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As a young 20-something, I had lived in a tiny, 275 sq. ft. UWS studio by myself with a cat for 2 years, it was fine and not nearly as cramped as everyone seems to think (and I had private outdoor space!). I was paying around $1200 for that! I've now upgraded to a 650 square foot one-bedroom condo in Brooklyn and I live with a boyfriend, a dog and a cat. If you can't handle a tiny studio, don't live in Manhattan. To someone living alone and paying rent alone, 350 square feet in Manhattan really isn't bad to live in...unless you're a hoarder and/or live with 3847892374893 cats! :)

How many thousands of square feet does Bloomberg live in around the world? NYC does not have the capacity or infrastructure to support his goal of increasing the population.

Cramped living quarters increases stress and decreases quality of life. What Bloomberg needs to do, rather than build "ant farms," is create more affordable housing with a reasonable amount of living space instead of serving the real estate lobby.

Ludicrous b.s. This is no different from Upper Westside SROs that were condemned as inhumane even though they were affordable shelter. SROs were essential housing for the young artsy transplants, alcoholic dishwashers and immigrant workers and ordinary NY folks starting independent lives. Now the same shitty space is going to be charging 1000% more. What struggling artist or single woman can afford $1500 alone with little room to store your drawers.

Lol! Yeah right, That rent better be $300.00 a month. A $1.00 per square foot. Let's be rid of this fool once and for all.

Create dormitories from unused office space and encourage communal living. It work in Zuccotti Park.

Hey Karl from Michigan,

Your vitrol is perhaps a little misguided. NYC encompasses a lot more than the borough of Manhattan, and is hardly a dump. While many of us are fed up with many of Bloomberg's policies that favor the wealthy, and the housing situation here is problematic, many of us would be hard-pressed to live anyplace else due to the job and economic opportunity here. Also, I wouldn't trade being able to rub shoulders with people from all over the world, and being able to see world-class performers (often for free) and cultural institutions for merely the promise of "cheap rent." It's all relative.

And, despite paying city taxes, our property taxes are VERY LOW. I own a small 2200 sq. foot house on a beautiful, tree-lined street, and only pay $2300 a year for property taxes. I don't live in Manhattan, and I live in what was, until recently, considered a "dangerous" neighborhood by the mainstream populace, but again, it's all relative. If you look for it, and work hard, a really good life can be lived in NYC.

Why are there kitchens in these blueprints? Those young workaholics don't cook!

Kennels for people, just brilliant.

Inquisigal is right. The conversation needs to be about rents and the view that owning a building and renting housing should not be looked at as a way to make millions. This is a giveaway to developers and landlords but Bloomberg's packaging it like it's a gift to singles. Why the hell should single people be forced to live in closets (with no closets!). You know what's going to happen here? Working-poor families are going to move in because that will be all they can afford. There is something so insulting and disgraceful about this plan. Go to hell Bloomberg.

Michael Bloomberg is a sadist whose hatred and disdain for low income people, or even middle class people in New York City is more than obvious. No closets...what a completely hateful idea. He has done so much to absolutely destroy this city, not the least in illegally bullying his way over the mayoral term limit law. May we be rid of him as soon as possible.

This is ludicrous. Misinformation abounds ...
The American Corrections Association has increased their minimum standard for individual cell size from 60'² to now 70'². Still a far cry from Riker's Island - which IS a SHORT-TERM detention facility.
Anyone who wants to live in that dump called New Yawk, have at it. You'll still be 5-7 times better off than jail inmates. Or, GTFO of New Yawk.
I hope y'all enjoy the taxes upon taxes upon taxes ...
You don't get what you pay for.
~(Ä)~

Where's the discussion about the intended RENTAL COST of these spaces? The continued assault on rent stabilization? It's absurd to even go into this realm without the Mayor acknowledging the change that's taken place in this city during the past decade. I moved to NYC in 2000, and I got a nice studio, 400 sq. feet, that I paid a reasonable $600 a month for; I shared a bathroom, but that wasn't a big deal for me. Now? Good luck finding a studio for less than $1500 a month in Manhattan.

