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IF YOU THOUGHT New York apartments were tiny before, you haven’t seen anything yet.
New York City’s first “micro apartments” development — known as Carmel Place — is set to open in February, according to the New York Times.
Developer Monadnock Development first put forth the project — then known as My Micro NY — in a design contest held in 2013 by the city of New York.
Under city law, dwellings must be no less than 400 square feet, but Carmel Place’s 55 units — which received special permission from then-mayor Michael Bloomberg — will range from 260 to 360 square feet.
The smaller end of that range is nearly half the size of the average studio in Manhattan, which currently sits at 550 square feet, according to a report by Douglas Elliman as noted by the New York Times.
Mondanock was allowed to build his microunits partially as a city experiment, and partially to satisfy the ever-growing demand for affordable housing — allowing the first modular prefab constructed building in New York City to rise in the Manhattan neighborhood of Kip’s Bay.
Here’s what they’re like inside.
The Associated Press got a look inside one of the example units at Carmel Place — a 302 square foot space that will rent for $2,750.
With this amount of space, you can’t really expect a full kitchen. Instead, the kitchens are more like kitchenettes, the refrigerator is tiny and there’s only a two-burner electric stove and no oven. There is, however, a built-in microwave.
Some of the spaces in the building are already furnished with a a pull-down bed, sofa, cabinets and tables. The market-rate units also include Wi-Fi and cable with the rent. Also included is weekly housekeeping by personal butler service startup Hello Alfred.
The ceilings measure 9 feet high and the windows are rather large and slide open to a false balcony.
The bathrooms are big enough to fit a wheelchair, but there’s no tub — a shower stall is all that fits.
The building’s architects wanted the units to feel homey, and so there are also plenty of communal spaces including a gym, a basement lounge with a TV and billiards table, and a roof deck equipped with a grill.
The building is actually modular prefabricated houses — another first for the city. The units were built across the river in the Brooklyn Navy Yard and taken in Manhattan by truck.
The building will open February first. Leasing began in November for the 55-unit building and there have been 20 applications for market-rate units so far.
Twenty-two of the units are designated as affordable, costing up to $1500 a month, and 60,000 New Yorkers have already applied for them. The winners will be announced in January.
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Still better than half the dumps on daft in Dublin city.
At about the same price and all.
Did ya give her a good wash ?
1500 a month is not bad when you include WiFi, Cable tv and a cleaner/butler. Gym included. This is what our city’s need. They look pretty cool IMO
Swankier and bigger than my first bedsit! lol
I like the way a cleaner comes in once a week as standard.
Was expecting worse, can only imagine what they’ll be like in 20years time
Could do with these in dublin 500 would be snapped up in hours..
Well its official the future will in fact be like The 5th Element…
Exactly what came to mind, haha.
So rich people’s homes are getting bigger and the ordinary everyday person’s home gets smaller and smaller and some people are OK with that? The problem is not with people building them, it’s with people buying them. I hope that if anything like this gets built in Dublin that people don’t buy them. They only serve to maximise profits for the developer and nothing else.
Currently living in NYC and paying $1000 to live with 4 other people in an apartment with no living room and a shared bathroom. I’d 100% be up for living in one of these.
Adly needed in dublin they would be snapped up in hours… look nice for a micro apartment
roof over the head. all the essentials, heat, water, toilet, kitchen, electriciy etc what more do you u need. id be happy out living there. close to work/college etc. this is the way its going to have to go. 7 billion people on this planet and increasing. 5th element is imminent :-)
Great idea, with all that space down by the Dublin docklands these would be ideal for students and those entering the workforce, they would hold there value and always be in demand…
A much better use of space that what you have in the surrounding areas of the city centre, large houses with front and back gardens, usually only 1 elderly person living in them in a lot of the most expensive houses..
You could go a little stir crazy if you did much more than sleep in such a micro apartment.
That’s a burglar in pic 1.
A single’s pad for someone with very little possessions, very few books, no need to entertain visitors and able to manage lean living.
Could be OK if you were just to use it as second residence for the working week or something though?
Jenga with caravans.
Kitchen ‘slash’ bathroom
Bigger than some apts in Seoul
What does Alan Kelly think of these spacious accommodations? That’s the lad to chop off a few metres.
Minister Kelly was genuinely dismissive of these rabbit hutches.
He said that he could do smaller by taking plans of prison cells in Mountjoy and doing a variation on these. He is considering contracting this out to DO B
Minister Kelly explained that the more separate households the more households to pay water charges.
“large windows that slide open on to a false balcony” – sounds dangerous- open door on to what I think is a balcony and put my foot out into open air and fall 10 storeys?
If you were on your own you wouldn’t want anything bigger. It’s only birds that want gaffs so big there’s rooms you don’t even go in to and you spend half of one of your days the weekend cleaning the kip
I have a bigger caravan
In New York?
1500 is a great price for NYC
Nice.
It’s in Kips Bay :)
City living for singles or first time renters of the future
Now try bringing this concept to Ireland, and everyone loses their minds…
First dates would be most efficient. From popcorn and soda, to making bacon at the switch of a button…
I need to go the toilet
have your say