279 square feet apartment for $1,850, new building (san francisco)

[Liberal_in_LA]

Micro-apartment developments on rise in S.F.






Kayla Smith, 35, has been out of college for years, but she's returned to dorm-style living in an apartment the size of a one-car garage in a brand-new building in San Francisco's Tenderloin.

"It's the price you pay for living in San Francisco," she said. She winnowed her possessions to the bare minimum when she moved into the 279-square-foot space in September, paying $1,850 a month for the convenience of living blocks from work amid the emerging Mid-Market area.

Urban planners and San Francisco leaders say smaller units help tackle the city's housing shortage and rising rental costs.

"We need to think outside the box in providing housing for our population," said San Francisco Supervisor Scott Wiener, who sponsored legislation last year to allow "micro-apartments" of 220 square feet including bathroom, kitchen and closet. The city agreed that 375 micro-units could be built as a test; 120 are now in the pipeline in the Mid-Market area.

Meanwhile, plenty of the new apartment buildings are 400 square feet or less - not technically micro but still pretty darn small. By comparison, most studios have been 500 to 600 square feet.

[Uncle Joe]

1. That seems like an ironic use of words by Wiener.

"We need to think outside the box in providing housing for our population," said San Francisco Supervisor Scott Wiener, who sponsored legislation last year to allow "micro-apartments" of 220 square feet including bathroom, kitchen and closet. The city agreed that 375 micro-units could be built as a test; 120 are now in the pipeline in the Mid-Market area.

Unless you're living in one of those micro-apartments in which case you need to get in the habit of thinking inside the box.

Thanks for the thread, Liberal_in_LA.

[sendero]

2. Ikea.

... has a 275 sq ft (or very close) and a larger 350 or so model and frankly it's amazing what you can do with small spaces with careful design.

The title says 279 ft but the article mentions 220 ft. 279 I can believe, 220 maybe not

[arcane1]

3. That looks pretty cozy to me, not much larger than my studio.

Though the price is a bit steep!!!

[GreenStormCloud]

4. $1,850/month for that?

My 15 yr mortage payment on a 2,000 sq.foot home on 1/4 acre is only $425. Property tax, paid a few days ago, was $703.xx. Insurance runs $650 per year. (appx). Nice neighborhood, very, very low crime, top of a small hill so no flooding.

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. And NOT in San Fran

one of the most expensive markets in the US. You could add NYC and even San Diego to that list

My SIL has a very nice home in Cleveland, with quite the backyard. But we are not talking an expensive land market.

Hell, we were thinking about where to retire. Selling the apartment, and moving to a place like Cleveland, you can buy a home for the selling price, and have some money left over to put in the bank,

[Xithras]

11. It's San Francisco. Where people sublet closets for $1000 a month.

My wifes cousin lives in SoMa. Five people in a 1000sf 3br house that they're paying $5000 a month for. It used to be a two story 5br house, but the owners split the second floor into a 2br unit that rents for nearly as much. Why so much? Because they have a 10 foot wide backyard, which is considered a rare luxury in that part of the city...both units share it.

Remember, this is a city where the median home price is now one million dollars. And that will buy you something older and unimpressive that would cost you 90% less only two hours up the highway. SF is one of the costliest real estate markets on the planet.

[Texasgal]

5. Austin, TX is becoming more

and more like a Mini- SF.

Most of us hard working folks will be priced out the market soon enough. Sad.

[LiberalElite]

6. forgive me for not being impressed -

"Urban planners and San Francisco leaders say smaller units help tackle the city's housing shortage and rising rental costs. " Sure, more for single yuppies. Progress.

[nadinbrzezinski]

8. They are following this model

They are called micro apartments and are all the rage in Tokyo. Since schematics do not bring it fully, here is an image

[LiberalElite]

19. So King Mike the Clueless (Bloomberg) didn't originate this?

http://www.wnyc.org/story/264227-blog-bloomberg-unveil-design-micro-apartments/

Packing into a tiny space at the Museum of the City of New York, Mayor Michael Bloomberg showed off the winning design for the city’s smallest apartment.

Monadnock Development, Actors Fund Housing Development Corp, and nARCHITECTS will build the city’s first 55 micro-unit apartment building in Kips Bay. In July, Bloomberg launched a competition for developers to design a building with apartments no larger than 300-square feet in Manhattan.

[nadinbrzezinski]

21. No, this has been done in Tokyo for a couple decades

To be fair, in Tokyo and NYC it actually makes some sense, due to the population density. In San Fran you could make the argument. In LA maybe. there are other places in the US where you could not sell this because land is still cheap and population densities are not that high.

Here is the other thing that goes with this, urban hydroponic towers



It is expected that cities in the future will have towers where food will be grown.

Here is an artist rendition of an apartment building with micro apartments and a farm. And this did not transfer, so let me see if I find another image. One of those things I have been playing with in sci fi

Here, hopefully it will work





And here just an artist rendition of a tower.

[Vashta Nerada]

16. "Rising rental costs"

These tiny units are doing nothing to help the rising rental costs. $1,850/mo? Really????

I have a 757 sq. ft. apartment and I'm paying $659/month.

[Matariki]

9. But "micro apartments" are the new chic

[csziggy]

10. My niece lives in a 325 sq. ft. condo in Washington, DC

Within walking distance of the Capitol. She is paying an exorbitant amount for her mortgage but doesn't have to own a car since she can walk to most places she needs to and take mass transit to anywhere else.

If she gets her dream job outside of Washington, she'll be able to lease the condo for a ridiculous amount so it's a great investment.

[gopiscrap]

12. Jesus Christ somebody's making way too much money

[K.O. Stradivarius]

15. Who?

The developers, renters or both?

I'm saying both.

[gopiscrap]

17. developers

[K.O. Stradivarius]

13. And it has a breath taking view of the building across the way!!!

[Vashta Nerada]

14. I would never live in an apartment that small.

Absolutely not.

Not for that price.

[Art_from_Ark]

18. That's spacious compared to a typical Japanese "1K" apartment

This lovely little residence, for example, is just 19 square meters (202 square feet)-- although I'm not sure if that includes the veranda.

[nadinbrzezinski]

22. Nothing like the image to drive the point home

[Art_from_Ark]

23. Those Hong Kong micro-apartments are unbelievable

Japanese 1K apartments are spacious by comparison. And those 279-square-foot apartments in San Francisco are absolute mansions

[nadinbrzezinski]

24. Yup, but dense (ok superdense) urban areas

are indeed moving in that direction.

And my apartment is a palace! In fact, it is Versailles I tell you.

Don't get me started with a McMansion!

One of these days, after the story where bullying is central to the plot, I might go back to the dystopia where indeed people all over the world live in places like that with agricultural towers inside of them. Not quite an arcology, but close.

[WinkyDink]

20. Do peasants deserve any more? Droit du seigneur is next.