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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsMicro-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.
http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Micro-apartment-developments-on-rise-in-S-F-4951775.php
gopiscrap
(23,726 posts)PasadenaTrudy
(3,998 posts)our artist friends and relatives are being evicted due to gentrification. I bet the next time I go up to SF, I won't recognize the place..
lostincalifornia
(3,639 posts)money, but twice as much space, easy public transportation, and a fairly good area.
lumberjack_jeff
(33,224 posts)... I'd move my operations to the most grossly expensive place I could find. Then I would buy (or lend money on) all the neighboring property and build high density housing. I would slowly move all of my operations to that high rent area and capitalize on the situation which forces my employees to rent living space from me at nearly $7 per square foot per month.
What's the downside? People seem to be exploitation tolerant. They don't demand twice the money to move to a place where it is twice as expensive to live.
geek tragedy
(68,868 posts)to warrant a hefty price tag.
Also, banks don't like to own real estate--they like to lend to people who do. Owning real estate means paying taxes on it.
NoOneMan
(4,795 posts)People need to stop lying to themselves, pretending they are part of some amazing cosmopolitan experience. You are living like a rat in a cage, slaving for the experience. This isn't what life is supposed to be about.
loli phabay
(5,580 posts)Give me a view and acres of space around me and no trespass signs.
arcane1
(38,613 posts)I like my studio apartment. I certainly have no need for more room, since I don't accumulate pointless crap, and I don't drive. Of course, I'm not paying $1,800 either!
Gormy Cuss
(30,884 posts)Many people are happy with studio apartments. These new micro studios will probably appeal to people who want to live near everything but don't need space for kids, dogs, or entertaining, or who plan to live in them for a couple of years before moving on to larger digs. The city needs more housing stock and lots of it.
Prism
(5,815 posts)It's in the Design District, but honestly, I cannot conceive of such a thing.
I've been helping him install racks and shelves to maximize storage and space, and every five minutes or so, I just look over at him and go, "Really? Half a million? Really?"
SF is nuts.
That's just incredible.
geek tragedy
(68,868 posts)who want that sort of thing and just plan to use their apartment for sleeping and occasionally eating. Kind of like a full year pied a terre.
Here are a couple of photos from the common areas of the building discussed in the article:
There are more affordable options available. This is a lifestyle building.
beerandjesus
(1,301 posts)Brilliant, in a way....
Great way of putting it. That's exactly what's going on.