What's better: A large apartment and a long commute, or a small apartment and a short commute?

By Lambeth Hochwald | November 20, 2017 - 1:00PM

Which matters more when you weigh the size of your apartment and your commuting time? For some New Yorkers, a closet-sized apartment and a short commute is preferable to a spacious pad that’s a long way from the office. We quizzed five New Yorkers on which set of extremes they'd prefer, if given the choice.

Here's what they had to say.

I don’t care about commute times

"I will masterfully wiggle into a tiny subway seat for a lengthy commute any day of the week so that I can comfortably stretch out in a spacious apartment of my own, where wiggling isn’t necessary!"—Jo Young, Harlem

Space über alles

"I would rather have a big apartment and a long commute, especially if half the commuting time is getting from my bedroom to the front door."—David Berkowitz, Midtown South (pictured, below)

Are we factoring in closet space?

"The closet space in my current apartment is probably comparable to the size of an entire apartment in SoHo—my work neighborhood—within my budget. My shoes and I need our breathing space."—Chelsea Henriquez, Astoria

I’m fine with tight quarters

"If you’ve ever been stuck in a hot metal tube under the East River with 1,000 of your closest friends, there’s nothing greater than the feeling of jealousy towards your co-workers who walk to work every day. I don’t usually like small anything, except my waist size, but as long as the apartment is big enough to fit my shoe collection (and New York-sized ego), the choice is easy."—Matthew Slater, Bushwick

My mileage may vary

"Depending on the mode of transportation, my preference is a larger apartment and a longer commute. However, if that commute involves the MTA, I might need to rethink my preference. With all the delays, my office might as well be on Mars!"—Daniel Cohen, Ditmas Park

The verdict

Despite worsening subway delays, a majority of these New Yorkers would rather have a big apartment and a long commute than a shoebox-sized apartment that’s a stone’s throw from the office.

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