I'm not crazy about those either. What I couldn't understand from that slide show was where the table and chairs were stored when the bed was down. The photos have furniture that looks very uncomfortable. Not a problem for someone who worked all day and then came home to sleep and went somewhere else on the weekend, but I can't see anyone with a life living there.

Not just bloomburg. They want to do it in Seattle area too. Unfortunately, it appears it is the way large cities are having to "meet the need."

San Francisco is also considering them.

They fill a need--affordable housing in very high rent cities. So there is some reasoning behind them.

Frankly, I don't want to live anywhere that I have to move things just to go to bed. Well, a Murphy bed would be okay, because you can fold it up with the sheets still on it. But a sofa bed that has to be made every night and unmade every morning--no way.

Too much futzing with the furniture would be a huge turn off for me. At some point, if you have to move/shove/fold/unfold anything to do basic stuff, like get a drink of water or go to bed or flop down in a comfortable seat, then the space is too small for real day to day living.

The San Fran apartments I've seen do have a real bed.

We spent a week in a teensy efficiency apartment in Paris. It was about 16 square meters. It was kind of fun at first but you could not even walk across the room when the sofa bed was opened. By the end of the week I was very tired of constantly having to move one thing to use another. Still -- it was Paris! I could not live that way anywhere else.

Perhaps these will be pieds-a-terre, not fulltime residences? It would make sense for someone who is in the city for a few nights a month, considering the cost of a hotel room.

I could see such apartments as housing for the homeless. But of course, not at those prices.

Rosefolly

No this is not pieds-a-terre apartments, this is full time. My point of the post is that there is no affordable housing being built. By affordable I do not mean $940-$1800/mo for the square footage listed. These type of apartments fragment communities because there is no room for families only singles or couples. This does not promote community. Before affordable housing complexes were sold off and the tenants evicted and rebranded as "luxury" condos all types of people lived in buildings side by side in the city. This type of housing promotes socializing only outside in a restaurant or cafe and who can afford that ? Not your average joe soap that's for sure. If I want coffee out I put it in a paper cup with a lid and I sit on a bench on the street.
Housing should be built so that there is room for singles, couples and families of all income brackets and enough space to have your neighbors over for dinner or coffee at your (small) kitchen table.There is a one-bedroom only condo building in my area-the prices start at 350K. "cute" shoddy construction for someone with money who wants to do the "city" thing before moving to their house in the burbs.
My neighbor(73yo)is being threatened after 26yrs tenancy with eviction. The new landlord is trying to kick out 25 families in my complex because he just bought the apartments so of course he needs his $1700-2100/month-NOW.

Though I stay in a small apartment, but I am not in favor of micro apartment concept. Its about a room with different compartments and when you put your bed, can't move either.
Yes, it is good than no homes, but staying in micro apartment for a longer period will be very difficult.

But micro apartments are good for people who can't afford bigger projects. Though it has some drawbacks, still with proper arrangements, you can stay comfortably alone.

EATREALFOOD, what are people, like your neighbor, going to do? Are there any laws to protect her? You own your apartment, but she rents, correct?

Here is a very recent, like today, and it is a new smaller housing for sale not rent so not apartments, about 290 sq feet, and it will be in Surrey, British Columbia Canada.
Check it out.

What they say is, "If you did not have to live in a smaller home, would you do it?" Good question.

Yes, I would do it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Smaller living spaces

leena"But micro apartments are good for people who can't afford bigger projects."
$940-$1800/month is not affordable for the majority of people especially since they only "hold" one or two adults. This is no life it's a pit stop for people who can afford to live most of their day outside.

marti--he's in housing court whenever they call him in.
Housing is in a precarious situation right now. You are not safe even if you own. Can the management run the buildings into default ? you betcha. Can eminent domain take your property ? yep and turn it into "luxury" housing. Can management demand yearly assessments with no accountability? yes. Single family homeowners have similar problems, whenever some developer wants to build a stadium with taxpayer dollars businesses are closed and houses destroyed. You get sick seeing every building called "luxury" because you know you will be priced out of your neighborhood. The ironic thing is the "neighborhood" being uprooted is the reason why it's been "discovered" by the supposedly "hip" people. Eventuallly the "hip" wealthy leave and by then many of the original residents have moved out so there is no cohesiveness like before and neighborhoods start decaying(since taxes are the end all be all in this country).

I think this belongs in Hot Topics. Bloomberg is the mayor of New York City, he isn't the builder/owner/landlord of these potential housing units. Whether they even get built, no one is forcing anyone to live there. Makes for good newspaper reading. I myself had the experience of living for three years in Queens New York in a post-WW2 "garden apartment. At the time, my rent for a large studio with three closets, kitchenette and full bath was $150 a month. Today those apartments are still available for around $800 a month. Again, this discussion is getting a little too "hot". This forum is meant for a friendly discussion of smaller homes, not political debate.