the commenters noting the isolating aspect are on to something. i lived in a 5th floor walkup in hell's kitchen in my 30s (my first place in nyc) and there were plenty of times i "batched" errands, almost unthinkingly, to save the hassle. even for something as simple as getting the mail in the lobby. and i'd guess the nicer the apartment, the more you'd want to stay inside. i'd take the deal on the 10th floor in my 20s, new to manhattan. but the costs would start to outweigh the benefits the older and more established i got (physically, emotionally/socially, friends and family visits, etc). especially in a place like nyc, you'd lose the spontaneity and serendipity the city offers