdoor space is not always a given, and if it is available, it’s not always exclusive. Find out if you have access to the outdoors before you consider a ground floor apartment: there’s nothing worse than being ooh so close to the outdoors and not being able to be in it.

Upper Floors Provide Nicer Views and More Light.

Upper floor apartments tend to be lighter and brighter, thanks to their larger windows letting in more sunlight. Garden apartments tend to have smaller windows and (sometimes) lower ceilings, creating what amounts to a cozy, intimate space for some and a dark, cavernous hole to others.

Lower Floors can be More Prone to Maintenance Issues.

Thanks to its location at the bottom of the building, a garden apartment can be more prone to maintenance issues that happen in the building. If there’s a leak in the plumbing in one of the upstairs apartments, it could easily — and probably will — leak into the ground floor apartment. Before you purchase, you’ll want to make sure that you find out all you can about the building’s infrastructure. Ground floor apartments also have direct access to . . . well, anything else that loves easy access into a building. That includes vermin rooting around for food and flood water. Make sure that those issues are not an issue before you select those floors. Consider getting protection like flood insurance to save yourself stress and money should the worst case scenario happen.

Ground floor or walk-up — which will you choose?

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