Apartment building types common in NYC
Most turnover volume in dense NYC markets sits in pre-war and early post-war stock — not master-planned suburban modules. Maintenance teams usually standardize by opening type, not by floor plan name.
- Pre-war walk-ups and post-war wings — shallow jambs, uneven plaster, narrow bedroom openings
- Steel lintels and masonry returns that are out of square — outside mount is common
- Patio sliders in converted or post-war units need vertical track mount, not mini brackets
- Window guards (required in many units with children) must remain operable
- Co-op and condo boards may restrict visible hardware from the street
Field guides for New York City
Each guide covers mounting depth, typical opening sizes, and reorder specs for a specific housing archetype — not a generic city landing page.
Window Field Guide · Pre-War & Post-War Apartments
Pre-war apartment windows: mount depth, materials, and what landlords reorder
Pre-war and early post-war apartments rarely share one window module. Jambs are shallow, plaster is uneven, and patio sliders want a different treatment than narrow bedroom openings. This guide maps mounting methods by blind type — not a generic city landing page.
Read guideWindow Field Guide · Post-War Masonry Walk-Ups
Post-war masonry walk-ups: brick returns, steel lintels, and reorder specs
Post-war masonry walk-ups and elevator buildings from the 1950s through the 1970s sit between pre-war plaster stock and Sun Belt garden-style — brick or limestone facades, steel lintels, double-hung bedrooms, and patio sliders on newer wings. Outer-borough NYC, Chicago post-war courts, DC 1960s flats, and Boston garden-style masonry blocks share turnover discipline: measure every opening, standardize white vinyl mini on bedrooms, vertical on sliders.
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Related guides
Production-home, townhome, and patio-slider guides that often overlap New York City portfolios.
Window Field Guide · Mid-Atlantic Rowhouses & Flats
Mid-Atlantic rowhouse windows: brick jambs, bay groups, and outside mount
The I-95 corridor between Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington built on brick rowhouses and flat conversions — not NYC pre-war walk-ups, not Chicago three-flats. Narrow front windows, grouped bay oriel windows, shallow masonry returns, and rear kitchen sliders repeat from Fishtown and Passyunk to Federal Hill, Charles Village, and Capitol Hill. Jambs are often too shallow for inside-mount 2" faux wood; vinyl mini outside mount on trim is the turnover default. This guide maps mount methods by material for Mid-Atlantic row stock.
Read guideWindow Field Guide · Patio Sliders & Sliding Glass Doors
Patio sliders and sliding glass doors: pick product, size, and stack side first
A patio slider is a product problem before it is a city problem — the same 72" × 80" rear door appears on Houston production homes, DFW ranch plans, Florida lanais, garden apartments, and Phoenix block/stucco stock. Buyers search by opening size (68×84, 78×84, 72×80, 94" wide) and by product type (vertical vs roller vs faux wood panels). This guide maps the decision tree: measure glass, pick vertical or roller or stacked faux, choose stack side, then pick inside vs face mount on the header.
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Ordering for property managers
Commercial workflows for apartment turns, bulk renovation, and spec reordering.
Frequently asked questions
- Do you install blinds in New York City apartments?
- We ship custom-cut blinds nationwide from Texas. Professional on-site installation is available in Dallas–Fort Worth only. Most NYC landlords and maintenance teams self-install or use a local installer with our shipped product.
- Which NYC apartment guide should I read first?
- Start with the pre-war apartment field guide if your stock is pre-war walk-ups, post-war elevator buildings, or shallow masonry openings in the five boroughs and nearby New Jersey waterfront.