Now, don’t get us wrong. We appreciate people’s ability to downsize and live in homes with smaller footprints.
Tiny homes have been popular for a few years now – but how about tiny apartments? Those usually aren’t a choice so much as a function of how much money you have to spend on a living space, especially in a big city.
One man has taken tiny living to a new level. He lives in an apartment in New York City that is only 78 square feet in size – and he loves it.
Meet Luke Clark Tyler, a New York architect who was paying $800 a month in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen back in 2012, where studios usually average $1,900 per month.
It might sound like a lot, but he isn’t complaining.
Of course, not everyone agrees that this is a fair price for the apartment. Mark Menendez, the director of rentals at Prudential Douglas Elliman, is one of those people. He explained that in the neighborhood, the average rental price per square foot in a studio is $72. Tyler is paying almost TWICE as much at $123.07 per square foot.
Menendez said:
“I think it’s too high. But again, it’s all relative. Where can you find something for $800 in Manhattan? Location trumps value.”
For Tyler, part of what makes his high rent and small space “worth it” is avoiding the commute to work.
He spends less time getting to work and feels like he can enjoy life a little bit more.
We can totally appreciate that!
He explained:
“I was spending my life in a skyscraper and going underground, to work, and then back again. I was missing out on anything New York had to offer. If I had to choose spending time on a train or living in a small space, I’d choose a small space.”
Tyler has a good job and makes enough money that he could easily afford a bigger space, even if it meant a higher rent price.
He would just rather spend his money on other things. He doesn’t mind the small space.
“I just rather use that extra $800 to do something else, like take classes or enjoy the city.”
And while this isn’t his first tiny apartment, it is his smallest.
He previously lived in an apartment that was just 96 square feet in the same neighborhood. He is just a guy that doesn’t have a lot of stuff and doesn’t need a lot of space.
When it came time to furnish the apartment, he did have to spend about $200 on custom furniture, which includes a couch that folds down into a bed and extra storage space built into a closet.
It was an ideal way for him to make his apartment a little more functional and livable.
In the same building where he lives, there are other small apartments available for rent. Most of the time, they are just used by short-term renters and people visiting the city for a short time. Nobody else lives in them long-term, just Tyler.
Of course, living in such a small space does have some drawbacks.
There are a few things that can’t fit into the apartment – like a sink.
“A sink is really great. My last apartment had a sink; it was just awesome,” said Tyler.
Of course, there’s always a chance that Tyler will get creative and come up with a way to fit a sink into his tiny apartment. He did admit that he would rather have a sink than a toilet. That’s really saying something about the importance of a sink!
Maybe someday, he will decide to live in a bigger home or apartment, but right now, it suits him just fine.
Be sure to scroll down to see the tour for yourself.
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