In New York City and other older cities across the country, there are various ways to describe apartment buildings. One of the most common differences between prewar and postwar apartments is classified when the building finished construction. Some renters may have preferences about the type of building they live in, as each has their own set of characteristics.
Prewar Apartments
Prewar apartments reside in buildings that were built before the Second World War. Unique layouts, high ceilings, crown molding, sturdy construction, and more characterize these. These often have real wood flooring, large doorways, and heavy wooden doors. They have strong foundations and still stand after a hundred years.
While these might not have the new and fancy amenities that many newer apartments might have, they are still a very popular and desirable option. There is a ton of demand for these apartments and people seem to really love them for their charm and character. Additionally, some modern landlords conduct renovations that preserve the charming characteristics of the unit while replacing some out of date fixtures. For example, it’s very common to find stainless steel appliances and a dishwasher in a pre-war unit these days.
Postwar Apartments
As you could probably imagine, a postwar apartment is one that was built after the Second World War but before the 1990s. These apartments tend to show characteristics based on their respective decade. Postwar apartments more distinctly show the design and architecture changes from the 50s through the 90s.
There is a ton of variety in terms of how these can look. Older postwar places might be made of brick and have parquet floors, while newer ones might have things like modern amenities, and be a little bit more “cookie-cutter” in their appearance. These postwar apartments are also quite a bit easier to renovate and things can often be swapped out with ease, requiring little work.
Units built after the 1990s typically fall into the term of “new construction.” These are your ultra modern skyrises that have modern appliances and usually reside in buildings with plenty of amenities.
Conclusion
So as you can see, there are quite a few differences between the two. Prewar apartments have strong foundations, but also offer quite a bit less flexibility for adjustments or renovations. Additionally, they often have more character and each apartment is different from one another. Alternatively, postwar apartments often look similar to other units from the same time frame or area. They each have their pros and cons, and ultimately, it will come down to your own personal tastes when it comes to which type of apartment you decide to rent.
Editor’s Note: We updated this article to enhance readability.
