Mayor Bloomberg: 275 Square Feet Big Enough For New Yorkers

New York City Michael Bloomberg is not just looking to shrink the size of your soda, he also wants to shrink the size of your apartment. The Mayor unveiled plans today for an apartment building at Kips Bay that would consist of 80 “micro-units” These apartments would be the size of a college dorm room, measuring between 275 and 300 square feet.

The Mayor says that 75% of New Yorkers live by themselves or with a single roommate. Bloomberg wants a company to come in and buy a public parking lot and turn it into a building of tiny apartments. The tiny apartments would have rents below $2,000 per month an d come with a mini kitchen and bathroom standard. A renter would have to sleep on a fold out bed.

Bloomberg says he will waive city rules which say all apartments must be a minimum of 400 Square Feet.

Bloomberg told reporters on Monday,

“There is a huge shortfall of studio and one bedroom apartments in the city. This, we think, is one way to create more of them and to make more of them more affordable. We want people to come here, to start their careers here. Young people don’t have a lot of money.”

Gary Malin, president of Citi Habitats, said the city was smart to do this and there may be a real demand if the city builds a lot of these units.

Malin said,

“I definitely think there will be a market for it. No apartment in Manhattan that’s livable goes unrented — especially if it’s at the right price point. There are certain people whose goal is to live in Manhattan and they are wiling to make a lot of sacrifices to do so,”

But New Yorkers who spoke with amNewYork Monday said the project was not for them.

Julie Thaxton, a 39-year-old legal secretary from Marine Park said,

“I work in a cubicle all day — I wouldn’t want to live in a cubicle also.Your home is supposed to a be your haven, and not another closet.”