Hi friends! Welcome back to the blog—and if you’re new here, I’m so happy you found me. My name is Flor, I’m a content creator living in New York City with my husband, our daughter Julia, and our adorable French Bulldog, Oreo. You might already know me from Instagram or YouTube, and if you don’t—hello, hi, so nice to meet you!
This post is all about our ongoing apartment hunting journey in NYC, and it goes hand-in-hand with the third episode in my video series. If you haven’t seen the video yet, I recommend watching it (you can scroll down a bit to watch it here) because I show you three new apartments we toured—and trust me, they’re GOOD.
But before we get into all that, let’s set the scene a little…
Our NYC Apartment Search: The Realities
This is our third round of apartment hunting and by now, we’ve seen eleven apartments total. We’re not just wandering around Zillow for fun—I promise! We’re actually looking to move very soon, and we have a long list of wants, needs, and non-negotiables (as you do when you’ve lived in NYC long enough to know what you absolutely can’t live without).
So let’s talk about it. Here’s what we’re actually looking for:
- 2-bedroom minimum, ideally a 3-bedroom so we can have an office.
- Large living space (we have an L-shaped sofa, dining table, and two desks to fit!).
- Washer/dryer in unit and a dishwasher (not negotiable).
- Natural light—big windows, bright rooms. I need it for my mood, my work, my sanity.
- Pet-friendly because Oreo, obviously.
- Ideally near a daycare we like (more on that later).
- Budget: $5,000–$6,000/month.
- Proximity to a subway line that takes us quickly into Manhattan.
We’re not picky about the exact neighborhood, but we do need something functional and realistic for a family of three (plus Oreo!) with two working adults commuting into the city a few times a week.
The Daycare Twist We Didn’t See Coming
Now… before we dive into the apartments we toured, I want to touch on something that totally threw us for a loop: daycare costs.
When we first started looking in late 2023, we didn’t factor in how wildly different daycare pricing is across the city. We assumed daycare in Manhattan would be slightly more expensive. Turns out—it can be double what we pay now in Queens.
We’re talking $1,000 more per month, just for daycare. So if we fall in love with an apartment in Manhattan, especially the Upper West Side (which we did—you’ll see!), we have to make sure the rent leaves enough room in the budget to accommodate that extra daycare cost. Otherwise, it’s just not doable.
Watch the Full Apartment Tours Here
Okay, let’s get into the good stuff. Below is the full video where I walk you through three new apartments, all in the Upper West Side, and give you my honest thoughts on each one. Grab a coffee or a snack—this is a cozy little tour moment:
🎥 Watch it here:
Apartment 1: Fresh Renovation, But a Tight Fit
This first apartment was a 2 bed, 2 bath and had just been renovated. I loved the modern finishes—new cabinets, updated appliances, beautiful bathrooms, and even a washer/dryer in unit (huge win). The building had an elevator (rare in pre-war Upper West Side buildings), and overall it was so cute.
The downside? The living/dining space was tight. Like, tight. We wouldn’t have been able to fit our furniture, and both bedrooms were also on the smaller side. The layout didn’t leave much flexibility, even though the finishes were dreamy. Still—it was a contender for a minute.
Apartment 2: Exposed Brick Heaven
This one had me in my feelings. It was a 2 bed, 2 bath with exposed brick, beautiful light, and tons of character. The galley kitchen was narrow but well-designed with big windows and new everything. The living room had that cozy NYC charm I dream about, and both bathrooms were renovated too.
The second bedroom (which would be Julia’s) had a larger closet and big windows, and the layout made the place feel bigger than it was. Plus, it was south-facing—though a building across the street blocked some of the light.
Still, it was right in our budget with daycare included. This one made it to the top of our list for sure.
Apartment 3: Room to Grow, But Over Budget
This was a 3 bed, 2 bath, and we instantly saw the potential. It had exposed brick, a large kitchen with great windows, three separate bedrooms, and plenty of space for a home office. I loved the flexibility in the layout.
The catch? The rent was toward the top of our budget, and when you added in the Upper West Side daycare cost, it tipped over. Still, it felt spacious and functional, and I could totally see us building a life there.
We left this one feeling a bit torn—it had everything we needed, but the financial side made it hard to justify.
Upper West Side: Our Dream Neighborhood?
I’ve always loved the Upper West Side. It’s classic NYC: leafy streets, brownstones, amazing food, near Central Park. If you told me I could live there and make it work financially, I’d say yes in a heartbeat.
But the reality is that living there means compromises. Either we find something more affordable with less space, or we stretch the budget and rethink our daycare options.
We’re still figuring out what makes the most sense for our family, and I’ll definitely keep you posted in the next episode.
TL;DR – Where We’re At
This episode made us realize just how much we need to balance space vs. budget vs. daycare costs vs. location. There is no perfect apartment (shocking, I know 😅), but I do feel like we’re getting closer to the one that feels right for this next chapter.
If you’re also apartment hunting in NYC—or just love watching other people stress over floorplans—thank you for following along 💛 It means the world. Leave me a comment below or DM me if you’ve ever had to make a hard housing decision. I’d love to hear your story too.
xx, Flor.
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