Thanks for your thoughts Stub, Sgisela, and ShiroKuro thanks for inquiring with your friend..
I think the way forward is clear not in small part due to your feedback, it is appreciated.
ShiroKuro, We also played some other pianos and loved a Bosendorfer which has been marked for the future when she'll trade the one we get in and buy it for me. 
I'll post once I have the piano in my possession .
@raagamuffin how exciting!!
Re the Bosie… yeah, that’s a super special instrument isn’t it!!! 
Welcome to PianoTell raagamuffin ! Once you get your piano, please post a picture https://forum.pianotell.com/d/685-post-pictures-of-your-pianos-here !
raagamuffin, good luck with your search & your purchase!
Question: would you be able to fit a 5' 7" Grand?
I'm asking because then you would hear a world of difference between the 5' & even the 5'4"
I would check them out IF that size would fit, just thought I would throw that out there.
Also, I am from Phila and I would HIGHLY recommend Cunningham Pianos, Rich Galassini and I go way back and he is now the owner of Cunningham Pianos. He is a great guy to deal with and to guide you thru the world of piano buying.
Also - you should check out this web site - it is the Bible of Piano Buying and probably everyone of us have read thru it and know of it. https://www.pianobuyer.com/ it is ALOT of information but lots of fun to read about pianos, both Pros and Cons about buying New vs Used, etc etc etc.
Welcome to the easiest going piano forum on the internet! LOL
brdwyguy
PS I don't mean to throw a 'monkey-wrench' into your decision but I personally believe you would be better off
Purchasing a higher end new upright, like a Kawai 500 rather then a lesser brand Grand at 5'
There are certain uprights that play and sound better then some small baby-grands - they really have improved over the years.
PSS if you are aiming towards the Steinway route, I would avoid the Essex and look more at the Boston's (there is a reason they are more expensive!) Just Sayin' 
brdwguy,
Thanks for the info, I'll share my thoughts.
We tried uprights, though not that particular Kawai. The one that came close to consideration was the Boston upright, but felt it was too bright ( I know some like that). My daughter actually preferred the muted sound of the Essex upright over that one.
As for space, I have been constrained by my wife to a 5' 2" space. I only have one wall with about that much space, not near a vent or a window (it was a non starter to close/move vents etc. 
). The bench will protrude a few inches into a doorway, but that was a compromise we agreed on. I'm messing with her favorite room, moving furniture around, etc to accommodate it !
I am in central NJ, so Cunningham was just another piano store I decided to visit, based on feedback at PW and a general google search for piano stores here. I didn't meet Rich, but I met one of his sales staff, who opened up a couple of pianos to show me the insides of the pianos, hinge construction for the keybed etc for different models. The Cunningham 5' (and more the 5' 10") was practically singing compared to the equivalent priced Yamaha, which drew my daughter to it. I do worry about the post sales aspects, not sure how well they will support if things go wrong. Working in a small business myself, I prefer to give my $$ to small businesses where I can, all things being equal.
I did use pianobuyer, though they don't have an accurate SMP for Cunningham. I don't know if the numbers for its progenitor brand, Hailun, are accurate. Perhaps that's not the case for other models.
Thanks for the welcome here.. Incidentally, I got tired of PW , because all my messages are being moderated, some of the messages I penned more than a day ago still has not been posted. Hence, I moved here, I can't handle postal mail type interactions in this digital age
Just as an FYI - when I was talking about Boston vs Essex is was referring to the grands only. I never played the Uprights.
Just so you know that Boston and Kawai are made in the same factories in Japan. The Bostons then are inspected by Steinway to make sure it is up to their standards.
The Owner/Head of Kawai once said about the issue of Boston's and Kawai's "There will NEVER be a better piano coming out of Kawai, without the Kawai name on it" . Just sayin'
Ok so you are working with a 5' / 5'2" grand.
I do suggest you try the Kawai K300 , and the K500 and maybe the K800 but that is probably out of your range.
Just as an FYI - C Bechstein makes the very best upright piano at a cost of $70k, that's right! BUT you should hear the sound.
Check out on YouTube video comparisons from Merrium Pianos in Canada - they do great comparison videos.
Stu Harrison is a great guy! I have had chats with him about different comparison.
these videos will get you started - enjoy!
brdwyguy
PS most of us here on PianoTell are all from PW - we moved when it was sold and from trouble makers who would go around and just start trouble/issues in chats.
ShiroKuro is the best, you can ask her questions and she is very helpful AND knowledgeable.
I meant to add this youtube video of K500 as well
Also, if you haven't checked them out - Faust/Harrison has a showroom in Northern Jersey but not sure you want to drive all the way up there.
I live now down in Western North Carolina - in the neighborhood where Hurricane Helene hit (Don't Ask) we were very lucky we had no trees in our development!
brdwyguy
brdwyguy, glad to hear that you're OK after that Helene debacle.
Thanks for posting these links to reviews.
Here is my take on Merriam.
