Hello friends! Today I’m finally sharing the much-requested tour of our Long Island City apartment that I’ve been promising for ages. Come along as I show you every corner of our 1,000 square foot home that I share with my husband Tomas, our 1-year-old daughter Julia, and our fur baby Oreo!
Finding Our Way Back to Long Island City
If you’ve been following me for a while, you might remember that this isn’t our first time living in Long Island City. Tomas and I actually lived in this neighborhood from 2016 to 2019 before our move abroad. When we were looking to move back to NYC, I was initially hesitant about returning to the same area—part of me wanted to explore new neighborhoods across Brooklyn, Manhattan, or even Jersey City.
But after countless apartment tours across the city, we kept coming back to the same conclusion: nothing could match the value we found in Long Island City. For $5,500 a month, we secured this gorgeous two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment spanning approximately 1,000 square feet. And not just that—our building comes packed with amenities that make city living so much more enjoyable:
- A fully equipped gym
- Indoor swimming pool
- Sauna
- Basketball court
- Spacious lobby with co-working areas
- Dedicated lounge for hosting gatherings
- Game room with pool table and arcade games
Beyond the building itself, Long Island City has evolved tremendously since we first lived here. We now have a Trader Joe’s and Target nearby (any millennial’s dream, am I right?), plus an ever-growing selection of restaurants, cafes, and boutiques that make the neighborhood feel more vibrant than ever.
Location, Location, Location
One of the biggest perks of our apartment? The connectivity! We’re just steps away from the 7, E, M, and F trains, which means we can be in Midtown Manhattan in literally 5-10 minutes. Just one stop on the 7 train and you’re in Grand Central! A few blocks away, we can catch the yellow lines at Queensboro Plaza. We’re also near the ferry for those gorgeous rides across the East River.
For two busy adults juggling careers, a toddler, and trying to maintain some semblance of a social life, this convenience factor is absolutely priceless.
The Heart of Our Home: Living Room Views That Sold Me
The moment I stepped into this apartment during our initial tour, I knew our search was over. The living room, with its floor-to-ceiling windows showcasing the Manhattan skyline, literally took my breath away. The natural light that floods this space throughout the day creates the most magical atmosphere—warm, welcoming, and endlessly inspiring.
This room truly functions as the heart of our home. It’s where we eat dinner most evenings, host friends and family who visit, and where Julia’s play area has naturally formed. Our L-shaped IKEA sofa (a trusty piece that followed us from our previous apartment) anchors the space, complemented by our gallery wall which is essentially a copy-paste of the arrangement we had in Germany.
And I can’t talk about this room without mentioning my pride and joy—the massive Birds of Paradise plant that’s grown from about five feet tall when we got it to nearly nine feet now! Give your plants some love, and they’ll love you right back, I swear.
Julia’s Growing Collection
I have to laugh when I look at the evolution of Julia’s toy situation. When she was first born, we had just a few carefully selected items. Fast forward to now, and we’ve got five baskets overflowing with toys and a small library of 20-30 books.
Is this the ideal setup? Probably not. In my dream world, all of Julia’s things would have their own dedicated space. But that’s the reality of city living with a little one—you make it work! In our next apartment, Julia will definitely have her own room where all these toys can live. For now, our living room doubles as her playground on weekends, and I wouldn’t trade the memories we’re making here for anything.
Tomas’s Office Nook: The Bonus Space
One of the unexpected perks of our apartment is what I call the «bonus nook»—a little space off the living room that’s not quite a full room but definitely more than just a corner. Tomas has claimed this as his office/man cave, complete with his desk, multiple computers, gadgets, cameras, and even a minibar setup.
Oreo also has her little corner here with her bed and food station. And yes, if you’re from Argentina, you probably noticed the flag Tomas has proudly displayed on the wall!
This flexible space shows how apartments can adapt to your needs. For us, it’s a second work-from-home area, but it could just as easily function as a reading nook, storage space, or even a dedicated play area depending on your lifestyle.
Dining in Style
Adjacent to the living room is our dining area, featuring our trusty IKEA table and chairs (seeing a pattern with our furniture choices?). The wooden Nanoleaf panels on the wall add some warmth and interactive fun—they react to music and ambient sounds, creating a dynamic atmosphere during dinner parties.
Julia’s high chair from Lalo fits perfectly with our aesthetic, and our Google Home hub sits at the center of the table, displaying our favorite travel memories when we’re not using it to check the weather, stream Netflix, or play music.
A Bedroom with a View
Our master bedroom might have the most spectacular views of any bedroom we’ve ever had—or potentially will ever have! The floor-to-ceiling windows showcase the Manhattan skyline in all its glory, with natural light pouring in throughout the day.
Despite being in the heart of New York City, the space feels surprisingly serene. We’ve fitted a king-sized bed, two bedside tables, a dresser, and even managed to squeeze in an armchair that doubles as a guest bed when needed. (If you’re working with a small space, I cannot recommend convertible furniture enough!)
Above our bed hang two special prints from Displate that represent our lives before we moved in together. If you didn’t know, Tomas and I were actually in a long-distance relationship for about three years—I was in Buenos Aires while he was in Portland. These metal prints are a sweet reminder of how far we’ve come since those days of different time zones and video calls.
