Tiny Apartment in New York

[Aussie Willy]

Saw this article in our paper here about a woman who has a tiny apartment in New York.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/lifestyl...-1226033420416

I know some people might be interested in this because of the thread on tiny houses. I couldn't live in something this small, but it really does get you thinking about how much stuff and space do we actually need to live and get by.

[overedge]

Wow. Space saving is one thing but I would get major claustrophobia sleeping that close to the ceiling.

[antmanb]

You can't imagine she has much of....a love life, with the bed being that close to the ceiling

[Norlite]

I'm not sure if I could do that, but it was interesting.

She has what she needs and seems happy there.

But wow, it's really small.

You can't imagine she has much of....a love life, with the bed being that close to the ceiling

Yeah, I think I would have sacrificed some of the height of the closet (says the woman that needs a walk in and two other closets in her house.. lol ) to lower the bed a couple feet at least, and maybe built the closet out another couple feet to the side and built her sweater shelves along the side there.

Changing the sheets on that bed would be a nightmare too.

[Nan]

I saw an episode of Internatinal Househunters within the last year (and a re-run just last week) of a young lady looking for a place in Paris and one of the apartments she looked at was very similar to this including the loft bed. If I remember correctly, it was the one she picked.

[a56]

I saw an episode of Internatinal Househunters within the last year (and a re-run just last week) of a young lady looking for a place in Paris and one of the apartments she looked at was very similar to this including the loft bed. If I remember correctly, it was the one she picked.

I think I saw that episode - the American Francophile from New Orleans, who was apartment hunting with her mom in Paris. I think it was about the same size (90 square feet?) and the ceilings were at a steep angle. Totally claustrophobic. This Manhattan apartment has higher ceilings and may be slightly less claustrophobic except for sleeping in the bed (like sleeping in a coffin with a bar rail on one side).

[Veronika]

It's amazing what people will put up with when they want status! But if it's really her choice, that's fine.

[emason]

This is most likely an illegal conversion and not really an apartment because there is no kitchen. I think the toilet is also not oriented properly according to the building code.

Someone looking to make a quick buck took an existing structure and carved it up into apartments that really aren't legal, or at least that's what it looks like from the short look we got in the video.

I tried to look through the NYC building codes to check, but they are so difficult to read that I couldn't really get an answer.

[my little pony]

she seems to like it but she said she also rents studio space for her shrinky dinks. i think i would rather rent one space and use it for both.

[Cupid]

I like the reader comment at the end:"crazy person alert"

[VIETgrlTerifa]

It's really not that bad. People are adaptable.

[Rob]

I saw an episode of Internatinal Househunters within the last year (and a re-run just last week) of a young lady looking for a place in Paris and one of the apartments she looked at was very similar to this including the loft bed. If I remember correctly, it was the one she picked.

I just saw that again too. She did pick the one with the loft bed - I think it was similar to this except more space was devoted to the bathroom. I recall that she was hoping for 20 square meters, but she could only get about 16-18 sq meters and stay within her budget. Is that right? I think she paid about $160,000.

The really really tiny one she saw was about as wide as this one, but not nearly as long and with low ceilings. There was a little dormer window by the kitchenette (half fridge and hot plate), and she had to crouch down to get in and out of the window space and she hit her head on the ceiling getting out. She was 5'9". It was big enough for a bed, a side table and a small chair without any of the storage in this NY apartment. I think the bathroom was just a toilet and she had to share a shower down the hall. And the sale price was $100,000.

[nubka]

It's really not that bad. People are adaptable.

I agree! It must be freeing, not being encumbered by lots of stuff...

[Allen]

I'm really paranoid, so a small space works for more because I can see everything. However, that's just insane. If she feels good about it, then more power to her.

[millyskate]

I lived in a place of that size for three years. It was 20 square meters, but most of it was bathroom + corridor. It was not a nice experience.
ETA: I was confused about the actual size... her flat is tiny. Yuck. It was bad enough with a flat double that size.

[emason]

I agree! It must be freeing, not being encumbered by lots of stuff...

Except she actually has tons of stuff - look at all the storage boxes and the clothes hanging in her 'closet'. There's actually a lot of stuff in that small space.

[PDilemma]

Except she actually has tons of stuff - look at all the storage boxes and the clothes hanging in her 'closet'. There's actually a lot of stuff in that small space.

And the storage boxes and all the trappings of organizing that much stuff in that small of a space makes it look like someone's storage closet with a bed.

I don't think people need huge homes, but that's ridiculous.

[genegri]

It really isn't that bad. I could live in that room pretty comfortably. I have less stuff than she does. DH, on the other hand, would freak out.

The only change I would make is to have a thinner mattress so I can have a little more clearance over my head and face in that sleeping area. Assuming I was right that the big dark green thing I saw was all mattress.

[nubka]

Except she actually has tons of stuff - look at all the storage boxes and the clothes hanging in her 'closet'. There's actually a lot of stuff in that small space.

Compared to the average person, she hardly has any stuff at all. It just looks like a lot because it's in such a small place.

[emason]

Compared to the average person, she hardly has any stuff at all. It just looks like a lot because it's in such a small place.

You can't compare her to the average person; this is NY - she needs to be compared to the average NYer and the tons of small, quirky apartments that exist all throughout Manhattan. (If I had a dime for every Manhattan apartment I've seen that had a shower in the kitchen or built-by-the-tenant loft beds and closets because there was no other choice, I'd never have to work another day in my life.)