apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I used to live in a 7th floor walk up, also the last floor, also hard south. I liked: that it kept me fit(!), it was quiet because I was away from the traffic noise, I didn't have anyone stomping around above my head or clumping past my door on their way down the stairs, I could pretend I was at the top of the mast of a ship with just the sky for company, and I could think about all the people getting on with their lives in all those layers down beneath my feet.
Get yourself some sun-loving plants to put in window-boxes and feel lucky you're not on the eighth floor. :)

I'm on the 12th story (NY) and it was an adjustment being several floors above the treetops. Best thing: the SKY! We are up before dawn every day (toddler), and we get to see the sky change in the east. Look up, not down.

I also have exposure on only one side. Fans help.

Maybe you can take advantage of that intense sun from your southern exposure and get a few house plants. That will bring some foliage into your apt. Another thing I like to do is put seating up near the window/view so that I can take advantage of looking out a much as possible, so I don't feel trapped up in my own tower like Rupunzel.

You could also get sun blocking curtains.

Kim,
It sounds like you might be feeling just a bit claustrophobic. Having moved from a house to an apartment, I understand. For me, air flow has been very important. You could turn on your circulating fan on your furnace/ac unit, get a circular-type fan that will increase the airflow or do what I did which was purchase one of those small dual-unit window fans that do both intake and exhaust depending on how you set them.
Google twin window fans. I have the Lasko brand one that fits with the screen in place and adjusts to fit various size windows and surprisingly doesn't look tacky from outside!
Also you might want to do a couple of dry-runs to time how fast you can actually get out if you need to and plan your route. Just having a plan may help you feel more comfortable. We should all have a emergency escape plan anyway regardless of where we live!
All that said, it has taken a year and working through the Fall Cure to begin to feel like I am "at home." Here's hoping you will soon feel at home!

I live on the 15th story of a Manhattan highrise. I once lived on the 19th story of a more suburban highrise building in Atlanta. I have also lived much closer to the ground.

Both highrise apartment have had a S/W/N exposure, allowing me to see great sunsets. Most of my current views are of other buildings, though many are far away. I love eating dinner while watching the always-changing lights of other apartments twinkling in the distance. The sky is much more at hand in a higher apartment. There are always the lights of a plane or a (suprising) number of baloons floating by. The sounds of the City are still evident, but at a much more white-noise hum.

What you characterize as a "trapped" feeling could easily become a feeling of security, knowing that you're less prone to break ins. I use blackout roman shades in the bedroom, and they do a great job. But when I want sun, it's right there... unlike the sliver of light I got in my previous walk-up apartment. I'm blessed with a balcony, so I've added my own greenery, but the same effect could be had by adding some indoor plants at window level. If the photo above is from your building, it looks like you can do some great things out there with plants, too. If you haven't done so, please be sure to get a table and chairs and sit outside as often as you can. It's such a great treat to be able to enjoy an outdoor view.

I lived in a 10th floor condo for 9 years and loved it for at least the first 5-6 years. I personally loved the open views, but my favorite reason for living in a highrise was watching the changes in the weather. I live in Denver and even a light snow would look like a blizzard from a 10th floor view and lighting storms were amazing to watch.

After that, the excitement of living up high wore off. I began to feel disconnected from life and longed to live near street level to connect more with the street life.

Anyhow, I do hope you learn to love it. I used roman shades across all of my windows so I could adjust them up or down depending on the level of the sun but didn't necessarily need to close them except at sunrise as my place faced east. as far as a cross breeze, I only had windows on the one side and just learned to rely on AC in the summer. My windows were a continuous 24 feet and all could open, so it was like a big screen porch when I did open everything up.

I lived on LSD on the 28th floor and was never so happy to move out and down beneath the tree canopy. I love trees and their movement and their shade and foliage. I would never live high up again, or at least not above where firemen can reach me easily.

I too wonder what attracts people to hi rise living. To me it removes me from the earth and other living things. The box in the sky is fun to visit, but not to live in.

