Garden Level /Ground Floor Apartments

I lived in a ground floor garden apartment in NJ for 3 years. I had no pest problems whatsoever. In fact, I had less pest problems on the first floor in NJ than I did on the second floor on the LOwer East Side.

I can't help but think I would be much more worried about the pests that are on two feet than I would about bugs and rodents.

Don't buy a ground floor unit until you have the basement inspected. Look for water damage, structural cracks due to settling, etc... That's how the pests get in. As the ground floor owner you meet the pests first. High floors need a roof inspection. An old buildings with a poorly maintained roof or basement are is a non-starter in my book.

The main thing about a ground floor apt. in NYC that would worry me is break ins.

We rented in a building that had mice. We were on the first floor, it was not nice. Also lived in two other first/ground floor apartments with zero problems. The first apartment had break-in issues (not our apartment, neighbors) but that could have been abetted by the fact that the landlord never fixed the front door and it wouldn't lock. Also, it was in Hell's Kitchen in the late '80s.

why consider a ground floor apt in this market to begin with??

garden apartments can be lovely

UWSMom: You ask a question near and dear to my heart. I am very eager to have an apartment with outdoor space, and have looked at a bunch of ground floor or ground floor/basement duplexes with gardens, some of which I liked a lot. But I have never been comfortable enough to risk the pest situation. I have friends with a garden duplex in the West 80s who claim they've never seen a rodent in their garden or apartment. And I when was looking to buy 18 months ago (thank goodness I did not go through with it), several sellers made the same claim. But on the other hand, I have another friend who called me in a panic when she found a rat in her garden apartment kitchen in the West 80s a few years ago. (An aside: Yet another friend had a rat in her kitchen just a couple months ago, and that was on the 4th floor in a new condo development in Harlem!) And you know the garden duplex rental at 55 W. 84th that's been on the market forever? A friend of mine lived in that building and said that the laundry room, which was next to that apartment, always had humongous roaches in it and couldn't imagine the roaches not infiltrating the apartment. All in all, it seems like garden apartments can be hit or miss with respect to pests. My position is that I will not move into a garden apartment unless someone I know and trust can vouch that it has a pest-free history.

I bought a new construction duplex in Harlem on the ground level and cellar level about 3 years ago. I did have a very minor issue with tiny ants this summer that neighbors didn't have to deal with- but that stopped once the exterminator made his monthly rounds.

Thanks all. Interestingly, we live on the 2nd floor of a brownstone and have had roaches, mice, and ants (VERY limited thank goodness, but we've had them). Sounds like, overall, it's more likely an issue with the building overall than the location of the apartment.

Another issue to be concerned with in certain neighborhoods is ground water. Property Shark has a FEMA flood map with each building's info. Buildings in the East Village east of Tompkins Square Park are on landfill (as they are in BPC) and some buildings are equipped w/ supplemental pumping systems that have their own noise and maintenance issues. I think an inspector with this specific experience is essential.

I've also seen garden apartments on a few occasions that were clearly not intended as homes initially. They seemed to be utility basements that were later converted - very awkward layouts, pipes in strange places, etc. - and I always assumed the co-ops needed to raise money at some point.

Much better if there is a basement/cellar below. Otherwise it can also be damp. And mold can be a problem.

Definitely be cognizant of the water situation. I have some friends that rent a garden apartment and they have to be pretty proactive when it rains heavily. I'm talkin sandbags and the full 9.

Just another potential concern.