The notion of providing smaller, dorm-style accommodations to young professionals arriving in the city is actually not a new idea; buildings used to exist that were available for struggling actors and musicians, or for single women who had jobs in the city. When you're 22 years old and going out a lot, having a small "room of one's own" in which to sleep and bathe is actually fine. But without having a discussion about how completely unaffordable Manhattan has become due to various factors, including real estate developers and speculators who kept buying up these types of buildings to create LUXURY CONDOS, is ridiculous.

I live in an apartment about this size for 10 days each winter. The thing is, that the 300sq ft apartment I stay in doesn't have a kitchen but does have a balcony, it also travels at 24 knots, has twice a day maid service, 24 hour room service and makes 7 stops at different Caribbean locations.

It seems what's going on here is government regulation is not allowing builders to develop apartments as small as 300 square feet, even though there could be a market for places like this. (I believe they have built similar size small apartments in Santa Monica, CA that are popular) So Bloomberg is doing away with this regulation. Taking government out of the equation. If there is a market for these types of dwellings, by all means let the developers do this. So what if Bloomberg has several large properties. He went out and built a multibillion dollar business and should be allowed to enjoy the results of his fortune. What are the people saying in this thread, that they deserve a house as big as Bloomberg? There are a ton of people from outside New York and other countries that would kill for their own 300 square feet of space. Commenters sound entitled and cynical. If you want a bigger place, you can always go out and pay for it or move somewhere else.

Yes, come to NYC, worker drones, and live in your hamster wheel, postpone your family, then move to Florida when you're too old to ride a bicycle or climb the subway stairs. All are welcome in worker's paradise.

Bloomberg NYC $17 MILLION MANSION and OTHER HOMES - pix didn't copy but google it.

Posted on June 29, 2007 by Brian Dubé Comments8
Michael Bloomberg, 5-story, 7,500-square-foot townhouse at 17 East 79th St. was built in 1889 and purchased by Bloomberg in 1986 for $3.5 million – ($17 million today). Don’t be deceived by the understated elegance of this building – these small townhouses and limestone mansions between Fifth and Madison on Upper East Side are among the most coveted properties in NYC in one of the most desirable neighborhoods in the world. This is super prime real estate.
One of the world’s richest men, with homes around the world. His BERMUDA home has billionaire Ross Perot and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi as neighbors. He has a 20-acre farm in NORTH SALEM, NY, a Victorian townhouse in LONDON, and a condominium in VAIL, Colorado. He is a private pilot with a FLEET OF AIRCRAFT at his disposal.

does Mike live in one ?!!!! Of course not, he has a mansion!!!! Do as I say not as I do is the liberal mantra!!!!!

Does Mike have any clue that the reason developers don't build what the customers want is because of government regulations, not in spite of it?

Just issue everybody empty refirgerator boxes and be done with it.

The moment Nanny Bloomberg GIVES AWAY all his mansions and moves into one of these HIMSELF I MIGHT think he's serious...

Funny considering the obesity problem! Who'll be able to fit in these micro-spaces?

like a true lefty he wants us all to have a small place to live, no car, dependent on him for health care, and utterly powerless. those 300 sq ft houses are what they live in in bejing. he got the idea from his masters over there. comrade bloomberg.

So what would the rent be on theses 300 square feet apartments? Two thousand, three thousand a month?

Hey Mike

Why not starve the taxpayers so you can fit more?

You probably get the point from the prior comments, but it seems our city officials and builders need it spelled out for them. People don't want tiny apartments, they can only afford tiny apartments. But 300 sq. feet just might be pushing it. Flood the market with what would be considered the "guest bedroom" anywhere else, and the city might just then have the fun of wondering why they can't sell them, while the rest of us roll our eyes knowing the space should have been put to better use.

Nice way to also test the limits of just how much of this nonsense people are willing to put up with before they leave or decide not to come to this town.

the question is, what would they call such a tiny space? Habitrail is already taken.

How big is Bloomberg's living quarters? Sure Mike, the city demographics have changed - by the corporate elites such as yourself who have done nothing at all to encourage middle class families to Manhattan. Of course, families sometimes show a tendency to have loyalties to family first, the corporate masters second, so who needs them?