My NYC Apartment Tour_ $1,875_Month in Manhattan
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00:00Hello, welcome to my New York City apartment.
00:14Alright, so some quick specs on the place before we get into it.
00:29This is technically a large one-bedroom apartment, however, my roommate and I put in a flex wall
00:35to make it a two-bedroom apartment.
00:37We'll get into it.
00:38First thing, right off of the entryway, we have this very large communal closet.
00:43My roommate is actually out of town, so it's empty right now, but that's the first closet
00:47and it's a big one.
00:48Next little thing that we have here is this table.
00:51So we're all about functionality in this household.
00:53This one actually, I'm not going to do it right now, but it doubles in size, if you
00:57will.
00:58We move this into the kitchen if we have extra people over to play drinking games, you know,
01:02things that kids get up to.
01:03So that's what we have here, but most of the time we just kind of leave it as an entryway
01:07table.
01:08We have our keys here, little decorations that are definitely always there.
01:13Moving into the living space, we have this futon.
01:17Like I said, we're all about functionality in this house, so this folds out to be twice
01:21the size.
01:22We have had people sleep on it before.
01:23It was $120 from Amazon.
01:26I'll link all this stuff down below.
01:27Moving into the kitchen, I actually really like this kitchen.
01:31We have a ton of storage.
01:33These are all, as you can see, we have pots and pans.
01:36These are all soft closed doors, so you don't hear a thing.
01:40Lots and lots of storage, and they go up really high.
01:44Helps that I'm tall.
01:45I can reach the top shelves.
01:46We have gas burning stoves, which I'm personally a fan of.
01:50In college, I did have some electric ones and they were not as good.
01:53Large refrigerator, or I don't know if it's large, it's a normal size refrigerator.
01:58Normal size refrigerator, freezer, oven, and then something that is not in every New York
02:04City apartment.
02:05A dishwasher.
02:06Absolutely love it.
02:07What else?
02:08A couple more little things.
02:10We have these ottomans, which actually can hold, I think it was up to 50 pounds.
02:13We got them on Amazon.
02:14So we-
02:15120.
02:16120?
02:17Mm-hmm.
02:18$120.
02:19No, 140, because I can stand on them, so.
02:20140 pounds, and we use them as step stools a lot of the time.
02:25They also double as kind of storage bins, so once again, functionality.
02:30And back to the flex wall.
02:31This is something that we constructed on our own, it took some doing, but it is how
02:36we're able to make this into a two bedroom instead of a really large one bedroom.
02:40All right, I get a lot of questions about my flex wall.
02:43Did we put it up ourselves?
02:44Is it legal in New York City, et cetera.
02:46So a little word on flex walls.
02:47There are three main types.
02:49The first one is called a pressurized wall, which are ones that go all the way up to the
02:52ceiling and it basically looks like the room was meant to be there and that it was built
02:56into the apartment in the first place.
02:58These are still installed without screws or nails though, so in theory, it will not leave
03:01a mark on the walls when you take it down.
03:03Second, there are partial walls, which are very similar to pressurized walls in that
03:06they're installed without screws and nails, but they don't go all the way to the ceiling.
03:10They'll come short about a foot or something like that.
03:12So it's not the best option for privacy purposes, but there are still a ton of use cases for
03:15partial walls.
03:16And then the third are bookshelf walls, which as the name suggests, are not really walls
03:19at all, but rather freestanding bookshelves that help create some separation and sound
03:24insulation for a new partitioned off portion of your apartment.
03:27Now what my roommate and I did was sort of a mixture of these, and it was especially
03:30tricky for us because our apartment has 12 foot ceilings.
03:33So we have freestanding bookshelves as a large part of the wall, but then two by fours going
03:37all the way up to the ceiling, plus some L brackets down on the ground to give the bookshelf
03:41some stability.
03:42Additionally, we have some of that pinkish purple foam core material that you guys saw,
03:46which helps add some soundproofing.
03:47And even in between the foam and the walls, we added this cushiony type material to try
03:51to help with the soundproofing as well.
