Tips For Empty Nesters in Apartments

A pastel colored bedroom with white linens.
Photo Credit: Havenly

If you find yourself wondering how to stay busy now that your children have gone off to college, are studying abroad, or finally have a home of their own, we have a few helpful tips for newly empty apartment nesters to make the most of this free time! From getting your apartment in order, to taking up a passion project, we’ve outlined our top suggestions for this new exciting chapter of your life, below!

An organized closet display,
Photo Credit: The Container Store

Tip #1: Re-Organize Your Empty Space

First things first: invest time in organizing the room your child left behind.

This will vary slightly based on your situation (if your child is off to college but still plans to spend summers and breaks at home, you’ll probably want to leave their stuff in tact more so than if they have gone off to a permanent new apartment.) But regardless, now is the time to take stock of their former space and all the things they have left behind. Head to the Container Store and pick up various sized sturdy containers, perfect for storing any leftover scrapbooks or mementos that you want to hold on to, but just not have clutter your newly acquired space. Glenwood apartments, like Paramount Tower, are notorious for having large custom closets, so take advantage of this extra space and stack your containers neatly in there!

New Room Ideas:

  • Home Office
  • In-Home Yoga Room / Meditation Retreat
  • Craft Room / DIY Zone
  • Guest Bedroom
  • Work Out Space / Exercise Room

If you need design inspiration (this is, after all, supposed to be a fun project!), consider using a site like Havenly, which gives you the benefit of having an interior designer who understands your style at a fraction of the normal cost (thank you, internet!)

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Tip #2: Host Friends for an Evening of Fun

Now that you have your space all jazzed up, why not show it off?! It’s easy to let your social calendar go during those child rearing years, what with all the school activities, ballet and soccer practices, SAT prep… the list goes on and on. Reach out to friends who you haven’t seen in a while and enjoy a dinner party! This can be anything from a wine and cheese tasting, an 80’s themed movie night with cocktails and pizza, and to a board game brunch complete with take out from your favorite local diner. Not only will you get to rekindle old friendships, but you’ll get the joy of hosting people at your home.

Many Glenwood residents have the added benefit of enjoying balconies and terraces, such as Briar Hill in Riverdale, which are going to be excellent for entertaining during the spring and summer seasons.

Tip #3: Invite Out of Town Family and Friends to Visit

When all the bedrooms are full, hosting out of town friends or family can feel like more of a burden than a blessing. But now that you have all this extra space (and potentially a new guest bedroom!), look at it as a wonderful way to catch up with long distance family and friends!

Invite your parents from afar or your college roommate from across the state to come visit for a weekend, and take pleasure in preparing a fun itinerary of things to do with them while they’re here (see that new Broadway show, try a new restaurant, play tourist for the day and ride the Staten Island Ferry). You’ll have an automatic sightseeing buddy, spend quality time with someone you probably wouldn’t have otherwise, and will have the happiness of being able to cook and care for someone for a few days – even if it’s not your 20 year old son or daughter!

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Tip #4: Explore a Passion Project

Your time is probably filling up now with all the hosting you’re doing! But make sure to carve out time for another very important and very fulfilling thing: your hobbies! A hobby is something that is not work related, and that you do for the sheer pleasure of doing it. These are usually the first things to get swept under the table when life gets busy with kids, so it’s now time to revisit them! Perhaps you love reading – why not visit your local New York Public Library or bookstore and sign up for their monthly book clubs? Maybe tango dancing is something you’ve always wanted to dip your toes into – sign up for a weekly class! Interested in taking your yoga practice to the next level? Try a Teacher Training program! No matter your passion project, New York has plenty of ways to explore it, especially now that you have more of the most valuable resource of all: time. Happy nesting!

Do you have any tips for new empty nesters? Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter and let us know!

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