If you spend enough time looking, you’ll find that New York has its fair share of apartment gems. Contrary to the popular belief of those who’ve never dabbled in the gotham real estate game, it’s not all gnarly walk-ups, cramped spaces and tiny nooks. Once in a while, you’ll hit what feels like the jackpot and most of your priorities align (Price point! Outdoor space! Location! Dishwashing machine!). You are willing to overlook the rest because you are just happy that you found a place to live.

I didn’t think I’d care that much about outdoor space but now that I have it, I’ll admit it’s pretty great having a little leafy oasis in the middle of the concrete jungle. Especially when every once in a while, New York City will don an incredible cotton candy sky, turning everything overhead into a vibrant pink. When that happens, I’ll gladly take the best seat in the house.

In the process of finding creative inspiration, traveling miles and miles away just to see the sky light up like this seems obvious. But then I’ll walk five feet onto my balcony and find exactly what I was looking for. And the great part is that I never even had to leave home.