When it comes to finding a place to call home, New Yorkers\u2019 pets take precedence \u2014 and they\u2019re putting their best paws forward.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Local empty-nester pet owners and New Yorkers without children are eager to place Fido\u2019s comfort over proximity to transportation access or buzzy bar and restaurant scenes. <\/p>\n
While pet amenities in the city\u2019s luxury real estate market are far from new \u2014 such as pet spas and doggy daycare opportunities \u2014 residents and developers alike are increasingly putting animal comforts more on par with their own.<\/p>\n
Take Princess, a 12-year-old poodle mix whose special needs prompted her owners to move twice in one year.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Senior dog Princess needed more space and less noise, prompting her loving owners to move. EMMY PARK<\/p>\n
Amar and Priyanka Polepalle moved to penthouse apartment on the LIC waterfront that suited Princess\u2019s needs. EMMY PARK<\/p>\n
Her devoted parents, Amar Polepalle, 35, and Priyanka Polepalle, 31, both work in medicine, and moved from Connecticut to a lease takeover in Long Island City\u2019s Jackson Park area over the summer \u2014 but quickly realized their first choice of apartment wasn\u2019t a good fit.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Most importantly, the apartment\u2019s location above bustling Queensborough Plaza \u2014 a major Queens transit hub \u2014 didn\u2019t suit Princess\u2019s suburban sensibilities.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShe doesn\u2019t like high-energy things,\u201d Priyanka told The Post. Plus, the 12-year-old feels more comfortable walking on grass than concrete. \u201cShe doesn\u2019t like puppies, she doesn\u2019t like toddlers. She wants more chill environments. We could tell she was stressed out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Indeed, as those from suburban or rural areas can face major adjustments when moving to a city like New York, their pets also feel the brunt of the transition.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we were living there, it was really loud and chaotic, and Princess was having a hard time adjusting from her suburb life to that, so that\u2019s when we started looking to move somewhere else,\u201d Priyanka added.
\u201cIt was a really busy intersection with trucks and buses and the trains are very loud with the 7 train of the ground. I think you could tell she was overstimulated, overwhelmed. She at baseline is not a huge fan of loud noise.\u201d<\/p>\n
Princess, pictured in front of her new home, is living out her golden years in luxury. EMMY PARK<\/p>\n
Princess next to one of her new Malt Drive amenities. EMMY PARK<\/p>\n
And after just two months, the Polepalles were back on the house hunt, and Princess\u2019s preferences came first. Instead of proximity to a transit hub, they now searched for wide open, quiet spaces for Princess.<\/p>\n
The Polepalles picked out a two-bedroom penthouse in Long Island City\u2019s new Malt Drive development. The seasoned lap dog now enjoys multi-exposure views of Manhattan and Brooklyn from her 25th floor perch.\u00a0Moreover, the quiet waterfront location perfectly suited Princess, Priyanka said. There are no more noisy trains and lots of grass \u2014 although an ACL tear has kept her walks confined to her puppy stroller.<\/p>\n
The Polepalles report that Princess is on the road to recovery, eager to live out her golden years in luxurious peace and quiet.<\/p>\n
Previous estimates have pegged New York City\u2019s pet count at roughly 1.1 million, and surveys find that the canine population is particularly spoiled.\u00a0<\/p>\n
More than half of New Yorkers spend more on their dogs\u2019 health and grooming than their own, according to a 2025 survey by Forbes Advisor<\/a>. <\/p>\n Pet spas are an increasingly frequent offering at new residential developments. Emmy Park for NY Post<\/p>\n These spoiled New York City pups don\u2019t have to leave their doorstep to get a bath. EMMY PARK<\/p>\n In-house pet concierges and doggy daycares cater to busy New Yorkers. EMMY PARK<\/p>\n Social events for pet parents, like One Williamsburg Wharf\u2019s \u201cSanta Paws\u201d event, are designed to attract residents and their pups, like Rufus. LIVunLtd<\/p>\n The festive social even included custom paw print ornaments. LIVunLtd<\/p>\n Dog ownership in New York City spiked more than 40% in 2020, according to the city\u2019s public licensing data<\/a>, especially so as many locals were homebound during the pandemic. Even a cursory search of the city\u2019s pet-friendly apartments supply reveals that developers have taken note.<\/p>\n