I'm curious what various people think about the livability of different amounts of sq ft per person. For ground rules, let's stick to plans on indefinitely living with that kind of space as opposed to something transitional (e.g., as a student, when you first come out of school, for the first couple of years when you have a child, etc.). Regardless of housing cost level, most people here can trade... [more]
I'm curious what various people think about the livability of different amounts of sq ft per person. For ground rules, let's stick to plans on indefinitely living with that kind of space as opposed to something transitional (e.g., as a student, when you first come out of school, for the first couple of years when you have a child, etc.). Regardless of housing cost level, most people here can trade off space for other things (suburbs vs. lesser neighborhood vs. prime neighborhood vs. park view vs. spend money on things other than housing). But at what amount of sq ft per person do these things trigger vs. become non-issues?
I'll start:
200 sq ft: no way
400 sq ft: pretty tight, wouldn't want to live like this indefinitely
800 sq ft: pretty comfy
1600 sq ft: quite generous, about as much as I could really use
3200 sq ft: starting to feel wasteful
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Response by bjw2103
over 13 years ago
Posts: 6236
Member since: Jul 2007
""Too much space" is a subjective judgement call. It's not my call to say whether 20,000 square feet is "too much space" for Oprah. Only Oprah knows how much is "too much" for her."
Well done, Matt. Oprah is exactly what we've been talking about all along.
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Response by NYCMatt
over 13 years ago
Posts: 7523
Member since: May 2009
It's an example. Sometimes the small-minded on this board need a major contrast to understand concepts.
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Response by bjw2103
over 13 years ago
Posts: 6236
Member since: Jul 2007
What concept are you trying to elucidate/proselytize? That there's no such thing as "too much space"? Matt, I think Siberia is just the spot for you. Virtually neverending space.
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Response by jordyn
over 13 years ago
Posts: 820
Member since: Dec 2007
'Warren Buffet does not qualify as "people who can't afford the space they want or need".'
Yes, exactly. And yet, apparently, he doesn't need any more space than his $700K house will provide.
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Response by inonada
over 13 years ago
Posts: 7952
Member since: Oct 2008
His house is 6234 sq ft, presumably occupied by 2 people. Right around my "this is starting to feel wasteful point", thankfully it hasn't moved into the "definitely a uselessly-large amount of space" category ;).
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Response by Triple_Zero
over 13 years ago
Posts: 516
Member since: Apr 2012
"Too much space" is a subjective judgement call. It's not my call to say whether 20,000 square feet is "too much space" for Oprah. Only Oprah knows how much is "too much" for her."
It's not entirely subjective, because the people who live around you have their own living environments impacted by your decisions.
Consider an eccentric billionaire who buys every building in a 20-block radius around yours, except for yours, because that's how much space he feels he "needs".
Every business that you depend on in your neighborhood will close up shop and your life will be ruined, because they can't make a profit when there are no customers. The subway or bus won't stop there anymore.
That example is taken to the utmost extreme, but on a smaller scale it's been happening all across the USA. People "need" huge houses and yards, so automobile-dependent suburbias get developed. Corner stores can't stay in business, and the person living in a small apartment in the center of town sees his quality of life plummet.
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Response by uwsmom
over 13 years ago
Posts: 1945
Member since: Dec 2008
Sorites paradox. Vagueness rules.
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Response by NYCMatt
over 13 years ago
Posts: 7523
Member since: May 2009
"Consider an eccentric billionaire who buys every building in a 20-block radius around yours, except for yours, because that's how much space he feels he "needs".
Please provide a real-life example of this EVER happening.
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Response by bjw2103
over 13 years ago
Posts: 6236
Member since: Jul 2007
"Sometimes the small-minded on this board need a major contrast to understand concepts."
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Response by West34
over 13 years ago
Posts: 1040
Member since: Mar 2009
"Enough space":
- Facing Gramercy Park = 500sf
- CPW = 600sf
- Good Chelsea block = 700sf
- UES east of Lex = 800sf
- FiDi = 1000sf
- Washington Heights = $2000sf + pay me $5000/mo
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Response by NYCMatt
over 13 years ago
Posts: 7523
Member since: May 2009
So you need more space to live in FiDi?
