If you missed Part 1, be sure to start there! That is where we discuss all things location and neighborhood when moving downtown.
Now in Part 2, we are all hands on deck for THE APARTMENT ITSELF- both the apartment complex as a whole, and the layout/ interior of your actual apartment.
Apartment Features
Price
The age-old wisdom applies when choosing which urban apartment to rent: Live within your means. It’s so tempting to splurge on an apartment with awesome features, or that’s located in a special neighborhood you feel drawn to. Paying a couple hundred (or more) extra on rent each month really adds up though. You can WALK to those areas as much as you’d like, save the cash, and splurge on a fabulous pastry while you’re there. 😉
That said, you do want your dollars to be used wisely. Consider your situation, or talk with your partner about WHAT is a priority, and what is less important: a larger apartment with multiple rooms…that isn’t as modern? A smaller apartment in a very convenient location? Specific features in a complex that will make your life easier? more on that later
Size & Number of Rooms
Ideally, you will find an apartment that has the EXACT square footage & number of rooms that you need (no more, no less). For instance, many friends or couples we knew had studio apartments. That was all the space that they needed.
Oh Baby: A 1-bedroom apartment is plenty with one baby, IF the bedroom includes a walk-in closet, or there is a walk-in coat closet within the apartment. It sounds crazy if you are used to a full-on nursery for your babe… but it really is all the space they need while in a crib. Many babies stay in the parents’ room the first few months regardless (per standard sleep recommendations)!
Our 1-bedroom was large enough to fit the pack and play, but we found that our son slept better (after several months) in the closet down the hallway. We called him our Harry Potter baby, but I promise we were nicer than the Dursleys.
Best Layouts to Avoid Neighbor Troubles (If Possible)
if you have a baby that may be crying, look for a layout with baby’s sleeping spot in a corner (not sharing a wall with anyone).
Try not to have anyone below you….(be on the bottom floor, or on top of the gym, etc…).
Many downtown apartments that are older have very thick walls! Pro tip: converted old government buildings and hospitals in particular tend to have thick walls!
How baby-proof is it?
- Older buildings often have furnaces that get crazy hot (and are within reach of young hands).
- Low ovens are very common, too. Newer oven styles have ways to lock it from use, but older ovens may not– ours didn’t.
- Much older apartments may even have used lead paint, but that’s pretty uncommon. They’ll need to disclose that if so.
- Lock system on front door? Many don’t lock from the inside AKA kids can easily leave the apartment!
- Don’t assume windows are safe- add an alarm system/ extra locks etc!!!!
There are so many fabulous tools now to help baby proof an apartment, so none of these features (or lack thereof) should be considered dealbreakers. I’d just be aware of them as you’re choosing an apartment & be ready for some extra leg-work if needed.
Elevators
A friendly reminder (from my past toddler) to recycle… even if you have to drag the materials down to the basement! 😉
Depending on the city and the style of apartment/row home you are looking for… an elevator may or may not be a feature that is available to you. In Seoul (as in many large cities in Asia) it was a no-brainer because buildings are often 20, 30, 40 floors high and obviously those include an elevator. An elevator broke once, though, and my man of a husband trekked by foot to Floor 39 to make a delivery to friends. I will never get over this fact.
If possible, ride the elevator for yourself or talk to residents about their experience with the elevators. Some complexes have elevators that are OFTEN down for maintenance. Some elevators are very small, which may mean long wait times in the AM…or your double stroller may not fit! If there are only two elevators in a skyscraper with a zillion residents and one is being used all day for a move-in…yikes! Other complexes have several elevators, but they all inexplicably take forever. ALL TRUE SITUATIONS that we, or our friends, have experienced in city apartments. I hesitated to ramble about it for so long, but it has a surprisingly large impact on your day-to-day.
Lack of Elevators
If you’re looking at a city with older buildings and brownstone apartments (think NYC/Philly/Chicago 3-4 story walk-ups a la You’ve Got Mail) an elevator may not exist. This isn’t make or break… but if you have a baby or toddler then just realize that you will potentially be maneuvering a stroller up and down steps each day.
In most cases you can park it in the main lobby area (versus lugging it 3 flights of stairs each use), but that still leaves the several entry steps into the building. This doesn’t sound like a huge deal, but even 3 steps is a LOT when you need to carry the whole stroller as to not wake a sleeping baby… or take off all the groceries from your stroller and carry them up 3 flights of stairs. I had friends that made these situations work, but there were many times I was super grateful for my elevator.
Laundry Situation
In my Philly complex, laundry was communal and located in the basement. This is pretty common amongst older apartment buildings. The machines may be coin operated or card operated. Dragging our babe (and then toddler) down every time I loaded/switched/picked up a load of laundry got pretty tedious after awhile.
If possible, find an apartment with a washer & dryer in the apartment. If the apartment listing doesn’t mention it as an amenity, assume it doesn’t exist!
In many countries, a dryer is not a standard appliance available! In Korea we ended up having to buy our own washer (despite a washer being included in the apartment listing photos), so double-check whether a washer is actually included. This made an impact on the budget we’d allocated for apartment. For what it’s worth, I’d take a [WASHER IN YOUR APARTMENT + NO DRYER] over [WASHER + DRYER in the communal basement area]. In case you ever have to choose between those two options 😉
Natural Light
This was actually very important to me, in both cities we lived in. As a mom watching my kiddos full-time I knew I’d be spending a decent chunk of time in our apartment. We lucked out with tons of windows and natural light in both cities which I really think improved my mental and emotional state.
STORAGE
This is important! What storage options come with the apartment? Kids have a lot of STUFF, even with goals to keep it minimal. And they grow through it all quickly, and then you may want to keep it stored (if hoping to have another city munchkin someday). The baby gear, seasonal clothing, toys, strollers, etc.
Functional Common Areas
Other potential features to look out for:
- storage in basement
- study rooms so that you can have a quiet place to think or work
- lounge areas or common areas to host friends (if space inside is tight)
- pool! a great option for getting out energy in all seasons and weather
- A designated kids area or playground (also signals that the complex is kid-friendly in other ways)
Before You Make Up Your Mind
Talk to people that already live there !
Good luck! City life is such an adventure with little ones. It’s amazing to see the fast-paced world through their eyes.
