In a city as crowded and congested as New York City, having a small, private nook of one’s own is as much a necessity as a nicety. With free space in short supply in so many New York City apartments, carving out such a nook or niche can be a challenge. Here, five homes that, nonetheless, make it happen.

At 303 Mercer Street, a two bedroom, two-bath duplex (listed at $1.499 million) includes an upper-level open loft that can be used as a library, lounge, den, or office.

This four bedrooms, three-and-a-half-bath, single-family townhouse at 257 Berry Street in Williamsburg (yours for $4.5 million) boasts a mezzanine overlooking the living room that makes a perfect spot for reading, watching TV, or catching up on work at home.

This 112-square-foot den, on the fifth-floor great room of a six-story, seven-bedroom single-family townhouse at 63 East 82^nd Street (and priced at $18.850 million) is a great place to catch up on reading—or hide away from the rest of the family, as the case may be.

Finally, at 18 East 12^th Street, a closet within the second bedroom of this two bedroom, one bathroom loft (for rent at $6,900/month), has been re-imagined as a completely self-contained home office, complete with desk, shelves,

and electrical outlets.