5 Struggles Of Living In A Walk-Up That Millennials Find All Too Relatable

I lived in New York City for two years after I graduated college. It was one of the most exciting times of my life so far, and though I don’t live there anymore, I miss it every single day. The bright lights, rich culture, amazing food, and endless opportunities are all incredible things that come with living in NYC. But I have to say, one thing I absolutely do not miss is living in a third floor walk-up apartment, and I know that I’m not alone. There are a ton of struggles of living in a walk-up that millennials can definitely relate to.

If you’ve never lived in a walk-up, you don’t know how hard it really can be. Do you remember the "pivot" scene from Friends? That’s the most accurate representation of what moving into a walk-up apartment is like, and the struggles only get worse from there. Honestly, I would be surprised if living in walk-up apartments was a huge reason why people refuse to live in big cities.

Depending on how tired you are, the stairs sometimes feel like the equivalent of a leg day workout, and it can be pretty brutal. I now live on the first floor of an apartment building in LA, but whenever I go back to visit my brother in my old NYC apartment, the stairs are always the worst part of the trip.

If you live in a walk-up and deal with the stair struggles on a daily basis, you know that these things are true.

1. The Feeling Of Dread You Get When You Have To Go Home After A Workout

I used to run to the gym in the morning, do an intense workout, run back, and then I’d have to walk up the three flights of stairs to my apartment just to take a shower. Though three flights isn’t too much in the grand scheme of things, if my legs were already feeling like Jell-O from my workout, those three flights would feel like an eternity.

Working out is really great, but when you have a walk-up to worry about, you probably feel like you can skip the gym. (The flights of stairs are enough to count for leg day, am I right?)

2. You Might Not Move Out Of That Apartment Because It’s Just Too Much Of A Hassle

Anyone who has ever moved a queen-sized bed into a walk-up probably feels the same way I do: I will never move out of that apartment, for the sole reason that I do not want to have to carry that bed down the stairs. When I moved to NYC from Boston, I had my harp with me, and my dad and building super had to tag team to carry it up the stairs.

Living in a walk-up means that you’re pretty much stuck there until you can rally enough to move your things out without an elevator.

3. When The Delivery Person Doesn’t Want To Bring Your Packages Upstairs And Leaves Them In Your Lobby

Small packages usually aren’t a big deal, but if you have something substantial delivered to your apartment, like a desk or other furniture, you pray that the delivery person will be kind enough to leave it outside your door.

If it’s left in your lobby, there’s a chance that you’ll have to leave it there until someone can help you bring it up. You’ve probably even considered investing in an UpCart to help with this exact problem.

4. You Only Do Laundry Or Buy Groceries You Know You Can Carry Up In One Trip

Laundry and groceries are chores that have to be done in small chunks, rather than big batches. Otherwise, you won’t be able to get all of them up the stairs in one go. The one trip is more important than clearing out your entire laundry hamper.

If you’re anything like me, you might just have your laundry picked up and delivered just for convenience. Honestly, I can safely say that laundry service was my one splurge on myself when I was living in NYC because it just made my life so much easier.

5. You Never Checking A Bag When You Fly Because You Don’t Want To Deal With Hauling Your Luggage Up And Down The Stairs

I was already a frequent traveler when I lived in NYC, and even when I was going to be away for a while, I crammed as much as I could into my carry-on. I never wanted to deal with the struggle of lugging a giant bag up and down the stairs — or worse yet, having to take two trips to get my bags between my apartment and the lobby.

If you also travel a lot and you live in a walk-up, you’re probably used to doing something similar. At the end of the day, the second trip is not worth the extra pairs of shoes.

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