Room for Improvement

Room for Improvement: Sometimes the subway is just too close

By Emmalie Vance  | August 13, 2012 - 1:52PM
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We asked seven New Yorkers what they'd change about theit apartments if they could. More space and closets topped the list.

  • Space for shirts: “I wish my apartment had a closet where I could hang my clothes instead of having to use some contraption that takes up half my room.” –Pat, Astoria
  • Fewer steps: “I miss my elevator. I travel often, so hauling luggage up and down two flights of very narrow stairs can be very difficult and dangerous at times. I often yearn for my elevator, especially as I have matured.” – Pamela, Williamsburg
  • Dimensions that make sense: “I can't stand that my apartment is higher than it is wide. If I could change one thing, I'd add more shelves and storage space—with a ladder to reach them, of course.” – Maryellen, Yorkville
  • Space to dine:“Entertaining and cooking are my passions and I don't have a dining room or dining table. The living room is set to be somewhat of a "man-cave" for the hubbie to view movies and our big screen takes up all the room.” – Vance, Upper West Side
  • A less convenient commute to the train: “My apartment is a little too close to the elevated train. If I wanted to, I could swing right onto the N or Q trains from my bedroom window.” – Lourdes, Astoria
  • Nix the neighbors: "The number one thing I would change is the old nosey neighbor who acts as the building watch. She's the old lady who has been living in the same building since it was built and she monitors who comes in, who goes out, and she argues with people when she doesn't get her way." – Ashlee, The Bronx
  • Softer water: "Our water is way too hard. It leaves my skin funky and let's not even talk about my hair! I once bought a shower filter, but it got dirty so quickly—it only lasted a week when it should have lasted two months! It was too expensive to keep buying filters, but boy did I have great skin and hair that week!" – Krystal, The Bronx

See all Room for Improvement

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BrickUnderground's Renter's Survival Kit

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