This may sound odd, but what is the difference between a 2 1/2 and a 3 1/2 apartment?

I had a friend come over recently and remark that our apartment is called a 3 1/2 but is actually a 2 1/2... does a 2 1/2 have a kitchen that is part of the main living space (not closed off?)

Never mind, I found the information below, it's hard to Google anything apartment related 99% of the results are ads...


2½:
A small, one-bedroom apartment. 2 ½ apartments have a separate bedroom with a living room, kitchenette and bathroom. Some 2 ½ apartments are L-shaped.

This type of living unit can also have a small open alcove attached to the living room (a double room), with a separate kitchen and bathroom. The alcove may be separated by an archway that can be sectioned off. This configuration, however, is not very common.

2 ½ apartments are also called alcove studios.

3½:
Similar to a regular one-bedroom apartment. It is usually large enough to contain a separate bedroom, living room and a full kitchen. Also called a junior bedroom or convertible studio, this type of unit can vary quite a bit in size from building to building.

The text is a little unclear, is my assumption correct, do they mean to say that a 3 1/2 should have a kitchen and living room that are clearly separated. Mine are not, there is no separation between living room and kitchen.

Thanks for any help, just trying to figure out what I have right now to make a more informed decision about getting a new place.

You Canadians are funny the way you interpret apartments. In NYC a 2 1/2 would be a closet and a 3 1/2 would be a closet with a view and also have enough room to change your mind in. They all would be considered studio apartments in NYC. I guess the big cities have different ways of expressing studio apts. Was not aware of the 2 1/2 or 3 1/2 thing. Thanks for the information as I always like to know what's new.