Types of Apartment Layouts in NYC

Choosing a home to buy or rent in New York City shouldn’t be a difficult task, at least, not until you get bombarded with several types of apartment building layouts that you don’t even know what most of them look like.
In this guide, I am going to explain to you the variation of floor plans in NYC. Some of them can look really similar to each other, like the studio and the loft.
Nevertheless, I will break it down to the very simplest details for you and point out even the not-so-different differences.
So, without any further ado, let’s dive right in.

Apartment Types

1. Junior 1 Apartments

These are characterized by one large bedroom, and one small room (which can be used as a sleeping space, home office, or storage), however, the small room is not a true bedroom because it lacks a window. Also, the small room may or may not be separated from the large room by a door, therefore, not considered fit for someone with a family.
Although the Junior 1 or conversion apartment may be just perfect for you if you are single and staying alone, it still depends on what you want. However, many college students might run into this while searching for an accommodation off-campus.

2. Junior 4 Apartments

Otherwise known as JR4, Junior 4 apartment(s) are quite similar to the previously discussed type, however, in addition to the Junior 1 bedroom, they have three(3) more rooms which can be used as a kitchen, living room, and an extra bedroom (with windows).
In comparison to a standard 1 bedroom, JR4 is flexible and could be recommended to an individual with a growing family.

3. Railroad Style Apartment

The name is derived from the apartment building layout due to its floor plan with a room leading directly to another separated by a door in a linear manner.
With this layout, you have to walk through Room 2 in another to get to the room though. You can picture it like 3 rectangles stacked beside each other. The railroad-style apt is also called the “Three-room”.
The railroad floor plan isn’t complex, it’s just a simple plan that is commonly found in New York City.

4. One Bedroom Apartments

The One-bedroom apartment has at least 2 separate rooms in which one of them is a true bedroom (that is, has a window). The rooms are separated by a door.
A separate kitchen may also be part of the floor layout.

5. Two-Bedroom Apartments

This is also similar to the One-bedroom apartment except for the fact that, yes you guessed it, there are 2 bedrooms.
It may as well contain a separate kitchen.

6. Classic Six

Trust me, the word classic in this apartment name is just what it is.
Also called the three-bedroom apartment, the classic six contains:
– A living room
– A dining room
– A separate kitchen
– 3 bedrooms
There are at least 2 bathrooms and some also include a foyer.

7. Classic Seven

If you guess, you might get this one just right.
The Classic Seven apartment is also called the four-bedroom apartment.
It is simply the Classic Six apartment plus one extra bedroom.
Put it simply, you get:
–A living room
– A separate dining room
– A separate kitchen
– 4 bedrooms
The Classic six and Classic seven are some of the most expensive apartments in New York, and that’s quite understandable when you consider the fact that they have quite extensive structures with everything you need.

8. Studio

A studio is an apartment with an open space that contains a single room and a bathroom.
What this means is that it looks like a big hall that is not broken into distinct rooms by a wall or door, except the bathroom.
The absence of distinct rooms is what really makes it different from a one-bedroom apartment.
Instead, you get a big open space that you demarcate different areas for different purposes like kitchen, sleeping area (PS: Not an actual bedroom), dining, and probably a workspace/home office.
Sometimes, you may get a separate kitchen.

9. Alcove Studio

An alcove studio is a variation of the studio apartment except for the fact that there is a small area or nook (which must be at least 100 square feet) located off the large single-room that you can use as a home office, sleeping area (even though it is actually not a true bedroom), or storage.

10. Loft

A loft is also similar to the studio in that it is also a large one-room apartment.
So, when you ask most people what the difference between a loft and a studio is, they aren’t so sure.
Well, here’s it.
First, lofts are larger than studios. Because they are typically renovated from old factories or warehouses, they tend to also have a very high ceiling and hence more open space.
Also, while studios contain no more than two rooms, lofts usually have more compartments.

11. Duplexes

Duplexes have 2 separate levels joined together by a private stair.
If you really love your privacy, then you should consider duplexes. There is no definite layout from duplexes as their sizes and shapes vary.
Triplexes have 3 levels.

12. Micro Apartments

The name says it all, they are quite small apartments.
The exception in size was made by Mayor Bloomberg for micro apartments to be 260 – 360 square feet (smaller than the 400 square feet minimum dimension for a standard apartment in NYC according to the New York zoning law).

13. Penthouses

Well, this is the type of apartment that a lot of people in New York city dream of. However, they are quite very expensive.
A penthouse is an apartment on the topmost floor. One of the best things about the penthouse is the great view of the city that you get right from your apartment.
Although, there are buildings that now have more than one penthouse on the top floors, usually the top 3 floors.

14. Walk-Up Apartment

A walk-up apartment is a unit in a building with no elevator. That is, you have to walk up and down the stairs to get to your apartment unit on your floor, hence the name.
Don’t you also think it should just be named “walk-up-and-down apartment” then?
Anyways, the building usually has not more than 6 floors since a building with more than 6 floors must have an elevator.

15. Floor-Through Apartment

You are probably thinking, “what does this even mean?”
Well, a floor-through apartment is a kind that covers an entire floor on a building.
They come in different sizes and shapes and have very good ventilation since there are usually quite a few windows.
Unlike a walk-up where you get only a unit on a level in the building, you get the whole floor to yourself from wall to wall in a walk-through apartment.

Bottom Line

Apartment layouts in NYC can be easy or otherwise depending on the information available to you.
I believe this article has explained everything you need to know about the NYC apartment floor plans for the various types of apartments. Feel free to check our apartments in NYC out.