Just for fun: if you could afford a nice townhouse (with a floor plan that worked for your family), would you pick that or an expansive apartment with views?
DH and I talk about this hypothetically. Townhouse would have outdoor space, but the maintenance seems high. (Then again, some fancy apartment buildings have high maintenance). I was looking at some townhouses for fun, and the first floor and basement facing the street seemed to have limited utility because of street traffic/noise/people looking in. I also wonder about those stairs all the time with often only two rooms per floor. Still, it seems nice to own an entire building.
Townhouse! I like multiple floors, no building staff and no neighbors. Right now we're in a top-floor duplex that is probably the best of both worlds because we still get amazing light.
+1 My duplex feels like a house and has great views. I love having a doorman and LOVE the amenities - gym, pool, parking, playroom. Wouldn't give the parking up for anything.
I've become very accustomed to having a doorman, and I don't think I'd give it up for a townhouse. Packages, security, leaving items to be picked up by others - all things I rely on our doormen for.
Depends. Good friend lives in a townhouse with playroom/family room/guest bedroom on garden level, living room/dining room/kitchen on first floor, master and one bedroom on second floor, and kids bedroom on third. That's only one more floor than a regular house with a basement. Also... elevator.
Id prefer a townhouse, especially if it came with private parking. I like that every Piece of the building is mine. From the basement to the private rooftop deck. I don’t have to think about communal door knobs or elevator buttons or tipping unionized doormen and maintenance staff.
If this isn’t just a purely Covid related concern, there must be some mental disease involved. I have an aunt who doesn’t take public transportation unless she wears gloves, even in summer. She has a mental issue though, hates everything and everyone etc. Come to think of it, she reminds me of some of the crazy UBers.
Apartment with a huge terrace. Evey year there is a long discussion about what to do with mosquitos in backyards in Brooklyn. Combine that with all the maintenance required and townhouse living doesn't look that attractive to me.
I live in a brownstone so I guess that is a townhouse right? A view is lovely but I like having my own outdoor space and entrance. Either one could be great though.
Apartment or otherwise a unicorn townhouse like this (double-wide, master on 2nd floor, garage, huge yard... one can dream!)- https://streeteasy.com/sale/1500195
It will depend on the area of both those options. Of course, I like the townhouse more, but if I would choose between a townhouse in a bad surrounding and an apartment in the best area, I would definitely choose the second variant. Also, different infrastructure objects play a great role. For example, daycares, schools, grocery stores, drug stores. Of course, now we can order anything online, but I want my kids to get a good education. We live in Brooklyn, and I appreciate the opportunity to go to one of the daycare centres Brooklyn called Little Scholars. They do their best and kids get pleasure being there. The next task is to find a school for them.
DH and I talk about this hypothetically. Townhouse would have outdoor space, but the maintenance seems high. (Then again, some fancy apartment buildings have high maintenance). I was looking at some townhouses for fun, and the first floor and basement facing the street seemed to have limited utility because of street traffic/noise/people looking in. I also wonder about those stairs all the time with often only two rooms per floor. Still, it seems nice to own an entire building.
Townhouse! I like multiple floors, no building staff and no neighbors. Right now we're in a top-floor duplex that is probably the best of both worlds because we still get amazing light.
+1 My duplex feels like a house and has great views. I love having a doorman and LOVE the amenities - gym, pool, parking, playroom. Wouldn't give the parking up for anything.
I've become very accustomed to having a doorman, and I don't think I'd give it up for a townhouse. Packages, security, leaving items to be picked up by others - all things I rely on our doormen for.
Townhouse townhouse townhouse. With a live-in housekeeper to act as my doorman :D
Ha. I was just typing the same thing!
Expansive apartment with views. I hate stairs and a townhouse is constant up and down. No thanks.
And apartment means staff to fix anything broken! Townhouse requires a lot of self-care.
Depends. Good friend lives in a townhouse with playroom/family room/guest bedroom on garden level, living room/dining room/kitchen on first floor, master and one bedroom on second floor, and kids bedroom on third. That's only one more floor than a regular house with a basement. Also... elevator.
Id prefer a townhouse, especially if it came with private parking. I like that every Piece of the building is mine. From the basement to the private rooftop deck. I don’t have to think about communal door knobs or elevator buttons or tipping unionized doormen and maintenance staff.
Communal door knobs! (clutches pearls)
If this isn’t just a purely Covid related concern, there must be some mental disease involved. I have an aunt who doesn’t take public transportation unless she wears gloves, even in summer. She has a mental issue though, hates everything and everyone etc. Come to think of it, she reminds me of some of the crazy UBers.
@Anonymous These anonymous boards attract these types
Apartment with a huge terrace. Evey year there is a long discussion about what to do with mosquitos in backyards in Brooklyn. Combine that with all the maintenance required and townhouse living doesn't look that attractive to me.
The mosquitos are the #1 most annoying thing (aside from price) to living in Brooklyn.
I live in a brownstone so I guess that is a townhouse right? A view is lovely but I like having my own outdoor space and entrance. Either one could be great though.
I feel like with a townhouse, half the space would be wasted on me because I'd be too lazy to go up to the top 2 floors.
Duplex with a large terrace. Townhouse is a lot of work and we won’t see each other or won’t use half of it. We love to be on top of each other lol
Apartment or otherwise a unicorn townhouse like this (double-wide, master on 2nd floor, garage, huge yard... one can dream!)- https://streeteasy.com/sale/1500195
It will depend on the area of both those options. Of course, I like the townhouse more, but if I would choose between a townhouse in a bad surrounding and an apartment in the best area, I would definitely choose the second variant. Also, different infrastructure objects play a great role. For example, daycares, schools, grocery stores, drug stores. Of course, now we can order anything online, but I want my kids to get a good education. We live in Brooklyn, and I appreciate the opportunity to go to one of the daycare centres Brooklyn called Little Scholars. They do their best and kids get pleasure being there. The next task is to find a school for them.