The Most Magical Light
Can we talk about the quality of light in this apartment for a minute? If you’re apartment hunting in the Northern Hemisphere, you’ll often hear that southern exposure is the gold standard for natural light. But our apartment actually has western exposure, and because we’re on a high floor with no tall buildings blocking our view, we get the most incredible light all day long.
The mornings bring sunrise light that turns the Manhattan buildings a gorgeous shade of gold, while the evenings treat us to spectacular sunsets with pink, orange, and yellow hues stretching across the sky. I’ve probably taken thousands of photos of these sunrises and sunsets over the past two years—they never get old, and they’re definitely what I’ll miss most when we eventually move.
Julia’s Nursery & My Office: A Room of Dual Purpose
Our second bedroom started its life in this apartment as my dedicated office space—a place to work, edit videos, and film content. Then November 2022 rolled around, and Julia made her grand entrance into our lives!
For the first six months, she slept in our bedroom, but once she was ready for her own sleeping space, we transformed half of my office into her nursery. Her Babyletto crib and dresser (which we built with our own hands—not as hard as it sounds!) fit perfectly alongside my desk, monitor, and filming setup.
It’s not the conventional setup, but it works for us right now. In our next place, Julia will definitely have her own dedicated room, and I’ll reclaim a proper office space somewhere else in the apartment. That’s the beauty of city living—you learn to be creative with your space!
Closet Solutions
Storage is always at a premium in NYC apartments, so I’ve gotten creative with our closet solutions. I have my main closet in the office/nursery where I keep all my dresses, shirts, blazers, and sweaters, plus a display for my sunglasses collection.
Tomas and I share the walk-in closet in our bedroom, which also happens to house our giant Monstera plant that outgrew its previous spot in my office. Not the most conventional plant location, but again—adapting is the name of the game in NYC living!
Bathroom Situations
We’re fortunate to have two full bathrooms in our apartment, which is practically a luxury in New York! The main bathroom features an oversized mirror that I initially thought concealed a medicine cabinet (and nearly pulled off the wall trying to check—don’t do that!).
This bathroom has become Julia’s bath time headquarters since it’s the only one with a tub. We’ve established a nice little system where this is primarily my and Julia’s bathroom, while Tomas uses the guest bathroom most of the time.
Our No-Shoes Household Entry
Our entryway is small but mighty in terms of functionality. As a strict no-shoes household, we’ve set up multiple shoe cabinets right by the front door to make the transition seamless for both us and guests. The mirror allows for those final outfit checks before heading out, and we’ve decorated the walls with photos, illustrations, and mementos from our travels together.
We also have designated boxes for essentials like wallets and keys—those items you always need to grab before heading out the door. My only organizational challenge remains finding a better solution for our beanie collection. They’re currently displayed in a way that allows me to see all the different colors (I love switching up my beanie choice daily!), but aesthetically, it’s not my favorite setup. If you have creative ideas for beanie storage, please drop them in the comments below!
The Kitchen: Not My Favorite, But Highly Functional
I’ll be honest—the kitchen is probably my least favorite part of our apartment. After experiencing all the natural light in the rest of the space, the kitchen feels a bit dark in comparison. But what it lacks in aesthetics, it makes up for in storage space!
These cabinets house my entire Starbucks mug collection—if you’ve been following me for a while, you know there are over 100 mugs in that collection. I doubt I’d find storage for all of them in most NYC kitchens.
Our refrigerator has become a timeline of Julia’s first year, decorated with monthly photos from ages 1-12 months, plus special memories from my pregnancy and her birth. It’s such a joy to see her growth journey every time we reach for a snack!
And of course, no kitchen of mine would be complete without a proper coffee station. My coffee machine and caramel macchiato supplies are always within reach, ready for those early mornings when Julia decides 5 AM is the perfect time to start the day!
One unique addition to our kitchen is the vertical drying tower for Julia’s bottles. Before getting this tower, we used to lay out all her bottles on the limited counter space we have. This vertical solution has been a game-changer for keeping our prep area functional.
Final Thoughts on Our NYC Home
Living in New York City comes with its compromises—especially when you’re a family of three (plus a dog!) in a space that’s modest by suburban standards. But the convenience, the views, the neighborhood, and the memories we’re making here make every square foot worth it.
This apartment has been the backdrop for some of our most precious family milestones: Julia’s first steps, first words, and first birthday. It’s where we’ve hosted friends from around the world, where we’ve weathered pandemic work-from-home life, and where we’ve watched countless magical sunsets over the Manhattan skyline.
While we’ll eventually outgrow this space as Julia gets older and needs more room to run and play, I’ll always look back at this apartment with so much fondness. It’s been the perfect home for this chapter of our lives.
I hope you enjoyed this tour of our Long Island City apartment! If you have any questions about apartment living in NYC, raising a little one in the city, or any other aspect of our setup, drop them in the comments below. And of course, if you’re not already subscribed to my channel, hit that subscribe button for more videos on city living, motherhood, and everything in between!
Until next time, Flor.
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