Ground floor apartment? 2nd story walk-up? It'sa no matta (sorry, hangover from the last post) what I tell you about my experience with our cargo bike. You just have to use your imagination and jump in or don't. I have to observe that there is a utilility/cargo bike forum that will probably speak at least as well, if not better, to your question. Just from the little you've said I don't think what you need is a cargo bike. A single wheel trailer would be far more useful day to day. A BOB Yak is a $300+ investment (and worth every dollar) but there are clones of it available now for less than half of that. Under $100 in the case of at least one clone of which I am aware. I like the narrowness of the single wheel platform and how the trailer follows the bike through turns. You don't even think about it. Two wheel trailers have more weight capacity but honestly, we routinely load our trailer to twice its rated (70lb) capacity and anyone who needs to haul more than that in one trip needs a U-Haul (IMO). Next up from the trailer in terms of committment is the X-tracycle kit for your present bike. You must see tons of them in the Bay Area. If not, come up to Portland some weekend. All you have to do is see one in the flesh to know that its just another kind of bicycle. No one wonders what it might be like to own/ride a beach cruiser. There is more difference in the handling and feel of a beach cruiser than any "cargo bike" out there. Of course I am not referring to bakfiets and pedicabs and other extremely specialized kinds of utility/cargo bicycles.