Two buildings on the same block can list the same rent, and one will feel like a steal while the other feels overpriced. The difference is usually the amenities — not how many a building has, but how many you'll actually use. A climbing wall you walk past once a month isn't worth what a gym you visit four times a week is. Here's how to tell which features earn their place in your budget and which are just marketing on the floor plan.
The Amenities That Pay for Themselves
The strongest value comes from amenities that replace a separate monthly bill. An in-building gym is the clearest example. A standalone Manhattan fitness membership is a real recurring cost, and the commute to it eats the time you'd actually spend working out. When the gym is downstairs — The Anthem has an on-site Crunch Fitness — the math shifts: you're not paying twice, and you're far more likely to use it. The same logic applies to a doorman and a secure package room. In a city where deliveries pile up in lobbies and packages go missing, having a 24/7 doorman accept and hold yours isn't a luxury line item; it's the thing that saves you a recurring headache week after week.
Work-From-Home Space You'd Otherwise Rent
If you work from home even part of the week, shared work space quietly becomes one of the most valuable things a building offers. A resident lounge gives you somewhere to take a call or change scenery without a coffee-shop tab, and a conference room means you can host a client meeting or a focused work block without renting a co-working desk. The Anthem's lounge — with a fireplace and library — and its conference room exist for exactly this. Price them against what a part-time co-working membership costs, and they often cover their share of any amenity fee on their own.
Entertaining Space and the Honest Caveat
A roof terrace is the amenity people fall in love with on the tour and then have to be honest with themselves about. If you entertain, or you want outdoor space without paying for a private balcony, a shared roof terrace earns its keep — it's the difference between hosting friends and apologizing for a cramped studio. If you're a homebody who'd use it twice a summer, weight it lower. The same goes for a children's playroom: invaluable to a family, irrelevant otherwise. Value an amenity by your real habits, not the version of yourself you imagine on move-in day.
How to Read an Amenity Fee Honestly
When a building charges an amenity fee, do the subtraction. List the features you'll genuinely use each month, estimate what each would cost on its own — gym membership, co-working access, package handling — and compare that total to the fee. If your real usage covers it, the fee is fair. If you're paying for a golf simulator you'll never touch, it isn't. One amenity that's easy to undervalue is connectivity: reliable internet is infrastructure you use every single day. At The Anthem, Honest Networks offers gigabit service — the code ANTHEM26H gets two months free at honest.net/signup/anthem — with Verizon Fios as an alternative. Confirm any fee specifics with the leasing office before you sign.
The best way to judge amenities is to stand in them. Schedule a tour to see The Anthem's on-site Crunch Fitness, resident lounge, roof terrace, and conference room for yourself, and ask about Honest Networks gigabit while you're there. Browse our amenities or available residences, then call our team at (212) 684-3222.
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