Any advice on apartment "no-no"s?

This list you will develop will be incredibly long and useless.

Find some things you like (near subway, outdoor space, location, size etc.) and put them against things you hate (low floor, coops, high monthly maint/cc etc.).

Then make a decision. If you hire a broker, make sure they understand what you want. Also use Streeteasy because the broker won't always show you everything because it doesn't always benefit them too.

Why do you care what others think if you have such well formed opinions already? What a boring thread.

I would avoid apartments with windows in the shower.

Avoid fire stations, hospitals with sirens & street noise.

"I would avoid apartments with windows in the shower."

Why specifically? Just curious.

I've personally never had this set-up, but I also hate the idea.

Window in the shower is nice. Window in the bathroom not in the shower is better. Shower in a N.Y.C. bathroom better than a shower in upstate New York.

CeeCee has ten mil to purchase an apt. She's going to have more than one bathroom and the bathrooms will be beautiful.

CeeCee: You want to live in an apt on a higher floor than that to avaoid the traffic/garbage truck noise. Much higher than 3rd floor.

If you contact the brokers ali r. referred you to and tell them your concerns they will ask more questions and find you a place you will like.

Most of us here on streeteasy will never have 10 million dollars to spend on an apt or anything.
Those brokers have experience in the type of nice buildings that you are interested in.

No buildings with more than a small percentage of remaining sponsor apartments

Avoid windows in the bathroom? This is news to me. Next thing you know those pesky working elevators will be considered a negative.

It's a joke about columbiacounty.

columbiacounty went to look at a rental at 98 Riverside. The apartment had a window in the shower. He came onto streeteasy to bitch about the broker who took him there.

In Columbia County NY, there aren't many buildings with elevators either.

Oh. so that's where the historical event took place.

That one went right over my head. Thanx for the 'splanation.

Most important as Consigliere mentioned is location, size, number of bedrooms /bathrooms, renovated/estate condition, pre-war, postwar or new construction. Once you have decided on a range, adjust for the floors, light and maintenance. If you want outdoor space and views, your options will be severely limited and price will increase significantly. Your original list should only be considerations once you have decided on the above and a BUDGET. You will get real soon once you look at what is available.

Distance to the subway.

projects within blocks

Cross town bus streets can be a positive - very wide across the street - nice to walk onto when you leave, more sunlight given more distance across the street, more distance when you look across the street to the neighbors.

Of course, it's tougher on the few narrow streets with cross town buses - 67th/68th

iMHO - buses as they stop and start are one the most annoying noisemakers in the city.

... not to mention that awful farting noise as they kneel and 'unkneel'

i wouldn't want to be within a few blocks of a firehouse

Before I had kids, I lived across from a school - very noisy on the very few week days that I was ever around - extremely quiet on the weekends when I actually was around. For the average working NYer, schools make great neighbors. Now that I have small kids, it would not be a great fit but I wouldn't call it a no no for everyone.

But I would love a window in the shower. You can replace the glass for privacy but have great outdoor light.

I love my shower window. It keeps the tub area nice and aired out. No more mildewy shower curtain. There's no privacy glass but we put in a water-proof shade that does the trick. Sometimes, tho, I don't even bother with it.

Loved it when I had a window in the shower. Even with a shower door, nice.
Great to have a window in the bathroom cuts down on fumes from cleaning sprays.

I wouldn't buy in a ground lease building, the most expensive unit in a building, a ground floor unit (unless it had a private garden/backyard), a unit without electric upgrades, cheap construction where you can hear your neighbors, or in a building that had NOT had regular increases in maintenance (which means they have been living off of reserves or one-time windfalls).