Walk up or size down? We asked five New Yorkers to pick their poison

New York City apartment living takes trade-offs. Some are easier to make than others. We were curious to find out whether living in an elevator building is worth switching for a smaller apartment, so we spoke to five city dwellers to see what what they had to say:

• Small lair, don’t care I like small spaces best anyway. Cozy, and it tends to be easy to clean and you don’t bring too much crap in. Good for intimate entertaining and keeps crowds away. —Vanessa, Washington Heights
• Stairway to danger I broke my ankle in a bad way on slippery stairs so I say, stay away. I’ve broken my leg skiing, too, so I know how hard it is to get up stairs when you’re incapacitated. With my luck, I’d avoid a walk up. —Allison, Chelsea
• Time well spent I would pick the walk-up because as long as I am able to use my legs, my needs for an elevator won’t be more than my need for a great apartment. I will be spending more time in my nice, big apartment than I will be in an elevator. —Tabassum, Jamaica
• Quality of life vs. quantity of stairs  I would equate a larger apartment with a higher quality of life, so I’d pick the walk-up over a small [apartment] in an elevator building. I would have more space and the walk up those stairs would probably keep me healthy, too! —Thomas, Bushwick (pictured below)
  
  
• Road Warrior I travel a lot for work, like, a huge part of the month I’m gone. So, I always have luggage and not always just a little carry-on. I need the elevator. —Jon, Astoria

Verdict: It's a toss-up!

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