Architect Breaks Down 5 of the Most Common New York Apartments | Architectural Digest

Michael Wyetzner of Michielli + Wyetzner Architects returns to AD, this time breaking down five of the most common apartment types found in New York City. From long and narrow railroad-style abodes to stately multi-level brownstones and everything in between, Michael gives expert insight on the many different places you can call home in the big apple.

Director: Morgan Crossley
Director of Photography: Eric Brouse
Editor: Estan Esparza
Host: Michael Wyetzner
Senior Producer: Alyssa Marino
Line Producer: Joseph Buscemi
Associate Producer: Landrie Hatcher
Production Manager: Melissa Heber
Production Coordinator: Julie Suronen & Fernando DAvila
Camera Operator: Colton Huynh
Sound Mixer: Gabe Quiroga
Production Assistant: Christina Lamagna
Post Production Supervisor: Nick Ascanio
Post Production Coordinator: Ian Bryant
Supervising Editor: Doug Larson
Assistant Editor: Andy Morell


Archive Credits: Artist Studio Loft image courtesy of Edmund Vincent Gillon Museum of the City of New York.


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[blenderguru]

Imagine living in a single closed bedroom with your entire family AND having 3 other families walk through your room to get to theirs. We have it so good😭

[maverickdab]

I really love the way you pointed out "WHY" there was change in design, yet also explained why the change you see today.

[TennSeven]

I lived in NY for about ten years, and I laughed when you mentioned the "ample heat." It's quite common to look up and see apartment windows open during the coldest days of winter because the older, steam-heated apartments have two settings for the heat: off, and fiery depths of Hell.

[kennedyismyhero]

I’ve said it once, I’ll say it a +100x ….if this guy writes a book, or starts a channel with longer deep dives on each building styles? I’ll subscribe or buy a book, whatever. He articulates SO well a topic I never knew I was so fascinated by.

[swagaintafag]

Really enjoyed this episode as it touched base on the evolution of architecture in New York and the motivation behind the different architectures, which is something most people do not consider or appreciate.

[ProHomeCooks]

This is incredible. After living in NYC for 10 years its so cool to learn the history behind all these types of buildings I lived in over the years!

[damara]

As both a new yorker and a lover of architecture, this is genuinely one of my favorite videos AD has ever produced. What a wonderful guest- I could listen to him for hours.

[zoe]

I loooove that he addresses the way class and wealth play into each of these apartment types and neighborhoods! Wasn't expecting that as my assumption is usually that architects have wealth themselves and may not care about everyone else. Great video :)

[Ohmyblueberriez]

I really appreciate how he approached the changes of New York being caused by gentrification rather than just "things progressing". Humanizing and including marginalized people and financial insecurities in the conversation of housing is so important!

[nyloves]

Loved every minute of this video, I remember a teacher saying if you know what you’re teaching it’s never complicated. Anyone that complicates a subject doesn’t know it. This was fantastic……

[totalwomanja]

This is absolutely fascinating! When visiting NYC, I see many of theses buildings in specific areas and to have a their historical context laid out in this video is quite mind blowing. I love this video. Excellent content. I really appreciate it.

[iamme]

This was extremely informative and insightful. I was born in the Bronx in the early 80s and can remember some distinctive looks and feel of the buildings in New York. Great video.

[cupriferouscatalyst]

It makes me sad realizing that there was a period in time (however brief in the grand scheme of things) when artists were taken so much more seriously than both before and after. Here in Sweden there was even the concept of "artist's pay" during much of the past century, which meant that artists could receive basic income simply for being an artist, as long as they went to speak with the proper authority and could prove that they were regularly producing art and that there was some sort of public interest in their works.

[nicolerichards]

So much important history in such a short video! Michael is so smart-- would love to see him discuss more about NYC architecture!

[cinemaocd]

This was so interesting. I always heard these terms thrown around but never really knew what they meant. The origin of "stoop" being Dutch makes a lot of sense, because it's a weirdly specific New York City word. I had no idea the origin of "studio apartment" was so fancy! I think the pattern of artists going into an industrial area, living like pioneers, building something special only to be victims of their own success when they are priced out of the neighborhood, has repeated itself all around the world.

[frankiethefish]

I went to architecture school about 30 years ago and this presentation reminds me about how much enjoyment I received from listening to a good architectural history professor.

[elmike-o]

It’s this guy again. This guy needs to have his own show. I would watch it all the time.

[bunkie]

My wife and I lived in a studio for over 20 years. As New Yorkers, we engaged in that favorite competitive sport, tracking real estate (both for sale and rentals). One day an ad appeared listing one of the studios in our line for sale, describing it as being "420 square feet". This surprised me so I got out my tape measure and measured every square inch of our apartment and calculated the actual square footage. This led me to the conclusion that in addition to both English and Metric measurements, there is a "Manhattan Real Estate Measurement". Specifically, according to my calculation, a Manhattan Square Foot is approximately 9 inches by 9 inches.

[GolayaPravda]

This is just such a well made video all around. Informative without any fluff just straight to the point, graphics and photos perfectly illustrating narration. It's 16 minutes long yet felt like 5 because of how well paced and clearly presented it is. Youtube randomly suggested it to me and I enjoyed every second of it. It should be a standard for educational videos under 20 minutes.

[karonmalingo]

Michael Wyetzner, you did a wonderful job with this apartment breakdown. Watching it once was not enough. Thank you and cheers.