NYC Families Get Creative as Apartments Get Cramped

From triple bunk beds to sliding doors, urban families find innovative ways to maximize small spaces.

Published on Mar. 10, 2026

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As New York City couples start families, they are going to impressive lengths to remain in their homes, even as their apartments become increasingly cramped. Families like the Almodovars in Washington Heights and the Halls in Brooklyn have custom-built storage solutions, installed sliding doors, and even constructed triple bunk beds to accommodate their growing broods. While the trade-offs of city living can be significant, many families say the access to culture, food, and community makes it worthwhile.

Why it matters

The story highlights the creative problem-solving and adaptability of New York City families as they navigate the challenges of raising children in small urban living spaces. It showcases the lengths people will go to in order to remain in the city they love, even as their living situations become increasingly cramped.

The details

Families like the Almodovars and the Halls have made extensive renovations to their small apartments, including building custom triple bunk beds, installing sliding doors, and adding open shelving and bright paint to make the most of their limited square footage. The Droubay family even traded their six-bedroom suburban home for a three-bedroom apartment in Park Slope, decreasing their belongings by three-quarters to fit. Despite the trade-offs, many families say the access to culture, food, and community in the city makes it worthwhile.

  • The Almodovars have lived in their 750-square-foot, two-bedroom apartment for 10 years, since their marriage.
  • The Halls' two-bedroom, two-bathroom rental apartment in Brooklyn has 'evolved a lot over the years' as their family has grown to five people and two dogs.

The players

Sarah and Peterson Almodovar

A Washington Heights couple who have radically renovated their two-bedroom childhood home to accommodate their growing family of five.

Ella Hall

A Brooklyn-based entrepreneur and mother of three who has shared her small apartment set-up on TikTok, including using Ikea built-in 'hacks' and creating hidden storage.

Maren Droubay

A mother of five who traded her family's six-bedroom suburban home for a three-bedroom apartment in Park Slope, decreasing their belongings by three-quarters to fit.

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What they’re saying

“We really believe that humans are adaptable and we need so much less than we think we need.”

— Sarah Almodovar (Daily Mail)

“Fitting clothing, toys and supplies for a family of 7 into this apartment took some adjustment to our lifestyle. We now have to live minimally, and give away old toys every time we bring in new ones.”

— Maren Droubay (Email)

“The trade off of being able to live so close to so much culture, food, museums, and live in such a beautiful community has been 100% worth it. We don't spend a lot of time in our apartment! We spend most of our time outside, exploring our beautiful city!”

— Maren Droubay (Email)

The takeaway

This story showcases the creative problem-solving and adaptability of New York City families as they navigate the challenges of raising children in small urban living spaces. It demonstrates the lengths people will go to in order to remain in the city they love, even as their living situations become increasingly cramped, highlighting the value they place on access to culture, food, and community.