We're Raising a Baby in a 400-Sq-Ft Apartment—and (Surprisingly), It's Going Just Fine

Plus, I’m answering the three most common questions we get (aside from ‘are you out of your mind?’ because that's an obvious yes).

Our sunny apartment pre-baby

Our lease renewal just showed up in the mail, so naturally, we had the same vexing conversation we had when I found out I was pregnant: do we stay or do we go?

Not an easy call to make, considering we toured 12 apartments before finding “the one” in a sun-drenched top-floor apartment in a historic brownstone with 7-foot south-facing windows. Game, set, match.

The catch? No elevator, no laundry.

Our first order of business was deciding if we wanted to commit to a fourth floor walk-up. We decided yes, (we’ll save on gym memberships!). Second order of business: befriend the neighbors (most of them young couples in our age range).

I pass these beautiful brownstones every morning

When I found out I was pregnant last year, we pined over the right move. Did we want to raise a baby in such a small space? Did we want to schlep groceries and gear up four flights of stairs?

We reached out to some friends for advice and the consensus was the same: “it will take some creativity, but the baby is only 20 inches long, you can do it.” We accepted the challenge.

In New York City you don’t pay for space, you pay for access. Living two blocks from the best natural history museum in the world makes the small living arrangement worthwhile.

Funny enough, one of my neighbors mentioned she’s expecting a baby in July - so cool! Like us, she plans to renew her lease and raise the baby in a 400 square-foot apartment too. We chatted about the pros and cons of doing so, and I thought it’d be fun to share a glimpse of how we’re managing.

Like most New Yorkers renting apartments in brownstones, we’ve learned to make every inch count. My number one tip for moving to NYC is to stock up on these bad boys (we have them everywhere!).

So without further ado, I’d like to share some photos of our home and answer the three most common questions people ask about our intimate living situation.

Walking the neighborhood with Little C. (Cardigan, jeans)

Here’s Our Setup (The Living Room)

Okay, so let’s start with some photos of our living room. This is where we spend 95% of our waking hours, so getting the arrangement right was important. Here’s what we did.