03:53In other words, we MacGyver the shit out of this wall, if you will, and in hindsight,
03:56we would have gladly paid $1,000, $2,000 for someone to come install it instead, but
04:00it was an adventure.
04:01So are these flex walls legal in New York City?
04:04A lot of it is actually building specific.
04:06To install a pressurized wall, your landlord will have to obtain the proper permits and
04:09a new certificate of occupancy from the New York City Department of Buildings for safety
04:13reasons.
04:14In any case, I think your best plan of action is to ask your landlord or be transparent
04:17ahead of time if you have plans to do something like this and confirm that it will be okay.
04:22My roommate and I confirmed with our leasing agent before signing for this apartment, it
04:25was okay to put up this sort of bookshelf flex wall to make this apartment into a two
04:29bedroom flex, and we wouldn't have signed the lease otherwise.
04:32In conclusion, even though it can be quite the undertaking to construct a flex wall yourself
04:36or a fairly hefty upfront fee to have someone come and install it, anywhere from $850 to
04:40$2,000, depending on the type of wall, I think flex walls are an amazing way to save a lot
04:44of money on rent living somewhere like New York City.
04:47And back to the paid programming.
04:49So let's go into the first bedroom.
04:51This is not mine.
04:52This is my roommate's, but like I said, she's out of town, so it's a little empty right
04:55now.
04:56And by a little empty, I mean completely empty.
04:58And by out of town, I mean that she was in between jobs and traveled for three months
05:01while I lived with an amazing subletter.
05:02And I filmed this on the very day that the subletter moved out right before my roommate
05:06moved back in.
05:07That's why it's completely empty.
05:09Feel like I had to address that.
05:10But it is, as you can see, very sizable.
05:13So obviously we compromised a little bit on having a smaller living area in order to have
05:18this other large bedroom.
05:20So this is what the flex wall looked like beforehand, before we put that white sheet
05:24on out there.
05:25It's kind of this pinky color, it's foam, so it actually helps with the sound a little
05:29bit.
05:30But, you know, torture chamber vibes a little bit.
05:33Some bookshelves to have storage.
05:35Because this was originally the living space, there's not a built-in closet in this room.
05:39So that's kind of why we wanted to use bookshelves or bookcases as the wall.
05:43Lots of storage there.
05:44And then the view here is amazing as well.
05:47It's actually on a corner, just like my bedroom.
05:49I like the way the building is kind of cut L's.
05:51Do you know what I mean?
05:52So you get more corner windows.
05:54Anyway, that's actually my bedroom right across the way.
05:57And we're gonna go take a look.
06:01Here in the hallway, we have one of New York City's biggest luxury amenities.
06:05Laundry in unit.
06:07Absolutely love having this.
06:08Like I said, that is really not the case for New York City and a lot of apartments, so
06:12it's very nice to have.
06:13Next, we have this other large closet in the hallway.
06:17It's the one that my roommate uses because, like I said, that second bedroom, which was
06:21originally the living space, does not have a built-in closet.
06:24So she uses this one as her main one.
06:27All of these are so tall.
06:28Like they go all the way up there.
06:29I don't know if you can tell.
06:30Moving along into the bathroom.
06:34This is the bathroom.
06:36As you can see, another lovely view.
06:38For those who are curious, no, we do not shower with it open.
06:41We have a privacy blind that we can put down whenever we shower.
06:45But when we're not in there, it's nice to kind of let some of the light into the hallway.
06:49So along with that, we have this vessel sink, additional storage, and nice lights right
06:54behind the mirror.
06:55And we actually have some more storage over here as well.
06:58It's pretty shallow, but, you know, that ain't nothing.
07:01And I found out fairly recently that we also have a heater in here.
07:04So I put that on when it gets a little chilly, and it's nice to have right when you get out
07:07of the shower.
07:08And let's do another button for the easel.
07:11And now, my bedroom.
07:13I felt that warranted another knock.
07:15Come on in.
07:19Welcome to the official Taylor's bedroom tour.
07:28So starting off over here, I decided to go ahead and make it all storage.
07:33I ordered...
07:34How many are here?
