Welcome to one of the smallest apartments in New York City. At just 80 square feet, this unit rents for $1,750 a month. It is five steps long, about the size of an RV without wheels, and yet its tenant insists, “I love New York City. This is the greatest place on Earth.”
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Life in 80 Square Feet
The apartment is essentially one room. A Murphy bed folds down each night and doubles as a wardrobe. A single chair and blanket make up the living area. The kitchen is limited to an induction stove that only works with special pots and pans — something the tenant discovered two years in. Cooking usually means eggs or microwaved meals.
Storage is tight. Shoes go in a small cabinet by the door. Marathon medals and running gear hang on rods the tenant installed himself. Even the bathroom setup is unusual: there is no private sink. Tenants use the kitchen sink to brush their teeth, while the bathroom down the hall is shared.
Minimalist Living in the City
The tenant, a trader who first moved to New York in 2006, once worked a corporate cubicle job. After a stint in Hawaii, he returned to the city inspired to live as a minimalist. His philosophy is simple: less space, less stuff, more life outside.
Despite the limits, the apartment is meticulously organized. Curtains were installed for privacy, shelves for storage, and every inch of the micro unit has been maximized. It feels more like a dorm room than a traditional home, but it works.
Why It Works
New York has always rewarded those willing to sacrifice space for location. For $1,750, this apartment delivers the city itself: marathon runs through Central Park, nights out with friends, and the energy of a place that never slows down.
The apartment is small, but the life outside is infinite.
Photo by Zoshua Colah on Unsplash