Before I ventured out to buy an acoustic piano, I only wanted to upgrade to another electronic piano, in the $1-2k range (in Nov 2024). I scoured a bunch of sites and most gave positive reviews to the Roland RD88EX, with stage performance features. Merriam spoke quite glowingly about the piano sounds and its action. We couldn't find one to try locally, so I purchased it without sampling it. It was a big mistake. Its not an electronic piano I would recommend to even beginner pianists (sound wise).
This experience made me lose some confidence in YT reviews. So deliberately, for this endeavor, I only looked at Merriam and other YT channels for information about how to buy pianos, or non brand specific info. I was jarred by my experience. I do have a new Roland RD 88EX to sell though
@raagamuffin and @brdwyguy on the question of upright vs grand.... I am one of those people who prefers a grand even if it's smaller. I know the arguments for "a good upright is better than a small grand" but there's something emotional about playing a grand. And I say this as someone who had three digitals and three uprights (not at the same time! 
) before getting my current grand piano.
Also, I own a 5'8" piano and was originally planning on getting one smaller than that, so I just don't worry about the trade-offs of a smaller grand, because you get that emotional experience of playing a grand....
Now having said that, if @raagamuffin is willing to consider an upright, then of course there are all kinds of great uprights to get, and that is a different conversation...
BTW, raagamuffin, when you are measuring out your space, I generally recommend people add 3 feet from the edge of the keyboard to where the back of the bench will hit. This allows a piano tech to remove the action, but it also allows a pianist to sit a reasonable distance from the keyboard. So be sure your space allows for that.
hang on, lemme go back to this....
raagamuffin The bench will protrude a few inches into a doorway, but that was a compromise we agreed on. I'm messing with her favorite room, moving furniture around, etc to accommodate it !
Is that protruding bench when the bench is pulled out for someone to play? IOW, when the bench is pushed in, it's not protruding? If so, I think that's ok.... But if the bench is always in the doorway, it might be a little bit much...
On the topic of closing vents, I have the vent behind my piano bench permanently closed in the winter, and in the summer with the AC on, I open that vent but I have a damper to direct the airflow from the vent at the wall. My piano's tuning stability tells me it's working. But it's a little chilly there in the winter! 
That vent is probably 4+ feet away from the edge of the keyboard...
ShiroKuro, how many inches would a standard bench stick out if it's tucked in under the piano ? 6 inches ? I've added a pic to give some perspective. Thanks!
raagamuffin ShiroKuro, how many inches would a standard bench stick out if it's tucked in under the piano ?
I'll measure mine and post later.
That is kind of a tight spot. You can't turn it so the straight side is on that back wall, can you? (IOW so the person sitting at the piano would have their back to the wall with the door)
brdwyguy Just so you know that Boston and Kawai are made in the same factories in Japan. The Bostons then are inspected by Steinway to make sure it is up to their standards.
I think that is Steinway marketing speak. When I was piano shopping, I compared Boston and Kawai instruments. I like the pianos from both brands. My impression was that Kawai's get more prep at the factory, and Boston's get more prep at the dealer. In either case, the quality of the dealer matters, but in the case of a Boston, I think it is particularly critical that the Steinway dealer one works with will stand behind the prep.
My $.02 anyway.
ShiroKuro That is kind of a tight spot. You can't turn it so the straight side is on that back wall, can you? (IOW so the person sitting at the piano would have their back to the wall with the door)
I’d make the same suggestion. The player would be facing toward the room instead of the wall. You will need about 30”-36” clearance between the wall and the front of the piano so that the player can get in and out comfortably and that the action can be pulled out for service.
The Steinway model S is at 5’1”. You may be able to find a good one within your price range, although that requires impatience and time. Ours was such a gem that sings like a bird 
. It served well my son’s learning until he outgrew it. We traded it in for a larger size. I was sad to see it go and still miss it.
Sgisela If one is comparing two pianos from the same maker then except for the price difference it's fairly common for all things being equal. This is a fairly common situation in piano buying.
raagamuffin Not a good location aesthetically in my opinion. And I would not like to play with my back Near the door either although one might get used to it. I've never seen anyone place a piano in a position like that. I would strongly consider removing a little furniture from the room and considering other arrangements.
pianoloverus I've never seen anyone place a piano in a position like that.
I have. It’s not that uncommon to have a piano coming into a doorway. I think it kind of depends on the doorway, what it leads to, the rest of the room…
@raagamuffin btw I measured my bench. When it’s in sitting position, the back of bench is 24 inches out from keyboard. When I push the bench in under the keyboard, the bench sticks out 4.5 inches from the keyboard.
Hope this helps!
pianoloverus If one is comparing two pianos from the same maker then except for the price difference it's fairly common for all things being equal. This is a fairly common situation in piano buying.
Most often in the threads that I’ve encountered with people looking at several pianos of varying sizes, people are comparing between pianos from different manufacturers, often of different ages and unknown condition. It is much more common for people to be looking at several different manufacturers and models than the situation of having honed in on a single manufacturer. These factors are very important. It was only after my post (which asked the OP for additional information) that they disclosed that they were considering 2 new pianos from the same manufacturer.
