Which is the better building amenity: Storage or gym?

By Mayra David | August 17, 2015 - 3:59PM

Would you rather get yourself, or your apartment, in better shape? We asked five New Yorkers if they'd prefer to have a free fitness area or free storage in the building. You might be surprised by the answers.

’Tis the season to be storing Absolutely storage. If nothing else, then just for the Christmas tree and A/Cs. I’m not a hoarder, but I live in this city which experiences four seasons. This means there are seasonal things that can’t all fit in my apartment all the time. People in other parts of the country probably have large walk-in closets where they can have all their seasonal clothing hanging all the time. I have to box my coats and sweaters and put them away to make room in the closet for beach umbrellas and chairs and a cooler. Right now the space under my bed is all I have! -Janice, Upper West Side
The purge I’d definitely take a gym in the building over more storage. I don’t need the storage. I’ve just managed to get rid of a lot of stuff. Right now, I’ve gotten my stuff down to exactly only what I need. It feels really good. I mean I have some chairs and some stuff that I love, but don’t strictly need, but those are at my parent’s house! -Sally, Washington Heights
Work out and sweat... but effortlessly! Free gym! I work out a lot and I like my gym…but it’s not the most convenient location. It’s close, but I still have to consider the distance, you know? Like, if I’m going all the way over there, what do I need to get from the store? If it’s raining, I can’t just say I’ll sprint over there and not bother with rain gear. Same if it’s snowing. -Maurice, Harlem
Waste not, want not I’d say storage is the more useful option for me. You don’t even realize how much stuff you have. It’s not junk, necessarily. Yeah, I could probably get rid of some my formal dresses and bags and shoes that I have packed away and haven’t worn in a while. But then if I go to a wedding, or a work event, or something like that, I’ll have to buy all new things! Such a waste of money. I also have a small grill that I use rarely…like, three times a year. But I don’t want to have to buy that every year. It’s amazing how people in the suburbs don’t have to think about this kind of thing. -Melissa, Bronx
Study of stuff Storage for sure! My boyfriend calls me a “stuffologist,” because I do have a lot of stuff. When we travel for example, I’m always bringing stuff back. I don’t want to throw away anything, but I do want to be able display or organize my things nicely, so I get to enjoy them more. So there are some thing that I’d love to clear out of my tiny apartment because I need more space so I can create freely! And also maybe throw a party with a lot of people. -Nykeba, Hamilton Heights.

Verdict: Storage FTW

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