While legal basement apartments are rare in New York City, garden-level apartments are much more common and often come with appealing built-in features at competitive prices. In this article, we define what garden-level units are, examine their key advantages and potential drawbacks, and spotlight some of the most desirable garden-level units currently available in the New York City market.
In this article:
Basement Versus Garden-Level Apartment
In New York City, a basement apartment is defined as a unit below curb level, but where at least half of its height is located above the curb. In contrast, a cellar is a space where more than half of its height is below curb level. Basement units may have windows large enough to serve as exits, while cellar windows, if present, are usually too small for that purpose. This distinction explains why, according to NYC Housing Preservation and Development Guidelines, basement apartments can sometimes be legally rented if they meet strict city regulations, whereas cellar apartments can never be legally rented.
Garden-level apartments, by contrast, are legal in New York City. However, defining what constitutes a garden-level apartment can be somewhat tricky, as there is no official designation. Further complicating the term, "garden apartment" historically refers to two distinct types of residences depending on the borough. In Queens, the term originated in 1917
when the Queensboro Corporation used it to describe apartment complexes in Jackson Heights, built around a shared green space. Similar developments in Queens have since been known as garden apartments. In Brooklyn and Manhattan, however, garden apartments typically refer to street-level units that offer direct access to a backyard or garden.
⬇ Example of a unit in a garden apartment complex in Jackson Heights, Queens
The Chateau, #41 (Compass)
The Appeal of Garden-Level Apartments in New York City
• Gardeners
Unless you're fortunate enough to own an entire Brownstone, you're unlikely to have access to a garden in most New York City living situations, unless you live in a garden-level unit. While some brownstones negotiate garden access between tenants living on all three floors, in most cases, if you're living on the ground floor, you have a de facto right to the backyard as a renter or owner. For city gardeners, this can be an amazing bonus, offering the chance to create your own oasis in the city.• Families
Raising small children in a New York City apartment can be challenging. Even if you're near one of the city's great parks or playgrounds, constantly making small talk with other parents while your child plays can feel exhausting. A garden-level unit offers a unique solution: it lets your kids enjoy outdoor time without leaving home. While suburban families might take this for granted, in New York City, it's a rare luxury.• Pet Owners
Whether you have a restless cat, a dog that loves to roam off-leash, or even a sunbathing tortoise, a garden-level apartment offers an obvious advantage. Having private outdoor space is a huge benefit for pet owners looking to give their animals more freedom.• Tenants in Need of Accessibility
While not all garden-level units are fully accessible unless updated to modern standards, they do offer a practical option if you’re looking to avoid stairs. Although you may need to navigate a few steps to enter or exit, one big perk is never having to carry heavy grocery bags up multiple flights of stairs again.
6 East 76th Street, #1R
$4,300,000
Park/Fifth Ave. to 79th St. | Cooperative | 3 Bedrooms, 3 Baths | 1,500 ft2
6 East 76th Street, #1R (Brown Harris Stevens Residential Sales LLC)
The Potential Downsides of Garden-Level Living
Overall, garden-level apartments provide great value, increased space, and access to a rare feature in New York City—a backyard. Still, being on the ground floor can be challenging. One obvious risk is increased vulnerability to flooding, though this depends on one's location. Garden-level apartments, due to their proximity to the ground, can also be more prone to pest problems. Garden-level apartments also tend to pose more security risks, though in most cases these risks can be mitigated by installing window grills and security systems. Finally, while not an issue for everyone, ground-level apartments also tend to be darker, though as a consequence, they are also much cooler in the summer, which can result in significantly lower electrical bills.
The Value of a Private Patch of Green
The rarity of private green space in New York City has also made gardens a flashpoint in debates over land use, housing, and preservation. One of the city’s most closely watched examples has been the saga to save/build housing on the Elizabeth Street Garden in Nolita. For a decade, the community green space had been slated for a123-unit affordable senior housing development called Haven Green. Under a new settlement, that project will no longer rise on the garden site and the city is expected to preserve the garden instead. The lost affordable housing units will be shifted to 22 Suffolk Street on the Lower East Side, where developers are planning to build more than 180 affordable homes.
The odyssey of the project illustrates how emotionally and politically charged even small patches of urban greenery can become in a city where both open space and housing are in short supply. For most New Yorkers, the more realistic way to secure a private patch of green is not by winning a land-use battle, but by finding the right garden-level home. Below, see New York City garden apartments for sale that offer their own private outdoor space, from planted patios and rear gardens to full backyard oases.
Would you like to tour any of these properties?
Just complete the info below.
Or call us at (212) 755-5544
Garden-level apartments for sale in NYC
26 Goodwin Place, #1R (Corcoran Group)
375 Lincoln Place, #1D (Compass)
684 Washington Street, #BA (Corcoran Group)
252 West 21st Street, #GARDEN (Corcoran Group)
695 Monroe Street, #1
$1,275,000
Bedford-Stuyvesant | Condominium | 2 Bedrooms, 2.5 Baths | 1,631 ft2
695 Monroe Street, #1 (Corcoran Group)
310 East 51st Street, #1 (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
89 State Street, #1 (Corcoran Group)
72 Quincy Street, #1 (Corcoran Group)
41 Park Place, #1 (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
Lineage I, #1B (Brown Harris Stevens Brooklyn LLC)
271 West 122nd Street, #A (Compass)
2 East 80th Street, #2
$2,250,000 (-18.2%)
Carnegie Hill | Cooperative | 2 Bedrooms, 2 Baths | 1,300 ft2
2 East 80th Street, #2 (Coldwell Banker Warburg)
Aliya, #GARDEN (REAVIS DEVELOPMENT MARKETING LLC)
427 East 12th Street, #1A (Corcoran Group)
233 West 26th Street, #1RW (Serhant)
23 Bethune Street, #GARDEN (Corcoran Group)
174 Eagle Street, #1 (Corcoran Group)
Renwick Modern, #1A (Compass)
The Tower at Gramercy Square, #1G
$3,055,000
Gramercy Park | Condominium | 1 Bedroom, 1.5 Baths | 2,400 ft2
The Tower at Gramercy Square, #1G (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
108 India Street, #1 (Sothebys International Realty)
256 East 4th Street, #GARDEN
$3,350,000
East Village | Condominium | 3 Bedrooms, 3.5 Baths | 1,813 ft2
256 East 4th Street, #GARDEN (Compass)
168 Plymouth, #GARDEN (Compass)
318 East 81st Street, #1 (Compass)
37 Decatur Street, #TH
$3,795,000
Bedford-Stuyvesant | Townhouse | 6+ Bedrooms, 5.5 Baths | 3,905 ft2
37 Decatur Street, # (Compass)
235 Sackett Street, #1 (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
241 East 48th Street, #TH
$9,975,000
Turtle Bay/United Nations | Townhouse | 5 Bedrooms, 5.5 Baths | 5,500 ft2
241 East 48th Street, # (Compass)
Contributing Writer
Cait Etherington
Cait Etherington has over twenty years of experience working as a journalist and communications consultant. Her articles and reviews have been published in newspapers and magazines across the United States and internationally. An experienced financial writer, Cait is committed to exposing the human side of stories about contemporary business, banking and workplace relations. She also enjoys writing about trends, lifestyles and real estate in New York City where she lives with her family in a cozy apartment on the twentieth floor of a Manhattan high rise.
6sqft delivers the latest on real estate, architecture, and design, straight from New York City.