07:35I ordered a bunch more of the gray boxes to do storage of all kinds.
07:39I have it organized.
07:41Some are clothes, some down here.
07:43Get a look over here.
07:45I have my technology here.
07:46So my microphone, stuff like that.
07:48And then some miscellaneous.
07:49Some are actually empty, so I have some additional storage for the future.
07:53So this is actually brand new.
07:54I had the bookshelf, like, sitting here for a long time, but then I actually constructed it.
07:58So there's a brand new, net new bookshelf.
08:00I put my makeup up here.
08:02My voice cracked.
08:03But I didn't want this to be the first thing I saw when I walked in, because even though it is a little bit more organized,
08:08since I got little cups and things, it's still not the prettiest thing in the world.
08:12So I have it over here.
08:14Just some things I did to organize this space a little bit better.
08:17Bought some of these tumblers from Target and just, you know, kind of organized it.
08:21Like, these are the things I use every day.
08:22These are some things I don't use every day.
08:24And then down here I have my all-time favorite candies.
08:28Fantastic.
08:29My journal.
08:30My pepper spray.
08:31It's New York City.
08:32And then a couple extra storage bins where I put, like, my self-care items.
08:37So nail polish remover, cotton rounds, things like that.
08:41Finally, finishing off with my trash can.
08:45Trash can.
08:46And then, you know, paper towels.
08:49So nothing crazy, but it works.
08:51And moving over here, we have my queen-size bed,
08:56which I'm very excited about because my first two years of college, I had a twin bed.
09:00Then I had a full bed.
09:02This is my first queen bed, and I like it.
09:04I feel like a king.
09:05A queen in it.
09:07And then over here, we have my bedside table.
09:10Nothing fancy.
09:11I will say that, you know, I bought this part on Amazon,
09:15and it was a little smaller than I liked it.
09:17So I put this heavy-duty tile on top to just extend it.
09:20And don't worry, it's, like, very sturdy.
09:22It's not going to push down.
09:23So that just gives me a little bit of extra room.
09:25It's kind of just white marble.
09:26Pro tip, you can get these tiles for, like, $1.50 at Home Depot
09:31and just, you know, find a place for them.
09:33And then in here, I just have my necessities.
09:38My necessities, like melatonin and lotion and my sleeping mask and cookies.
09:45And then down here, I have my iPad, my Jimmy Chin coffee table book.
09:50I really felt, like, the blue vibe I got going down there.
09:52And finally, my happy cup.
09:55I call it that, like, four-year-old vibe because it's yellow.
09:59And then, of course, tea for turtle.
10:01You guys know.
10:02All right, moving over.
10:04Where shall we go next?
10:06Moving over here as if it's, like, a huge room.
10:09And moving over here, we have my workspace,
10:11which if you guys have seen my videos, you've already seen kind of this area.
10:15But here's an official tour.
10:16So I will say this puppy is brand spankin' new.
10:20Put him together last week.
10:22Huge, puffy, white.
10:24Kind of goes along with my minimalistic vibe
10:26that I somehow accidentally constructed in this room.
10:29But very comfortable.
10:30My last one was not comfortable.
10:31I got it for free in the building.
10:34So how comfy can I really be in it?
10:36I have two kind of sections.
10:38The first one, this is for actual work, my consulting job.
10:41I sit here many hours a day.
10:44And I like it.
10:45I put it this way because that's my favorite view, the billionaire's row.
10:48Even more so than the water.
10:50But anyway, personal preference.
10:52So this is where I do my actual, like, consulting job work.
10:55And you might notice I have a little space here down by my feet.
10:58Can you see it?
11:00Because my little piggies, they get really cold.
11:03I run a window here in the winter.
11:05Moving over to this side, this is for personal use.
11:09So this is where I edit my YouTube videos, anything on my personal computer.
11:13So business.
11:17Classic.
11:18Business, pleasure.
11:20And then I also like to have a little pop of color here.
11:22These are dying, but they've lasted a really long time.
11:25But they're still really beautiful.
11:27So I like to have flowers here or something.
11:29And then I also have little planties kind of around my bedroom.
