Do New Yorkers prefer their apartments new and modern or historical and charming?
New condos and luxury rentals are endlessly popping up all over New York City. From the gentrified shores of North Brooklyn to the avenues of Harlem to the heart of Brooklyn in Crown Heights, modern apartments are easy to find (if you’re willing to pay).
But do New Yorkers really want to live in brand new, modern apartments or do they prefer historical detailing? You might be surprised by the answers.
Don’t want problems Definitely new. Old buildings tend to have problems, leaks, pipes bursting… I’d rather be somewhere new and clean. —Kat, Elmhurst
Wishing for better renovations Historical details. I appreciate a touch of the vintage and that classic charm of prewar New York apartments. I was deeply turned off, even angered, during my latest apartment hunt in May 2015, when it seemed like every one I saw was another old gem that had its heart cut out and replaced with cold chrome, fake marble or worse. —Mary, Crown Heights
New buildings are just ‘thrown up’ Old historic because the way they’re building buildings today, they’re just throwing them up. They’re not doing the kind of work they used to do. —Tracie, Greenwich Village (pictured below)
Character: required! Historic because I like character. I hate all this modern, sterile bull---t. —Irene, Flatbush
Duh, historical of course Give me my varnished wooden woodwork, my chandeliers and my deep, wide moat, please! —Anne, Hell’s Kitchen
Craving problem-free living Brand new because I’m afraid the building, if it’s historic, it might come with mice and bug problems. Unless it was newly renovated. In older buildings, nothing works. Our water has stopped working [he lives in an old townhouse]. There are holes in the brick that let in fleas! —Joshua, Bedford-Stuyvesant
Historic aesthetic, please I tend to prefer historical details over the newly renovated modern look. As long as everything functions properly, the historic aesthetic is my choice. —Dana, Bushwick
Verdict: Historic building, by a landslide
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