[10023]

I have lived in a highrise with and without a balcony, a midrise with a terrace, a multi-unit building with no balcony or terrace, three rowhouses, a walk-up apartment (on the ground floor) with a terrace, and a suburban 6-bedroom house on 2 acres.

I don't see the point of balconies. There isn't enough room to gather with friends, or really use the space. There is no benefit of fresh air that you can't get from opening a big window. I think the only time I used it was to go out for a smoke, and most people don't smoke.

A terrace, on the other hand, is a very nice thing to have - but these are typically found with pre-war apartments on one of the top floors where there are setbacks, and also don't have the aesthetic drawbacks of balconies. By terrace I mean the roof of the apartment below, where there is a setback, not something hanging off the side. Terraces also have the major benefit of not having another one directly overhead, so there's direct sunlight.

Basically, I feel most people think they need a balcony when they're not accustomed to living in a highrise, but don't use it.