newyork.localmean.com/walk-up
Walk-up
WAWK-up
Local meaning
An apartment or building above street level that has no elevator, requiring residents and visitors to use the stairs.
Walk-up is everyday New York housing language because many older apartment buildings lack elevators. A listing may specify the floor, which greatly changes the practical meaning of the term.
Example in context
- “It’s a fifth-floor walk-up, so pack light.”
How it is used
Standard U.S. real-estate vocabulary with especially frequent relevance in New York City.
neutral, practical
apartment listings, moving, visiting, housing conversation
Standard U.S. real-estate vocabulary with especially frequent relevance in New York City.
A walk-up can create serious accessibility barriers; do not treat the stairs as a charming detail for every resident.
Spelling and scope
Standard U.S. real-estate vocabulary with especially frequent relevance in New York City.
- Search forms
new york walk up apartmentfive floor walkupwalk-up building
LocalMean keeps common search spellings discoverable without claiming that every borough, community, or generation uses one written form.
Frequently asked questions
Does a walk-up have an elevator?
No. The defining feature is that upper floors are reached by stairs.
Is every old New York building a walk-up?
No. Many older buildings have elevators, and some walk-ups are not especially old.
Read next
All words →Evidence and further reading
These sources support the regional association, dictionary sense, or broader spread. The entry remains open to correction from New York speakers and qualified reviewers.
- walk-upMerriam-Webster
Dictionary definition of an apartment or building without an elevator.
- NYC Building ClassificationsNew York City Department of Finance
Official city classifications identifying walk-up apartment building types.