Minimalist living in a New Kips Bay Micro Apartment

New York City, whether by necessity, convenience, or both, has long been regarded for its efficient, although extraordinary, small space accommodations. Once again, the city finds itself making headlines with its latest contribution to extreme living — the micro apartment.

Last month residents of the Kips Bay neighborhood of Manhattan witnessed the unveiling of Carmel Place, the city’s first micro apartment complex. Offering 55 units, ranging in size from 260 to 360 square feet (per unit!), Carmel Place received 60,000 applicants to its lottery of which 14 units are subsidized at $1,490 per month. Another 32 units were offered at market rent, ranging from $2,446 to $3,195.

According to chpcny.org, 41% of New Yorkers over 25 do not live with spouse or partner and 62% of New York households consist of only one or two people. These statistics supported the initiative of Monadnock Development and Lower East Side People’s Mutual Housing Association to apply for a waiver to the traditional city restrictions for units below 400 square feet. Because of their proposal to accommodate the city’s increasing small household population, the development team received several mayoral overrides, and the first modular unit was stacked in May of 2015.

The Benefit of the Micro Apartment

Of course, the extremely small living space requires accommodations in furnishings and amenities. For the customized furnishings, residents can turn to the Italian company Clei for a sofa that converts to a queen bed, an ottoman that converts into dining chairs, and a slim console table that expands to seat ten. Some of Carmel Place’s amenities are standard to renting in the city, such as Internet and Wi-Fi, but other amenities seem to make up for the sacrifices in living area. The building offers a weekly tidying service, a monthly deep clean, dog walking, dry cleaning pick up, and a butler app called “Hello Alfred” used for taking care of additional errands. Carmel Place also provides common or shared living areas throughout the 9-story building.

Ideal for young singles, emptynesters, long-distance commuters, and transitional baby-boomers, the modern micro apartment presents a compelling argument to reduce apartment sizes and responsibilities. New York Post in December 2015 reported “demand for these tiny NYC apartments is off the charts,” yet cautioned in 2016 that Carmel Place’s prices are “one of the worst deals in town.” Regardless of the current rent structure of these shoebox apartments, the call for a simpler and more condensed lifestyle resounds in the minds of young singles and minimalist couples wanting to keep less and do more in and around the Big Apple.