Lap of Luxury

Outdoor space as necessary amenity in New York City luxury residences.

Between being, befuddlingly, slightly ahead of the curve on residential trends and the happenstance of a global pandemic and the new found general appreciation for stretching room, somehow I have managed to be the owner of an apartment with a highly sought after requirement in luxury abodes - the outdoor space - at precisely the moment when it is most prized.  Very lucky me.  

It all began with that New York City rite of passage - the real estate upsell.  Fresh out of law school and with limited time to find an apartment, Sissy and I had turned to a broker after dead ends looking through listings on our own.  We had a budget.  We saw holes in walls.  Then the broker said there was a listing right above our budget; "no," we said; "it's on the way to the next one," he said.  So we went, and, of course, it blew everything else out of the water.  It was a duplex - so the volume just felt expansive, even if the footprint was not necessarily larger.  And it had a little terrace off the second floor - large enough for a cafe table and four chairs, with an umbrella, and planters at the edges.  I couldn't believe that we, ordinary girls, could afford that in New York City - though we had to stretch a bit.

And so, when it was time to hunt for a place, I had to have outdoor space - I needed my plants, my space to stretch and unwind and not feel confined.  I was willing to venture to the "far east" for more affordable apartments in order to get it.  Back in those days, before the Q, we were OUT there.  But we knew right away when we saw it - the terrace was exactly what I wanted.  Truth be told, I might have considered exposures better, but, well - it felt too good to pass up.  And it has been far more positive than not.

I suppose sometimes it actually works to follow your passion - the plants, the respite - and let the finances work themselves out from there.  When I refinanced last year, the appraiser put a higher than expected premium on the terrace.  So, patience, and luck - until it falls out of fashion.  And then I still will have my little Jardin to console me.  No idea what the owner of those luxury units who don't do their own gardening (who in the world would want a space that comes pre-planted??!!) do with their outdoor spaces when the day comes when having one is more hindrance than benefit.  I guess their unit prices fall, making room for the diehard and passionate gardeners to move in and green the terraces and balconies.

[Edited October 31, 2021.]