How come there's so few balconies in manhattan?

With the winds what they are 70 stories high enjoying one's balcony = leaving the apartment to their children in one's will

scout i think balconies increase your maintenance and tax costs and with rain, cold, wind. They are not that desirable really. IMHO.

forgot the snow and ice... :)

I dunno about that not desirable part. An apartment with a balcony sells/rents for a premium vs one without in the same buildings. Clearly people value balconies if they're willing to pay for them.

Unless you have a top-floor balcony or the unit above you is set back, what you gain in outdoor space you tend to lose in light from the balcony overhanging yours. I'd rather have open light / views.

I dislike the look of buildings with balconies in the front since various units will have mismatched, cheap, or dirty furniture out on display, which makes for an unpleasant aesthetic.

Another thing to keep in mind that is balconies attract smokers. If you have a smoker next to or below you, forget about ever opening your windows (except to clean the filth off of them).

I had a balcony and basically never used it except for seasonal plants. Between the wind and the lack of sun, there were on average 5 days a year where it felt nice to sit out there.

If you look at most bridging/scaffolding in Manhattan , many of those jobs are due to Balcony railing repairs , especially in light of the tragedy from 2013.
Water and ice puddling/freezing on the balcony is the easiest way to corrode concrete and rust the steel pitch pockets around the railings

JJ2, are you referring to the woman who fell because she was SITTING on her railing? I definitely would not sit on any balcony railing..

Balconies are ghetto.

A few years ago I looked at a place with a beautiful out door space. I can't find the source but I remember the consensus was that outdoor space is worth 50%/sf what extra indoor space goes for. That said outdoor space where a building sets back is a hell of a lot more attractive (and doesn't block the light) than a standard terrace or balcony.

Too many Local Law inspection-related construction jobs on balconies to want to buy into one of those buildings