Living in New York City with a family of five is not for the faint of heart, but one father is proving that small spaces don’t have to mean a small life. Tyler Moore, a teacher who runs the Instagram account @tidydad, recently gave his followers an unfiltered look at the apartment he shares with his wife Emily and their three daughters. The girls, Mabel (10), Matilda (8), and Margaret (5), all share this compact New York home with their parents. Far from being a polished showcase of picture-perfect family living, Tyler’s video struck a chord precisely because it was real.
The apartment itself falls into a category that many New Yorkers know well. “We live in what’s called a railroad apartment,” Tyler told Newsweek. “The apartment is long and narrow, and to get to one room, you have to pass through another — like train cars. It might sound strange, but we’ve gotten used to it and it works for us.” The railroad layout is one of the most common apartment styles in New York City, especially in older buildings, and it requires a certain kind of adaptability from the families who call it home. For the Moores, that adaptability has become second nature.
One of the biggest myths Tyler wants to bust is the idea that a bigger apartment is always the answer. While he and Emily acknowledge that an extra bathroom would be a welcome addition, they consistently weigh that desire against what it would actually cost them. “What would that mean for our rent? And what about other things that are important to us, like travel, various experiences, and money we can spend as we want?” he asked. For a family living in one of the most expensive real estate markets in the world, these are not abstract questions. Every square foot comes with a price tag, and the Moores have decided their priorities lie elsewhere.
Tyler also pushed back against what he calls a “hermit crab mentality,” a way of thinking where people keep accumulating belongings until their space feels impossibly cramped, only to conclude they need a bigger home. He argues that this cycle rarely ends well and that the real fix is often far simpler. “And sometimes the real solution is simple — just have fewer things,” he said. It’s a philosophy rooted in intentionality rather than deprivation, and it resonates with a growing number of families who are rethinking how much space they actually need to live well.
The Instagram video racked up more than 613,000 views and generated an enthusiastic response in the comments. One user wrote, “I just needed this today. Thank you for the reminder that small spaces can be used really well.” Another commenter offered a cultural perspective, saying, “I’m Italian and it’s completely normal for us to live together in smaller spaces. I’ve always liked that.” A third viewer summed it up neatly: “I like how you show the uniqueness of New York apartments. Not all of them are penthouses with glass walls.” The feedback made clear that people were hungry for content that reflects how most families actually live, rather than aspirational fantasy versions of domesticity.
Tyler himself seems most proud of the honest image his account projects. “For our family, living in a smaller space, in one of the biggest cities in the world, still brings benefits in other aspects of life,” he concluded. Those benefits, it seems, include financial flexibility, rich shared experiences, and a mindset that values living fully over simply living large.
Railroad apartments, which get their name from the way rooms are lined up in a row like train cars, became widespread in New York City during the mid-to-late 19th century when rapid urbanization created a demand for affordable housing in densely packed neighborhoods. They typically lack hallways entirely, meaning every room connects directly to the next, and they are most common in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and parts of the Bronx. New York City is consistently ranked among the most expensive rental markets in the United States, with the average rent for a multi-bedroom apartment often exceeding several thousand dollars per month. The minimalist living movement, which gained momentum in the early 2010s largely through works like Marie Kondo’s organizational philosophy and the tiny house trend, has encouraged many families to reconsider how much physical space they truly need. Studies in environmental psychology suggest that families in smaller homes often report stronger interpersonal bonds, since proximity naturally fosters more frequent interaction and communication between family members.
If this story has you thinking about your own living situation or inspired you to embrace a simpler approach to home life, share your thoughts in the comments.
