Tiny homes seem to be one of the hottest trends for the past few years now. From cute Airbnbs to off-the-grid living, going small has been the preferred choice for many. But for others, living in a small space is pretty much the only option. Like Mark Menendez.
He lives in an apartment in New York City that is only 78 square feet in size, and he loves it.
Not only does New York architect Luke Clark Tyler not mind living in this tiny apartment, but he also doesn’t mind paying a lot for it. He pays $800 a month in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen, where studios usually average $1,900 per month. It might sound like a lot, but he isn’t complaining.
Not everyone agrees that this is a fair price for the apartment, and most people think that he is crazy. Mark Menendez, the director of rentals at Prudential Douglas Elliman, is one of those people. He explained that in the neighborhood, the average rental price per square foot in a studio is $72. Tyler is paying almost twice as much at $123.07 per square foot.
Menendez said:
“I think it’s too high. But again, it’s all relative. Where can you find something for $800 in Manhattan? Location trumps value.”
For Tyler, avoiding the commute to work makes the tiny apartment and the high rent worth it.
He spends less time getting to work and feels like he can enjoy life a little more. He explained:
“I was spending my life in a skyscraper and going underground, to work, and then back again. I was missing out on anything New York had to offer. If I had to choose spending time on a train or living in a small space, I’d choose a small space.”
Tyler has a good job and makes enough money that he could easily afford a bigger space, even if it meant a higher rent price. He would just rather spend his money on other things. He doesn’t mind the small space. He said:
“I just rather use that extra $800 to do something else, like take classes or enjoy the city.”
This isn’t his first tiny apartment, but it is his smallest.
He previously lived in an apartment that was 96 square feet. It was in the same neighborhood. He is just a guy that doesn’t have a lot of stuff and doesn’t need a lot of space. When it came time to furnish the apartment, he did have to spend about $200 on custom furniture, which includes a couch that folds down into a bed and extra storage space built into a closet.
It was a small price to pay to make his apartment a little more functional and livable.
In the same building where he lives, there are other small apartments available for rent. Most of the time, they are just used by short-term renters and people visiting the city for a short time. Nobody else lives in them long-term.
Of course, living in such a small space does have some downfalls.
There are a few things that can’t fit into the apartment. He said that he would love to have a sink. He said:
“A sink is really great. My last apartment had a sink; it was just awesome.”
Of course, there’s always a chance that Tyler will get creative and come up with a way to fit a sink into his tiny apartment. He seems to be doing fine without it. He did admit that he would rather have a sink than a toilet. That’s saying something about the importance of a sink.
Tyler seems happy to be in his apartment.
He was happy to give everyone the grand tour with a video he posted on YouTube. As you can imagine, it’s a pretty short tour.
Maybe someday, he will decide to live in a bigger home or apartment, but right now, it suits him just fine.
Take the full tour of his space in the video below.
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