Real estate terminology can be hard to decipher — for example, what the heck is a maisonette?That might lead to you questioning another confusing term, what is a duplex apartment? A recent search of NYC and northern New Jersey listings that include the word “duplex” brought up nearly 1,700 sale listings. But what makes these units different from other apartments with additional levels? Here is everything New Yorkers need to know about this distinctive apartment type.
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Murray Hill
333 East 41st Street
$499,000
1 |
1
Hell’s Kitchen
350 West 48th Street
$499,000
1 |
1
Murray Hill
240 East 35th Street
$600,000
1 |
1
East Harlem
161 East 110th Street
$750,000
2 |
1
Midtown
150 West 51st Street
$750,000
2 |
1
East Harlem
161 East 110th Street
$599,000
1 |
1
Hudson Heights
120 Cabrini Boulevard
$665,000
1 |
1
Hudson Heights
730 Ft Washington Avenue
$725,000
2 |
1
East Harlem
333 East 109th Street
$735,000
1 |
1
South Harlem
1831 Madison Avenue
$715,000
2 |
2
Upper West Side
145 West 86th Street
$670,000
1 |
1
Carnegie Hill
1065 Park Avenue
$695,000
1 |
1
What Is a Duplex Apartment?
While it’s unclear how duplexes first came to the NYC real estate market, they did inspire headlines when the last luxury prewar apartment building hit the market in the 1930s. The building located at 19 East 72rd Street housed more duplexes than any other floor plan type. So what separates a duplex apartment from other multi-level units spotted on StreetEasy? Here are a couple of guidelines:
First off, a duplex apartment is a two-floor unit connected by stairs or an elevator. Sometimes the lower level is a basement.
Second, both floors must have a legal minimum ceiling height of 8 feet. For example, an apartment with a loft bedroom with a ceiling height of 5 feet is not a duplex, even if it has stairs.
You might see the term maisonette used when describing a duplex. But, here’s the thing, a maisonette could be a duplex, but it also has a private entrance from the outside, while duplexes do not. What about split-levels? Apartments in this category have multiple floors connected by staggered and short sets of stairs.
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East Harlem
413 East 117th Street
$2,275No Fee
2 |
1
Lenox Hill
512 East 79th Street
$2,395No Fee
Studio |
1
Hudson Yards
445 West 36th Street
$2,295No Fee
Studio |
1
Washington Heights
27 Audubon Avenue
$2,275No Fee
2 |
1
Central Harlem
136 West 136th Street
$3,000No Fee
1 |
1
Hudson Yards
331 West 35th Street
$2,850No Fee
2 |
1
East Harlem
312 East 119th Street
$2,950No Fee
2 |
1
Turtle Bay
306 East 49th Street
$2,900No Fee
1 |
1
East Harlem
124 East 107th Street
$2,567No Fee
3 |
1
Yorkville
415 East 80th Street
$2,495No Fee
Studio |
1
Hell’s Kitchen
712 Ninth Avenue
$2,900No Fee
1 |
1
Lenox Hill
156 East 64th Street
$2,700No Fee
Studio |
1
Are Duplex Apartments Easy to Find?
Although available as rentals, co-ops, and condos, generally, duplex apartments are relatively rare. They represent a very small percentage of available listings: less than 9% of sales and less than 4% of rentals. You may also be surprised to know that the demand for the unique layout isn’t very high.
“Duplex units are not a popular trend given that most have stairs rather than elevators,” says Agent Karen Kostiw of Warburg Realty. “Stairs in apartments eliminate a large demographic from purchasing an apartment given their lack of easy of use and hazards (i.e., falling).”
Plus, it’s cost-prohibitive for builders. So, newer ones are not as likely to hit the market, adds Frederick Warburg Peters, CEO of Warburg Realty.
With that in mind, buyers are more likely to find duplexes in neighborhoods with more prewar constriction like the Upper East Side and Central Park West. In some instances, if someone wants a duplex in a building where they don’t exist, the person can buy two apartments and combine them. According to Kostiw, if purchased early on in the development process, having the sponsor combine them can be part of the negotiation.
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Dyker Heights
1046 Ovington Avenue
$550,000
2 |
2
Fort Hamilton
8701 Shore Road
$429,000
1 |
1
Sunset Park
420 64th Street
$488,888
1 |
1
Crown Heights
260 Rockaway Avenue
$648,970
1 |
1
Crown Heights
260 Rockaway Avenue
$774,968
2 |
1.5
Crown Heights
260 Rockaway Avenue
$521,752
1 |
1
Crown Heights
260 Rockaway Avenue
$551,384
1 |
1
Crown Heights
906 Prospect Place
$775,000
1 |
1
Clinton Hill
107 Waverly Avenue
$749,000
1 |
1
Crown Heights
260 Rockaway Avenue
$652,090
1 |
1
Windsor Terrace
71 Ocean Parkway
$575,000
1 |
1
Borough Park
1238 63rd Street
$789,000
2 |
2
Pros and Cons of Duplex Apartments
As with any real estate purchase, there are always pluses and minuses to consider. Here are the pros:
More room: Of course, single-floor apartments can be larger square-footage wise. But having two floors is going to give more of that house-like feel. And they are exceptionally roomy if you have two floors of equal size.
More privacy: Two floors, especially if the bedrooms and living areas are separate, means there’s more space for people to spread out. For example, parents can entertain downstairs while the kids sleep upstairs.
Access to amenities: Since duplexes are situated within a larger building, you would have access to any communal amenities available.
Here are the cons:
Managing stairs: Spiral staircases are not uncommon in a duplex as they are space-saving. But they can be more treacherous for some. “This type of staircase is not for anyone who is not steady on their feet or for use by small children,” says broker Gerard Splendore of Warburg Realty.
Finding a sensible layout: “The first question you should ask yourself is whether or not the layout makes sense for you,” says agent Mihal Gartenberg of Warburg Realty. “For example, where are the bathrooms located, and are they easy to access in the middle of the night? There are cases where the bathroom is on a separate floor to the bedroom.”
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