Shoebox Living
Mayor Bloomberg is waiving current guidelines to create apartments in Kips Bay measuring 275-300 square feet. That’s half a subway car. I’m not sure people who work in cubicles all day want to live in one.
At 23, I moved from the East Village to what is now Soho. It was Little Italy then. No art galleries or shops. No markets or laundries. There was a bocce ball court at the end of my street.
My first apartment there was a shoebox: teeny-weeny tiny. Soon I charmed the landlord into giving me a bigger apartment with a sleeping loft and it’s own private entrance in an inner courtyard (very European). Still a studio but with four times the space, it seemed capacious.
Small vs. Big
We all want more space and more storage. But we live in New York – no attics, no basements, no barns, no garages, no sheds. No guest rooms, just sofabeds and no offices, just nooks. Storage is costly. What to do with all that stuff?
Keep or Toss?
Many of us have too much. It a problem of affluence. It’s especially true of Boomers and Seniors. Gen Xers and Millennials have a lot to teach us. They don’t save or collect. They shop carefully and say no often. They’re just not into consumption. Gen Y with fewer jobs and higher student loan debt, grew up wired, 100% computer savvy. They prize green living and simplicity over luxury and status.
“Millennials in particular seem to be embracing the concept of ‘traveling light’ as a way of life. Whether by necessity or choice, minimalism appears to be the new ‘chic’.”
http://millennialmarketing.com/2010/05/millennials-becoming-minimalists/
Small & Beautiful
I’m not advocating living in a teeny-tiny spaces or chucking everything but it’s interesting to see how some live in just 300 square-feet called home. How do they do it? Check out these YouTube videos for a glimpse of how a few creative people live large in small spaces. No clutter. Great ideas. Built ins and double duty furniture. Now, don’t we all feel abundant and spacious?
(If the links aren’t live, just paste the address into your browser)
Amazing NYC Apartment - Transformer Style..Storage in Disguise!
http://tinyurl.com/ce5w8us
Small Space, Big Style #02 (4/4)
http://tinyurl.com/7f2y58r
Amazing Unfolding Origami Apartment video - OffBeat Spaces
http://tinyurl.com/7lkdcf9
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