Will you gain weight down there, or what?
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Response by RonnieHats
over 13 years ago
Posts: 13
Member since: Mar 2012
This is the most hilarious thread ever on this site.
As a broker (gasp), I have seen tons of things you can't imagine.
600sf alcove studio, converted into a TWO bedroom for a couple that actually worked nice.
250sf studio that can fit five comfortably.
1400sf one bedrooms that are exactly what I would die for with a key to THE park.
Point being, NYCMatt hit the nail on the head a few pages back. West34 touched on it by area as well.
As an adult, I cook, have a wardrobe, store things and would like a party of five to join me every know and then. That being said, 700-800sf is the starting point for a proper one bedroom.
Girder to girder, laid out the right way, not all in hallway!
In Fi-Di, 100sf as few but the brave venture there for fun.
I might actually gain weight just staying home, watching TV and eating down there.
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""Too much space" is a subjective judgement call. It's not my call to say whether 20,000 square feet is "too much space" for Oprah. Only Oprah knows how much is "too much" for her."
Well done, Matt. Oprah is exactly what we've been talking about all along.
It's an example. Sometimes the small-minded on this board need a major contrast to understand concepts.
What concept are you trying to elucidate/proselytize? That there's no such thing as "too much space"? Matt, I think Siberia is just the spot for you. Virtually neverending space.
'Warren Buffet does not qualify as "people who can't afford the space they want or need".'
Yes, exactly. And yet, apparently, he doesn't need any more space than his $700K house will provide.
His house is 6234 sq ft, presumably occupied by 2 people. Right around my "this is starting to feel wasteful point", thankfully it hasn't moved into the "definitely a uselessly-large amount of space" category ;).
"Too much space" is a subjective judgement call. It's not my call to say whether 20,000 square feet is "too much space" for Oprah. Only Oprah knows how much is "too much" for her."
It's not entirely subjective, because the people who live around you have their own living environments impacted by your decisions.
Consider an eccentric billionaire who buys every building in a 20-block radius around yours, except for yours, because that's how much space he feels he "needs".
Every business that you depend on in your neighborhood will close up shop and your life will be ruined, because they can't make a profit when there are no customers. The subway or bus won't stop there anymore.
That example is taken to the utmost extreme, but on a smaller scale it's been happening all across the USA. People "need" huge houses and yards, so automobile-dependent suburbias get developed. Corner stores can't stay in business, and the person living in a small apartment in the center of town sees his quality of life plummet.
Sorites paradox. Vagueness rules.
"Consider an eccentric billionaire who buys every building in a 20-block radius around yours, except for yours, because that's how much space he feels he "needs".
Please provide a real-life example of this EVER happening.
"Sometimes the small-minded on this board need a major contrast to understand concepts."
"Enough space":
- Facing Gramercy Park = 500sf
- CPW = 600sf
- Good Chelsea block = 700sf
- UES east of Lex = 800sf
- FiDi = 1000sf
- Washington Heights = $2000sf + pay me $5000/mo
So you need more space to live in FiDi?
Will you gain weight down there, or what?
This is the most hilarious thread ever on this site.
As a broker (gasp), I have seen tons of things you can't imagine.
600sf alcove studio, converted into a TWO bedroom for a couple that actually worked nice.
250sf studio that can fit five comfortably.
1400sf one bedrooms that are exactly what I would die for with a key to THE park.
Point being, NYCMatt hit the nail on the head a few pages back. West34 touched on it by area as well.
As an adult, I cook, have a wardrobe, store things and would like a party of five to join me every know and then. That being said, 700-800sf is the starting point for a proper one bedroom.
Girder to girder, laid out the right way, not all in hallway!
In Fi-Di, 100sf as few but the brave venture there for fun.
I might actually gain weight just staying home, watching TV and eating down there.
i agree with w81st, 350-400 to be comfortable