Finding the right apartment is always a challenge, and compromise has been the be-all and end-all in expensive and desirable New York City. StreetEasy says apartment hunters have become more choosy during the pandemic. A third of searches in 2020 used search filters for specific amenities, up from 22 percent in 2019. After receiving requests from users for more searchable amenities in November, the online deals website added 10 new boxes to make search to activate filter.
By studying these searches between December 1, 2020 and January 31, 2021, StreetEasy learned exactly what people wanted most and recently revealed the top ten most wanted amenities for renters and buyers. The New York Times has been given an expanded list for this week's chart showing the top 20.
Central air conditioning and a choice of views – city, skyline, water, gardens and parks – were among the new searchable amenities. The shared outdoor area was already searchable, but the private outdoor area was added and then searched seven times more often than the shared outdoor area – understandable in a pandemic. Shared outdoor space, next best, took 10th place.
Most wanted amenity? Laundry in the unit, which replaced animal-friendliness from the top in 2019. Other amenities for those who spend a lot more time at home also made the top 20: a doorman (to secure all of these supplies, maybe) came fourth. and a dishwasher (to handle those extra meals at home) came fifth.
