Finding extra space for everyone was a priority — even before the pandemic forced these New Yorkers to spend all their time at home together.
Finding extra space for everyone was a priority — even before the pandemic forced these New Yorkers to spend all their time at home together.
The New York Times
Real Estate|When the Children Needed Their Own Rooms, This Manhattan Family Had to Move. Which of These Homes Would You Choose?
Site Search Navigation
Site Navigation
Site Mobile Navigation
Real Estate|The Hunt
When the Children Needed Their Own Rooms, This Manhattan Family Had to Move. Which of These Homes Would You Choose?
ByJOYCE COHENMAY 21, 2020
Finding extra space for everyone was a priority — even before the pandemic forced these New Yorkers to spend all their time at home together.Related Article
Jenniffer and Darryl Heslop moved with their toddler son into a two-bedroom, 1,000-square-foot condominium on the Upper West Side in 2013. As they prepared for a second child, they figured that if they had another boy, the brothers could share a bedroom indefinitely.
Later that year, their daughter arrived, and the plans changed. They set up the children’s room with bunk beds, and planned to upgrade to a three-bedroom in 2020.
As the children grew — they are now 8 and 6 — the couple briefly considered a house in the suburbs, but nothing felt right. “I was too much of a city slicker,” said Mrs. Heslop, who grew up in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and works for an insurance company. “A house is not something I yearned for because I never had it.”
[Did you recently buy or rent a home in the New York metro area? We want to hear from you. Email:thehunt@nytimes.com]
The Heslops, now in their mid-40s, decided to stay on the Upper West Side, where Mr. Heslop, a lawyer who is from Long Island, had lived since his student days at Columbia Law School. “You go to Starbucks and see kids from school,” he said. “You go to Time Warner Center, and someone is yelling my son’s name from across the hallway.”
They enjoyed checking out Sunday open houses. “We would always be doing a soft search,” Mr. Heslop said.
With a budget of around $2.5 million, they were hoping to find a three-bedroom condo in a doorman building with common spaces like a gym, playroom and garden. They wanted an open kitchen, ample closet space and modern temperature controls.
“If I had an unlimited budget, I would be at 15 Central Park West, but the question is, ‘What can I afford?’” Mr. Heslop said. “My parents were always telling me, ‘Put your basket where your hand can reach.’”
Among their choices:
No. 1
Sunny Views in the West 80s
This three-bedroom, three-bathroom corner unit, with nearly 1,800 square feet, was in the family’s building — built in 1986 and converted to condominiums in 2013. It was on a low floor, with sunny southern street views from every bedroom.
The price was almost $3.5 million, with monthly charges of nearly $3,600.
No. 2
New Conversion in the West 70s
The three-bedroom, two-bathroom unit was around 1,500 square feet, facing south, with a view in the back of neighboring walls and windows. The building, across from the Hudson River, was being gut-renovated and converted to condominiums, which would delay moving in.
The price was $2.45 million, with monthly charges of nearly $3,500.
No. 3
Big Windows in the West 70s
This three-bedroom, three-bathroom unit, in a 1989 building near a busy intersection, had a C-shaped layout with 1,300 square feet. It was on a high floor facing south and west, with a glimpse of the Hudson River from the floor-to-ceiling windows.
The price was $2.5 million, with monthly charges of almost $3,300.
Find out what happened next by answering these two questions:
Which Would You Choose?
Sunny Views in the West 80s
New Conversion in the West 70s
Big Windows in the West 70s
Which Did They Choose?
Sunny Views in the West 80s
New Conversion in the West 70s
Big Windows in the West 70s
The Hunt
A Renter Tests His Budget in Connecticut. Which of These Homes Would You Choose?
Two Manhattanites Took Their Savings to the Bronx. Which of These Homes Would You Choose?
Three Roommates Scraped Together Enough for a Brooklyn Rental. Which One Did They Choose?
She Traded a Six-Bedroom House for a Rental Apartment. Which of These Options Would You Choose?