I just watched Free Guy, you know that Ryan Reynolds movie, and his apartment actually has a sunken living room.
More than a decade ago, on the old forum, I inquired about the very commonly seen—in movies and TV—elevated entry to New York apartments. Think about Rear Window: that’s the reason recovering photographer Jeff Jeffries is trapped in the apartment (also possible his building has no elevator). Once you start watching for it, it’s extremely common in films and TV shows set in New York. I wondered if it might indeed be a common feature there, perhaps as a place to run ductwork or piping. The forum’s general opinion was that it was merely a dramatic device.
My modest TV watching these days includes lots of old Perry Mason and Rockford Files, both of which show a lot of supposedly Los Angeles apartments—and I haven’t noticed a raised entry anywhere.
I’m not entirely sure what you mean by “elevated entry” but stairs going up to a front entryway are extremely common in NYC. Like on almost every residential block common.
I believe Mr Downtown is referring to the individual units from the hallway rather than the building street entrance.
And miss the chance for an earworm?
Huh, that’s something I’ve never seen. I was going to agree that it’s incredibly common for front entryways to buildings to be up a short flight of stairs, with another short flight of stairs down to a “basement” entryway. But I’ve never seen anything like that for a unit within the building. And I’ve been in a lot of NYC apartments.
I suspect you have never seen it (IRL) because it does not exist. Think of The Odd Couple (series), where you came in the door and had to step down to the main living area. Or the episode of Barney Miller in which Dietrich goes to Fish’s apartment, where the living area is sunken relative to the entry, with a smallish platform at the door.
These are clearly dramatic (comedic) stage layouts that make the camerawork easier.
I see this image used for oddball architecture on boredpanda. No one knows the story. How something so weird got built.
Obviously the balconies are useless. No sun,No fresh air, you can’t barbecue. None of the balconies have any furniture .
I suspect someone thought they’d “build a community” of people hanging out on the balconies, talking to their neighbors, like mid-1950s people sitting on their porches. But then they made the rest of the hallway Industrial Ugly, so no one actually wants to “hang out” there.
Make the hallway nicer, with better lighting, some plants, and such, and maybe it could work.
How else are you going to get a light right above the doormat I’d like to know.
A planter down the middle would be nice. Help eliminate the industrial feeling. It could be a inviting space.
Honestly it looks like a prison.
I do like how wide they made it. I’m convinced that apartment buildings are necessary to fixing our housing shortage issues, but lots of people hate apartments, because they don’t like being “crammed in” with lots of other people.
But I think if we could get builders to invest some money in making individual floors more like little villages unto themselves, there would be a lot more acceptance of apartment buildings. Maybe also do things like make every 10th floor an open recreation area, or something.
But in today’s “maximize profits above all else” mindset, no one wants to “waste” space on such amenities, when they could be selling that space to a few more buyers.
And Googling, those interior balconies are in a college dorm in Virginia, where windowless attic space was turned into additional rooms. The interior balconies were meant to meet building code for egress, normally met by windows.
So, made for floor parties. A little furniture, some plants, a keg or three…
On real life, my next door neighbor’s front door is lower than the rest of the interior, and you need to step up. But that’s a house, not an apartment.
I’ve seen apartments like the one in the Odd Couple , with an elevated space near the entry inside the apartment. I wouldn’t say it’s common, but I’ve seen it.
That (step up after entering the front door) I have seen in single-family houses in America. Not sure why, though.
Seems to me the Gunderson (Frances McDormand) house in Fargo had like 3 or 4 steps directly down to the door. I can see how that could make sense in a stiff Brainerd winter as it would reduce the cold air flooding the house when you open the door. One step, though, makes less sense.
I’m not sure exactly where you are talking about stepping up. I don’t have to step up after entering my front door, but my front door opens to what used to be an exterior porch which has been enclosed. You then have to step up two or three inches to go through the door to my living room. That was the original front door and you would have had to step up as you were going through it, not after. I’ve seen lots of houses like this and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a house where the front door was flush with the ground or a porch/stoop so I assume it has something to do with preventing water from pooling against the door.