And they’re coming to your city
In 1963, Walt Disney approached two of his staff songwriters, the Sherman Brothers, to come up with a catchy tune for the UNICEF exhibition in the upcoming New York World’s Fair. The result was “It’s A Small World (After All).” Little did Mr. Disney know that his song could easily be the soundtrack for today’s boom in tiny living.
Americans these days are obsessed with simplifying their lives. Television channels, like HGTV and DYI, are filled with shows celebrating tiny homes. In addition, YouTube has channels dedicated to tiny food and tilt shift photography, an effect that makes the big, wide world look like a child’s model train set. Even IKEA celebrates tiny living with displays of efficient living space in just a few hundred square feet.
Small neighborhoods, big prices
In recent years, there has been great interest – especially among aging Baby Boomers – to leave suburbia and return to city life. Developers responded by developing residential spaces above retail and commercial spaces, creating easily walk-able neighborhoods where people could live, work, and play.
Rents, though, outpaced salaries, and a younger workforce soon found themselves priced out of the urban opportunity. In cities like Miami, for example, living in an exciting urban neighborhood often requires multiple roommates and/or doubling up in bedrooms.
A big solution in a small package
It was only a matter of time before the tiny revolution made its way to the big city. Tiny homes, usually placed in rural or some suburban settings, could be adapted to urban life if they could be stacked on top of one another – in other words, the birth of the micro-unit building.
Cities across the country are in various stages of developing towers of micro-unit apartments. While some may see it as an attempt to jump on the tiny fad, for many urban neighborhoods, the micro-movement is seen as a chance to breathe new life into downtown centers. The size of the apartments forces residents to not collect stuff, but to experience city life.
- New York City’s first micro-unit building is Carmel Place on the East Side. Studio apartments average between 260 to 360 square feet.
- Seattle is said to have more micro-units than any other city in the country.
- Miami’s entry into the micro-unit world is Moishe Mana Tower, a planned 49-story tower with 328 units planned for 200 N. Miami Avenue. Construction is slated to begin in 2018. Apartments are so small there’s no room for ovens, but there are plenty of built-ins and fold-aways to maximize space.
Are you a candidate for micro home management?
Living in a micro-unit is not for everyone. Most micro-dwellers are Millennials and younger, who are living alone and who have consciously chosen to trade space for affordable living in densely populated neighborhoods. Often, the micro-apartment is viewed as a stepping-stone for a specific life chapter, with residents staying for one to two years.
While many of the buildings feature amenities, such as communal full kitchens, gyms, and pools, they do not always have parking. The micro-unit towers are often located near public transportation so residents can easily commute or walk to their destination. Moishe Mana Tower, for example, will be close to public parking garages, but will also provide onsite bicycle parking.
At Morris Southeast Group, no real estate wish is too big or too small. Our team of professionals can help you find the right investment fit for your needs. For a free consultation, call us at 954.474.1776. You can also reach Ken Morris directly at 954.240.4400 or via email at kenmorris@morrissegroup.com.
Tags: Big Deal
