red or white oak ... possibly a light or bleached bamboo.

a 45 degree angle would definately add a statement and some contrast ... a herringbone pattern would as well, perhaps bordered with a thin dark walnut or mahogany inset strip between the boarder and the field which would picture-frame the area for further contrast effect(s), also as a possible deliniation between areas of the living space to add the illusion of separation.

there are also a number of decorative hardwood medallions and inserts that you can get to add to this mix or on their own to center under an entryway lighting fixure or area as well.

natural maple is a very light wood as well.

Sounds like an interesting space. (Check the ceiling to see if it's been dropped- I've seen a 10' ceiling dropped to 8' with ceiling tile before!)
You might want to 'go with the flow' of the space and run with it. A contemporary look might just let you pull it off without resorting to 45 degree angles which might look a little 'forced' in this space.
A premium resilient floor - such as lino or stained cork - sheet or tile can look very modern and get you away from the linearity of a hardwood floor.
If you want to stick to wood floors then I'd say oak isn't necessarily a very contemporary look- I might lean towards a nice clean maple floor though.

But for something really contemporary and modern- why not go for a colored floor?

Then there is also bamboo that doesn't have the typical wood grain to it and can look pretty sharp.

Here is a link that might be useful: try a Google search for colored wood flooring

Thanks for the tips so far.

As for the ceiling, I'm afraid the cold, hard rapping sound my knuckle makes confirms I'm dealing with only 96" from the floor slab to the ceiling.

On the oak comment -- I agree it is not the most contemporary look, but I did have concerns about going too light (might show more wear) and/or too modern (which I associate with being somewhat stark & antiseptic. Would maple still be something to consider? Are my worries unfounded?

My thoughts on wood vs. an alternative surface were around wanting to have a little warmth (of texture/color) and, quite frankly, resale value. Realizing we will not want to live in a small concrete box in the big city forever, I can't help thinking there is a greater risk with materials like bamboo or cork being perceived as "so 2006" (of course I'm also making an assumption around traditional wood flooring having more timeless appeal).

One of my other assumptions that I would welcome folks to challenge (or confirm, if that's the case) is around the decision to stay with a lighter color for the flooring (for the reasons in my first post). The walnut color of the old floor, by itself, is pretty attractive by my eye, but my impression is that it is also making the apartment feel darker than it needs be.

Thanks again.

Ed

My husband and I recently put hardwood in almost all of our home. After much deliberating we used ash and pine. But one of our main contenders was clear hickory. It naturally has a lot of contrast, and unstained looks very modern. In fact, that is the reason we decided against it, as it was too "contemporary" looking for our farmhouse. Good luck.

"cold hard rapping".. you make it sound like a tomb...

It's 2007- so are bamboo and cork already out of style? Cork has been in use for about a hundred years, and I've seen some pretty timeless installations.

OK, so not too modern. And we'll stick to wood: Oak for it's warmth and grain, and not too dark- natural, bleached or a light amber/honey tone. Maple can look pretty stark and minimal- and sounds like you want to avoid that.

Here's an idea:

How about going with a wide engineered flooring product in oak (not a longstrip block-work type- but real wide engineered planks with a sawn face) laid accross-wise to change the perception of the space? These planks are wider than the traditional 3-1/4" plank, and laid accross the room could give the optical illusion of shortening the space.

Among others you could use a Mannigton 5" wide plank
or a Lauzon Nextstep 5" wide plank
or a DuroDesign 7-1/2" wide engineered oak plank.

Here is a link that might be useful: google search on wide engineered flooring

I would go with a medium colored wood such as kempas or lyptus in a herringbone pattern.

Oak would look too traditional in nyc modern apartment.

My favorite for modern spaces would be stone - travertine, marble or limestone.

3" Clear white oak, with no border. I think it has a traditional feel while leaning towards contemporary. I would highly suggest you buy a box of your favorites and lay them out on the floor. Experiement with the angle, etc. You'll also see the variance common in that species.