Could you live in Mayor Bloomberg’s 300 square foot microunit apartment?

Could you live in a 300 square foot apartment? If I lived alone, yes. Married, living with another person, no way! On Monday, Mayor Bloomberg announced his latest plan to improve New York City, a “micro unit” apartment, that will range between 275 and 300 square feet.

The apartment buildings will be constructed in Kips Bay on New York City owned land, and the goal rent will be about $2,000 per month. The final price will be set by the developer. Bloomberg’s hope was to provide affordable housing for people living alone and those living with just a partner. He aims to help people starting their careers in New York City by giving them a place to live that doesn’t have to be split illegally (with a wall or fake wall in the living room) or live with multiple people. Is $2,000 affordable? I’m not so sure. Especially for the amount of space you’ll be getting. But, I applaud his intention. With not enough “one-person” housing solutions in the city, something had to be done.

Right now, the law states that new apartments must be 400 square feet or larger, but that law could change if Bloomberg has his way. The new microunits are to be 10 feet x 30 feet and must include a window, a sofa bed, kitchen, and full bathroom, with sink, full toilet and bathtub. Will there be enough storage? Unlikely, but I am eager to find out.

Developers have until September 14th to submit their designs. Due to the long process of public hearings, construction may not start until late 2014.  It’s a little far away. I hope the pricing drops a bit and is truly affordable. This seems like a good idea for the long run.

{images via nypost}