New York Apartment terminology A-Z

Alcove: an area adjoining the living room which can be used for a dining area or be separated or closed off to make a bedroom, den or office.

Classic: in a pre-war building, an apartment which has a formal dining room, and, in a larger apartment, one or two maids' rooms. A "classic 6", for example, is a six-room apartment in a pre-war building that has a living room, formal dining room, two bedrooms, kitchen, maid's room, and 1, 2, or 3 baths. In the larger classics, it is common to find the smaller maids' rooms combined into one larger room. Frequently, pre-war buildings have been gutted and "rehabbed," but room counts and layouts will usually be listed according to their original configuration.

Convertible, Flex or Junior: an apartment with an alcove off the living room which can be converted to another bedroom or used as a dining area. A "convertible two-bedroom" or "flex two" is a one-bedroom apartment with a large alcove and one or two bathrooms.

Duplex: Two floors in an apartment.

Flex: see "convertible" or "junior"

Floor-through: A whole floor of a building. Usually in brownstones and townhouses.

Furnished Units: apartments, which are fully equipped with furniture and amenities. Such apartments are for long or short term lease.

Junior: a "junior 4" would be a potential 4- room apartment: living room, bedroom, kitchen, and alcove area (bathroom is not counted as a room).

Loft area: sometimes found in an apartment with high ceilings. It is typically an area, accessible by ladder or small staircase, which has been built for storage or as an extra sleeping or living area.

Loft: Large open space usually in a converted industrial building.

Mini Loft: New millenium name for studio without an alocove.

One-bedroom: A one-bedroom is a three-room apartment (kitchen, living room, and bedroom). A one-bedroom with a windowed alcove large enough to be a bedroom is called a "junior 4 (4 rooms), "flex 2" or "convertible 2" (convertible to two bedrooms).

Penthouse: Top floor of building can be any size apartment, usually has outdoor space.

Pied-a-terre: An apartment in NYC that is not the owner's primary residence it is the owners NYC apartment.

Studio: a studio is a two-room apartment (the kitchen is considered one room). An "alcove studio" is a studio with an alcove for dining or sleeping. A studio with a windowed alcove large enough to be a bedroom can be referred to as a "junior one-bedroom" or "junior 3" (three rooms).

Triplex: Three floors in an apartment.

Two-bedroom: a two-bedroom can be a four, five or six-room apartment. A "flex 3" or "convertible 3" is a two-bedroom apartment with space for an additional room (third bedroom, dining room, den, maid's room, homeoffice, etc.)

Three -Bedroom and up: a three bedroom or four bedroom apartment.

Courtesy of:

Mitchell Hall, Associate Broker, The Corcoran Group

©Mitchell Hall 2009