And you thought New York City apartments were already small?

[marmar]

NEW YORK — Maybe it's the urban dwelling of the future: studio apartments measuring no more than 300 square feet.

New York City planners believe the tiny units could be the answer to a growing population of singles and two-person households. And in a nation that's becoming increasingly populous and increasingly urbanized – and where people more frequently are creating a family of one – such downsizing may not stop here.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Monday invited developers to propose ways to turn a Manhattan lot into an apartment building filled mostly with what officials are calling "micro-units" – dwellings complete with a bathroom, built-in kitchenette and enough space for a careful planner to use a fold-out bed as both sleeping space and living room.

If the pilot program is successful, officials could ultimately overturn a requirement established in 1987 that new apartments here be at least 400 square feet. ................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/09/nyc-apartment-size-bloomberg-micro-apartments_n_1660396.html

[leftyohiolib]

1. rminds me of the picture i saw of workers in china living in cages

[hlthe2b]

2. Employers can just rent them a closet to sleep in....

since they will pretty much be working them around the clock anyway... Got to have maximal productivity, ya know.

[TlalocW]

3. If they talk to this guy

They could implement his ideas although his Hong Kong apartment is 330 square feet.

TlalocW

[xchrom]

4. in my imagination -- someday people will want to be treated better than this.

yes -- i know -- 'vivid' imagination. i should see somebody about that.

[marmar]

6. 'i should see somebody about that'

LOL. But does your insurance provider cover it?

[xchrom]

7. GASP! that sounds like being treated well!

[Fumesucker]

5. 300 square feet is the size of a medium/large camper trailer or motor home..

Lots of people live in motor homes and campers year round, the main requirement is that you can't have lots of "stuff" because storage is at a premium.

[SammyWinstonJack]

8. Pack em and stack em. Will Mayor Moneybags be occupying one of these units?

[DCKit]

9. You can't cook in an apartment that small, or you and everything you own smells like rancid food.

I live in 486 square feet, and I know... though I still like the smaller place. It suits me.

But the ventilation sucks as much as the AC, and our condo board sucks four times as much as either.

[Atman]

10. A have a yurt that is 300 sq. ft.

It has a kitchen with a regular fridge, and a bathroom (which I haven't yet plumbed, unfortunately). I could easily live there, although I suppose the 11' ceiling, skylights and 40' deck helps alleviate the claustrophobia one might experience in a 300 sq ft box in Manhattan.

[Atman]

15. BTW, our 100lb propane tank lasts two years for heat.

Granted, we don't stay there full time. I could probably only get about one winter out of it if I was living there full time. But it's pretty amazing and efficient. The only problem is the condensation.

[tibbiit]

11. The Small House Movement is real and its Cool!

Amazing things can be done with 300 sq feet.

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/need-to-know/tag/tiny-house-movement/

I myself want to build a small house for retirement.
http://littlehouseonthetrailer.com/homes-plans-page/
http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/products/sebastarosa/

Small House Movement is a good thing
tib

[valerief]

12. Not crazy at all. So much life is electronic now. nt

[xmas74]

13. If done properly, it could work.

The key to something that small is lots of storage and built-ins. The small house movement is taking place right now and they run between 550-650 sq ft. If an apartment is well put together a single person could get by on 300 and not really lose much. It's all about organizing and living a bit more simply, by means of not hoarding.

[HopeHoops]

14. "And THIS must be the kitchen!" - Steve Martin in "The Jerk"

[Orsino]

16. Tiny storage compartments for workers not in use. n/t