New York City parents looking for a family-friendly place to raise their children have greatly influenced Manhattan real estate developers as they begin to include outdoor playgrounds as an amenity to newly constructed apartment buildings. In a city where parents used to have to walk numerous blocks in order to take their children to a local park, now luxury condominiums and homes have noticed the benefits to integrating private playgrounds for residents. Providing both convenience and safety for residents, building playgrounds is now a strategic way to get families interested in buying an apartment.

According to NY1, the Laureate on the Upper West Side has drawn many potential apartment buyers to the building via their playgrounds. "We bring the buyers down to our amenity level," Developer Reuveni says. "This, at the end of the day, possibly seals the deal.” Essentially, what new developments are striving to do is create a communal, private environment where residents don’t feel like they have to leave their building to do their favorite things. Basketball courts, tennis courts, and even dog runs have been included into luxury apartment buildings to attract buyers, bringing what used to be outdoor activities straight to the home.

The difference in priorities New Yorkers are considering when buying a new home is evident in this recent trend. While pre-war buildings are stoic and preferable to an older generation, the younger generation is has proven to demand more from their buildings. Luxury condominiums such as The Rushmore, situated on the Upper West Side, boast not only a billiards room and private theater, but also a private playground and baby-sitting service. These increasingly essential amenities express the changing, family-focused priorities of fellow New Yorkers in the modern era.