I am currently on the second floor on the north side of the building facing a gangway. I am moving across the hall because the southern exposure allows a fantastic view out upon a neo-Romanesque Catholic Church - terra cotta brick and tiled roof. Beautiful! But I can assure you the first thing I did was sun control. I bought room darkening shades, yes shades, and hung them behind all of my blinds. Hopefully my A/C bill won't break me now. I am in St. Louis currently where summer is much more intense than the Great Lakes region. The plus side is our mild winters along with the new full southern exposure should keep my gas bill in check. (Gas is way more expensive here than electricity.)

Maybe this will help you a little bit. Another plus to living in a building without an elevator. If you have morning breath and want to grab something out of the car, no need to hold your breath the entire elevator trip thus sparing your neighbors!

I recently moved from a 40th floor apartment facing Lake Michigan. The views were incredible, but it felt very aloof and austere in ways I didn't expect.

When I was in a high rise, I was much happier using softer, more organic color (especially greens) than I do now that I can see trees. A lot of what felt missing was the colors of trees and earth, I think. The other biggie is indeed air flow--you need fans, and get drapes that will move in the air and make your place feel less sterile and more alive. The worst thing about my 40th floor place was that, for obvious reasons, I could hardly open the windows and the air flow was very poor.

That said, I really loved my hi-rise living and am still relatively high up--4th floor. You couldn't pay me to live on the first floor again, since I feel much safer up high.

I'm having the opposite problem! Moving down to the 1st floor from a 21st floor apartment is odd. I have no natural "green thumb," so trying to create/maintain a working terrace is a challenge! Plus, the feeling that someone could break into my apartment at any time is a bit unsettling.

Things I LOVED about living up high:
1. The View (goes without saying).
2. Being able to leave the window/balcony door open 24 hours a day without fear of robbery.
3. Being able to sit outdoors naked in a major downtown area and not be seen.
4. Avoiding a lot of noise from the street.
5. Dropping water balloons! (not on people, of course!!).
6. Watching thunderstorms roll in.
7. Watching the sky light up for miles around you on July 4.

That said, you're right on many points. I never did get over the annoyance of taking a long time to get to my place, the scorching sun in the summer, or the feeling that an encroaching fire might be particularly dangerous.

Oooohh, to live with intense sun through south facing windows. I would totally get into indoor gardening. Get some books about it. I also really do think using natural greens in your decor will help you feel more like you're living on planet earth. Browns, too.

I live in a 6-story shoe factory turned lofts. I am on the 6th floor, with a south-facing view and windows only on the south side.
Cons about this situation: little air flow, ocassional leaks, grimeys falling from the almost 100 year old timber ceiling, no garden.
Pros: isolation from street noise, fabulous view, great sunsets and sunrises, no one above us, we get to hear the rain fall on the roof, we have fabulous solar gain in the winter. And the very best one is being able to watch lightning strike the Sears tower during storms.
I really like living on the top floor of my building, but don't know how much higher I would like to live. If you do what you can to make the space really fabulous, you might change your mind.

I'm totally with you on the high living--I live on the second floor, but my boyfriend lives on the 23rd floor, and it is taking me a long time to adjust.

My biggest issue was one of your concerns, too. Since there are only windows on one side of the apt, there was minimal air circulation, and it drove me nuts. We went and got a cute looking minimally intrusive floor fan and placed it strategically to help circulate the air. This made a huge difference for me.

Plants are also an excellent suggestion. Keep them near the windows and maybe you can feel like you brought the trees indoors! Actually, maybe I will gift my bf with an easy to care for plant...

I used to live below the sidewalk in a brownstone here in Manhattan and then moved to a high rise. I can't believe how much I love living up high. The view of sky and water makes all the difference. With windows on one side only, I open my front door a bit to get a nice breeze. I lucked out and have a big balcony so I have flowers and trees out there along with a big fountain. That gives me the bit of nature I miss from living street level.

If you don't have any outdoor space try some plants inside along with other natural elements. Create a soothing environment with muted earthtones. Put a small fountain in your place for the sound of water. And just add in an additional minute or 2 to your daily schedule for slow elevators :)