Kelly Kreth

After her stint in the military was over, Gardette decided to make a big change and move to the Bronx, where her plans included buying a co-op—and becoming a dentist. She finds buying in New York City for the first time complicated, and New York more expensive than she's used to, but she's happy with her decision. Here’s her story.

We asked New Yorkers what they wished they had known about their buildings before they moved in and there's a lot you can learn from. Here’s what they have to say.

Wachira Leangtonom was living in a small walk-up in Chinatown with a roommate. She appreciated the area's convenient location and she loved the many nearby restaurants and grocery stores, but the apartment was small, dark, and it was difficult to get deliveries, problems that the shutdown magnified. With her lease running out, she decided to strike out on her own in Chelsea. Here’s her story.

Lauren Z. Rosenthal and her husband Marc were living near Union Square, but the many chain stores and singles scene made the area feel anonymous. They wanted more of a community feel and found it just blocks away in Gramercy. Here’s Lauren’s story.

Hulu’s comedic murder mystery series “Only Murders in the Building” debuted this week starring Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez as three neighbors obsessed with true crime (who isn’t these days?) who stumble on a mystery in their own Upper West Side building and set out to solve it.

Lauren, an attorney, was living in a rent-stabilized apartment in Brooklyn Heights. The location was great, but the place was dark and the building neglected. She saw a new waterfront condo in the Rockaways—the only building she checked out in person as part of her search—and decided to buy there—despite the fact that it would make her commute an hour and a half one way. Here’s her story.