When you’re looking to rent an affordable apartment in a densely populated area, consider a walk-up apartment. Walk-up apartments come as micro-units, efficiencies, studios, multi-bedrooms, or even as brownstones. One of the best aspects of renting a walk-up apartment is they offer a cheaper alternative to expensive housing, especially in a city environment. Here’s what else to know about walk-up apartments.
What is a walk-up apartment?
Simply put, a walk-up apartment is one that you have to climb stairs to get to. You won’t find an elevator in the building, and access to the apartment only comes from climbing stairs. Often located in older multi-family dwellings with four to six levels, walk-up apartments offer numerous benefits for the right person or family.
Where can I find a walk-up apartment?
You’ll generally find a walk-up apartment in older sections of a densely populated city like New York City, San Francisco, or Boston. Just because a walk-up is in an older building doesn’t mean that it lacks modern amenities. Because of the popularity of walk-ups, architects have begun to add contemporary features such as vaulted ceilings, radiant floor heating, and balconies with mini-gardens.
Pros of Renting a Walk-Up Apartment
Walk-up apartments aren’t for everyone, but they have plenty of benefits that appeal to the right person. The following are some common perks of renting a walk-up apartment.
Affordability
Because walk-up apartments don’t have an elevator or a doorperson, they generally come at a lower price than their counterparts. With exorbitant rents found in most cities, a walk-up apartment gives people on a budget the chance to live in the heart of town close to shops, restaurants, and entertainment.
More Privacy
In general, most walk-up apartments found in older buildings have fewer rooms and tenants. With fewer people living in the building, you get more privacy. Fewer people means you have less competition in the laundry room or, if the building has one, the rooftop. When you feel like being social, you can easily meet the other people living in the building, and you’ll probably run into them walking up and down the stairs.
Great Way to Get Exercise
Remember, when you rent a walk-up apartment, you have to walk up and down multiple flights of stairs every day, which means you can ditch the stair climber at the gym. A fun way to track how many calories you burn each day is with a fitness tracker. Compare your fitness level with your friends who ride the elevator to impress them with the benefits of walking stairs.
Charming Living Environment
Step back in time and live as people did in the early 1900s to 1960s. Most walk-ups inside older buildings retain a few vintage charms such as black and white tiled floors, wide crown molding, wainscoting, and hardwood floors. Other features may include bay windows, brick fireplaces, arched doorways, and if you’re lucky, a claw-foot bathtub. Many of these apartments have modern amenities like washer/dryer combos, upgraded electrical systems, and remodeled kitchens and baths.
Cons of Renting a Walk-Up Apartment
While living in a walk-up may sound charming, the reality is that it’s not for everyone, especially if you have health issues, small children, are elderly, or have pets.
Challenge Moving Furniture
Try and imagine moving your furniture, including the couch, table, chairs, and bed, up multiple flights of stairs. Unless you score a ground-floor unit, you’ll have to maneuver big, bulky, and heavy items without the aid of an elevator, not even a lift elevator. If you use a moving company, they often charge extra fees to move your items into a walk-up apartment.
Your Legs Get Tired
While your legs will get plenty of exercise and you’ll burn extra calories just by walking up and down the stairs, you might get tired of doing teh stairs multiple times a day. If your apartment doesn’t already have a washer and dryer, you’ll have to haul your laundry basket, hamper, or satchel up and down the stairs to the laundry room, too.
Dangers With Children, Elderly Parents, or Pets
If you’re caring for small children or elderly parents, consider if they have the ability to maneuver up and down the stairs. If you have a dog that needs walking twice a day, consider if they are healthy enough to climb up and down the stairs.
Older Building
Newer apartments generally have modern amenities like dishwashers, a washer and dryer, quality, overhead lighting, and good insulation. New apartments pass safety inspections for electricity, plumbing, and structural integrity. While older buildings that offer a walk-up apartment have vintage charm, if you’re looking for a more modern experience and upgraded appliances, consider if a walk-up is right for you and your lifestyle.
Getting Deliveries
If you use a delivery service for online shopping or food delivery, check to make sure the delivery person will walk your items up multiple flights of stairs. If your delivery person does deliver to your doorstep, be sure to tip them generously for taking the effort to climb all of the stairs. If they do not deliver to your specific apartment, you may have to make additional arrangements to receive packages.
Hauling Your Bicycle
Many people who live in the city ride a bike. If you need to store your bike in the apartment, hauling it up and down the stairs every day may be a nuisance.
Walk-up apartments give renters a chance to live in the city with affordable housing. Ready to find your own walk-up apartment? Search thousands of walk-up apartments for rent on Zumper.
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