Walk-in closet vs. half-bathroom: What will it be?

By Mayra David | August 10, 2015 - 1:59PM

Storage, or another toilet? The luxury or a walk-in closet or luxury of not fighting for the bathroom time? Another tough choice for New Yorkers this week when we asked: Would you rather have a walk-in closet or a half-bath?

Refuge from stuff Half-bath, for sure. It’s definitely the better utilization of any apartment space. There’s no reason to have more storage, or there shouldn’t be. I think, if you live in New York City, you have to live like a refugee. You have to be ready to move at a moment’s notice. That means: Don’t. Accumulate. Crap. I’ve gotten really good at purging, like, once a month. I learned this lesson when a building I was living in had been sold and our leases were canceled. The new owners gave us less two weeks to vacate our apartments. If you move around the city at all, you know you can’t just hold on to stuff. —Bruce, Hamilton Heights
Teenage dreams involve a half-bath We need another bathroom. There are four of us and my mother also comes to stay with us for long visits. And with two daughters nearing teenage years, we are always fighting over the bathroom. You can set up a routine, but sometimes it doesn’t help. For example, everybody comes home together from an outing. For some reason then everybody has to us the bathroom as soon as we walk in the apartment! We’ve been here for years and I keep thinking how we can add a half bath. But we can’t get permission for it. It’s also a huge expense. But we need it. The girls especially. They often talk about this or that friend who has their own room and their own bathroom. Even just a half-bathroom would help. —Naomi, East Harlem

• Clothes make the man I’d go for the walk-in closet. I don’t need another bathroom in this apartment: It’s small, there’s just me. But one always needs more storage. I have a lot of stuff. Anything like bags and towels would be good to keep neatly stored. But I do have a ton of clothes and shoes and hats. Yes, I’m a clothes horse. I know it. —Brian, Inwood
Dirty little secret I saw an apartment when I was apartment hunting that had a clever solution: The bathroom had a sliding door in the middle of it, and entrances from two sides. So you could have a guest bath by closing the door, but also it functioned as an en-suite from the bedroom! I think that was very clever, because it really would be nice to have a half bath. Especially because I have an illegal washing machine in my apartment, in the bathroom! With a half-bath I don’t have to expose the tiny machine and explain to guests. And when I do laundry, I just hang them to dry above my tub, so I wouldn’t have to hide it away if visitors come! —Sophia, Midtown West
Invisible storage I love my studio apartment, which is why I bought it and have intentions of leaving. A half bath wouldn’t really be necessary for everyday life, since it’s just me here! Oh, but a walk-in closet, that would be amazing. Amazing. I have built in storage and when I was planning it I really tried to maximize the space and make it as neat looking as possible. But the truth is, the closets are readily visible. I’d love to have a small room for all my clothes, shoes, bags and hats and accessories. tucked away behind a door that doesn’t take up visual space like my wall of storage. And I would gain more wall space for art and bookcases. —Nan, Upper West Side

Verdict: New Yorkers fully need a half-bath.

Renovator's dilemma: Half-bath or washer/dryer. Which would you choose?

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