11:32And, yeah, there's a couple more things I don't want to forget.
11:36I guess right here I actually made use, again, of one of these tiles.
11:40Same one as over there, the kind of $1.50 marble tile.
11:44And then this tissue box just so happens to fit perfectly with the color scheme.
11:48And then my lamp, which used to be turned, I don't, it was turned this way.
11:53It took up too much of the view.
11:55So I put it all the way back.
11:56What else?
11:58It's not a big room.
11:59There's not, like, a ton to go over.
12:00I have a bunch of little planties here.
12:03Six foot five history.
12:04They're all fake.
12:05Faux, if you will, which means fake in French.
12:09And then finally something, come a little closer to this.
12:12And then also have, stop.
12:15And then also have a horseshoe, which has the dirt from the Kentucky Derby racetrack,
12:21which I thought was pretty cool.
12:22Got it in Kentucky.
12:23Almost forgot my closet space.
12:25So like I've kind of mentioned throughout this apartment,
12:28the closets are actually really, really large for New York.
12:31Okay.
12:32Not for whatever else.
12:35I have all my things in here.
12:36I have my sweaters.
12:38And then I've got this kind of hanging shelf to fit more of my like jeans and T-shirts and such.
12:42Got all my shoes down there.
12:45Some up here.
12:46And then like my huge suitcases up there.
12:48So plenty of room there.
12:50And then let me show you the other side.
12:52And then over here, even more things.
12:55And it goes up, like I said, really high to the point you need a step ladder to get up there.
13:00So I like having all that room.
13:03What else?
13:04And then I think that'll just voiceover.
13:05Stop it.
13:06Oh, and then I guess one more thing, because we're just all over the place right now.
13:10I have two racks for coats, towels, and such.
13:13It looks like a lot right now just because it's winter.
13:16So there's a lot of puff happening here.
13:18But, oh, one more thing.
13:20There's so much in this ginormous room.
13:22There is also, along with all the storage that I already showed you, like all these things,
13:26there is plenty of room for additional storage under the bed.
13:31I have all my tools and stuff in here.
13:33And then there's some other things, too.
13:35So that's nice.
13:36Pro tip, I guess, if you live in a small space, make sure your bed frame is somewhat elevated so you can put things underneath it.
13:41Any other details there?
13:44Maybe that you're amphibian?
13:48Maybe.
13:49Fancy tequila.
13:50And while I'm thinking about it, a question that I get all the time is,
13:53do you feel no sense of privacy with those windows?
13:55Can people see in?
13:56During the day, there is a pretty much complete reflection on the windows that, no, you can't really see in at all.
14:01At night, of course, if you have your lights on and your blinds are still retracted, then, yes, you can see in.
14:05But, of course, I close my blinds when I need to close my blinds.
14:08So I waited a long time to film this apartment tour.
14:10I actually moved in six months ago.
14:12But I took my sweet time getting it furnished, getting it somewhat decorated.
14:15And I didn't want to just show you my bare bones bedroom.
14:18It still feels pretty bare bones, but you know what I mean.
14:20And truth be told, it is still not done.
14:22I think that some of the main things that will make this place feel a little more homey and cozy
14:26is adding some art pieces to the wall above my bed.
14:29Again, we have 12-foot ceilings, so it's just a lot of white space right now.
14:32And then I'll probably add a rug underneath my bed just to make it feel more cozy and homey.
14:36So I'll keep you guys updated when I actually do that.
14:38How much does all of this cost, you might wonder?
14:40Well, it was a COVID deal.
14:42So we got two months free, which brought our net effective rate for the whole place to $3,600 per month.
14:47And because I have a roommate and constructed that flex wall that I showed you,
14:50I pay $1,875 per month net effective, which for this view and everything is very good in New York.
15:00You might not think it is, but it is.
15:02Uh-oh.
15:04Okay.
15:05Well, that's it.
15:06Thank you, Vogue, for coming to look at my bedroom.
15:09And until next time.
15:17Come here.
15:31So, awakening on continuity.
15:33So, the flex wall.
15:35We are going to talk about the flex wall.