Are Itty-Bitty Domiciles The Wave Of The Future?

By on July 24, 2012 12:07 pm in Architecture, Brooklyn Heights, Real Estate, Streets

After a lot of media attention over the Brooklyn Heights couple that swears their 240-square-foot, $1,500/month apartment is sweet & cozy—along with NYC Mayor Bloomberg’s bizarre notion to inundate the city with “micro-apartments” averaging 275-300sf—Curbed decided to have a jolly good time by searching out the 10 smallest units for sale in Brooklyn.

Among contenders it found on Streeteasy are three humble Heights apartments, including 155 Henry Street, 5C, offering 400sf for $275,000. Curbed writes, “Maybe the residents of that $1,500/month Brooklyn Heights studio should move here. With a 20% down payment, monthly payments would be just $1,510, and the closet space is far more ample.”

Also offering 400sf is 60 Remsen Street, 3G, asking $299,000: “This Brooklyn Heights studio faces a courtyard, and the apartment has a separate dressing area/office. To the extent that we ever advocate living in very small spaces, we like this one.”

Next up is 70 Clark Street, 4H, whose 415sf runs $289,000: “This place has a sunken living room and allows pets and pied-a-terre dwellers, as well as subletting after two years. Which is probably about the time it might start to feel too small,” Curbed suggests. Indeed.

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  • Mr. Crusty

    I’m a little confused by the photo accompanying this article. Is it because the apt is so small that she has to kneel? Or is she begging her spouse to move to a larger place? Or . . . well, we’ll just leave it at those two.

  • Frankie

    I have a very large and really quite charming hamster cage that is available for rent. It has great light, a river view and comes completely furnished with cedar saw dust and an exercise treadmill. $1,100 per month. No cats.

  • BH’er

    Here’s a news flash for Mr Mayor: The city IS inundated with micro-apartments.

    Below the 1%, Everyone is Manhattan (well, most people) is living in an undersized shoe box that barely supports the 9 roommates sharing space

    This is nothing more than PLANNED hardship for everyone that wants to live in Manhattan

    Why don’t they mandate rational floor plans, eliminate pipes running through rooms in random places and require storage and bike parking, so people can live a (somewhat) reasonable life?

    These characters simply want to squeeze more people into less space to grow their tax revenues

    I admire their true motives, but this is not about adapting to “…the changing lifestyles…”

  • x

    Bloomberg should move into one of these micro apartments himself, jerk.

    More money for the real estate developers, corporations and government.

  • Bloomy

    @BH’er

    How is a less expensive apartment “planned hardship”? All the issues I see you mention are from older building that have been converted multiple times. Bike storage would be nice, but I have two bikes in my apartment w/o issues.

    I think the issue the city is trying to address is new construction going larger and larger in size. If they can pull off more efficient use of space I think it is a really good idea. I could easily live in a modern 300sqft apartment on my own. If you go outside of the US to Europe or Japan you would see people make due with a lot less, and live quite happily. But I forgot, we are the nation that thought the Hummer was a great idea.

    And the point of this whole thing is to see what they can come up with. Give it a chance and see what they can design.

  • Elmer Fudd

    Is this how the other half lives?

  • WillowSt.Neighbor

    Bloomy,
    A studio apartment in Tudor City is barely 300 sq. ft. Safe building, doorman, great area. When we found the apartment for our daughter many years ago, we considered it a real “find” as she could walk to her job and the area was safe. Yes, I thought it was small but there were so many other benefits.
    I think the rent was about $1200 a month. I cannot imagine what it is now.

  • Gerry

    My first apartment in Brooklyn Heights had been a 450 square foot studio it had high ceilings and a garden but was so small I could not wait to get out of that place.

    This Bloomberg idea of small spaces will never fly Americans and New Yorkers aspire to large spaces a McMansion in a suburb, a grand brownstone in Brooklyn, a loft in DUMBO = BIG.

    Size does matter!

  • Rita

    I’ve seen the Clark street apartment and the size is deceptive because the building has a shared courtyard with a waterfall and would live larger. I haven’t seen the others but the Remsen place also mentions shared space. Maybe we need to get away from having to own all the space we inhabit. Add in proximity to multiple subway stops and the small space seems to expand even more. It seems a more sustainable lifestyle and better for the planet. Now if I can just come up with $289k.