Room for Improvement
Hot spots, creaky stairs and too-slow wi-fi plague New Yorkers
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Hating the heat, cramped rooms and the cable company. As the mercury rises, so does the irritation level. We asked six New Yorkers what they'd change about their apartments:
- High-speed switch If I could, I would switch over to Fios because I hate, hate, hate Time Warner. But this is what my building is currently wired for and I think it’s too expensive to switch. -Caprice, Harlem
- Hot spot I’d have central A/C if I could, hands down! It’s getting so warm and I do hate feeling confined to the bedroom of my apartment--the only room with A/C and a window with a view. So there goes that view. Also, cooking in a hot kitchen is disgusting. I go out or order in all the time in the summer. So. There goes my bank account! -Tom, Hamilton Heights
- Solid stairwell Well, I guess this is to be expected in NYC, but my building is so old and rickety and I wish they’d do something about it. The stairs creak and are crooked. And it’s all covered in carpeting! It’s disgusting to think about all that snow and dirt we drag in all winter that is now festering mites and other yucky things in the summer. I swear, I’m going to find weeds growing out of this carpet soon. So icky. - Gerry, Chelsea
- Needing private time The layout of our apartment is really awkward. The bathroom opens right onto the dining area which is close to the kitchen. Not exactly great when you are having friends over for dinner and one of us has to use the facilities. In fact, I think we all try not to go. If only there was a way to have it open into the bedroom instead, or anywhere at all that’s NOT where people are eating and trying to have civil conversations. - Sharon, Brooklyn
- Room for a bed--and not much else My bedroom is the tiniest bedroom I’ve ever seen. I think it might have been a closet, or part of the adjacent apartment or something that was never intended as a sleeping space. It fits my bed, which is on a platform, with storage underneath and a closet that’s about two feet wide. So, if I could change anything at all in this apartment, it would be to have an actual, decent- sized bedroom where I can fit at least a wardrobe and a dresser. Maybe I should just turn this “room” into a closet and use the apartment as a studio. - Denise, Morningside Heights
- A complete overhaul I live in a really cheap rental and my landlord is very nice. But the place is a wreck, about to fall apart. I was desperate for a cheap place when I first found this and I thought I could deal with it. Plus, my landlord said she would fix some things before I moved in. Well, she hasn’t fixed anything and I can’t deal with this mess anymore. The bathroom is disgusting, the kitchen is a disaster. The range doesn’t fully work. And the faucet leaks. I wear flip flops to take showers because the tub is so yellow with dirt and age. - Jacqueline, East Harlem
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