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Uraniumfish
Uraniumfish

How little space can you stand?

New York, notorious for its tight living quarters, has produced another wonder of minimalist living. This is really charming:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/11/garden/11location.html?no_interstitial
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uptowngirl
uptowngirl 2yrs+
@uraniumfish wow that's clever use of a tiny 178 sq feet. Dont you just hate the fact that you never have enough closet space in NYC? I also find that when you have out of town guests in your apartment you always seem on top on each other. Definitely felt that way when my parents visited a few years ago..
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Uraniumfish
Uraniumfish 2yrs+
I like how the guy comes of as incredibly stylish, for all his 178 square feet...
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ajadedidealist
ajadedidealist 2yrs+
Hey, I wouldn't mind that little space! As long as I had a space for my computer, a box of clothes, and a bed, I'd be perfectly happy. Maybe a hot plate and kettle, too...
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hhusted
hhusted 2yrs+
Yeah, ajadedidealist. I don't need much room either. I just want a place for my computer, a bed to sleep on, a place for my stereo equipment and TV, and a place to store by clothes. That's it. The guy at the website seemed to do really well with what he had. Although I hate tight places like that, I can see how he put things into position.
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BroadwayBK
BroadwayBK 2yrs+
I think I love that guy.... but mostly I love his apt. That is exactly the kind of place I WANT to move into - small, affordable and in an interesting neighborhood. Now if only I can find one.
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Uraniumfish
Uraniumfish 2yrs+
I want to meet him. I like his dry sense of humor: "That's when the love affair with the downstairs neighbors began."
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uptowngirl
uptowngirl 2yrs+
@everyone I seem to be the only greedy one who needs a ton of space to survive ..perhaps I am a horder .. clothes, bags, books, magazines, shoes, buddha statues need enough space for all my stuff..but thankfully I haven't got into the public storage cycle.. I can't bear the thought of first buying stuff and then paying some more to store it !
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Uraniumfish
Uraniumfish 2yrs+
I like how the buddha statues feature right up there along with the essentials like clothes...

:)
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BroadwayBK
BroadwayBK 2yrs+
I like minimalism - that guy's apartment is adorable, but a little stocked with furniture.
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hhusted
hhusted 2yrs+
@Uptowngirl: That's exactly what I am doing. I actually pay for public storage since I live in a small apartment and don't have the space for the stuff.
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ajadedidealist
ajadedidealist 2yrs+
I have far too much stuff, but I really wouldn't mind an excuse to get rid of it. I can't stand mess, but I constantly seem to be making one.

What a strange, sad story, @uraniumfish.
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DBlack
DBlack 2yrs+
Reminds me of a photograph I once saw of all the objects Gandhi posessed at the time of his death. It was only about ten items, including his sandals and a candle and his glasses. That's how we all should live!

(I'm not saying I actually live like this. I'm very far from living like him, in fact and being able to follow his example of simple living. Very very far from it...)
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uptowngirl
uptowngirl 2yrs+
@DBlack aha that will be the day..
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Uraniumfish
Uraniumfish 2yrs+
It does seem like in NY having a lot of things is a precious luxury.

Most apartments I go into in New York seem over-furnished and I have the feeling I would have wanted only about half the furniture and furnishings that other people have. Either I'm a minimalist or else I just badly need to be able to pace...
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DBlack
DBlack 2yrs+
@uptowngirl Right. Same here. I always think about that picture when my clutter gets too much. But I'm too attached to my books and gadgets. What would I do without my books and gadgets? Hard to imagine. Even if I hate lugging everything from apartment to apartment when I move.
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hhusted
hhusted 2yrs+
Actually, Uraniumfish, I sympathize with you. I hate crowded rooms. I like a little elbow room. So I know how you feel when you say you "... need to be able to pace."
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BroadwayBK
BroadwayBK 2yrs+
@Uraniumfish I think it's somewhat common for homeless people to have storage units - the last time I had one, there was a stipulation in my lease that I couldn't live in the unit.

@everyone I've only ever had storage units when I was in between apartments or during summers when I was in college. Can I ask what you put in your units? I guess I can't really imagine needing one, I'm pretty quick to get rid of things I'm not constantly using or need.
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NeverSleeps
NeverSleeps 2yrs+
@BroadwayBK My landlord lets me store some things in the basement of our building, but I don't really keep much down there. A few old bike frames, and sometimes I put my winter shoe collection down there during the summer.
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Uraniumfish
Uraniumfish 2yrs+
@BroadwayBK Okay, I could maybe imagine people who don't make enough to have an apartment of their own, but who can get together enough money to keep a storage box, but LIVE in one? Yikes. Okay, but then again, if the alternative is the street...

NY can be a really tough place, hunh?
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Uraniumfish
Uraniumfish 2yrs+
@BroadwayBK I'm proud to say I don't have a storage box, since it's taken me years to kick my book-hoarding habit.
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hhusted
hhusted 2yrs+
My storage place has so much security that you can't go anywhere without a card. And there are sensors everywhere. So I never have to worry about homeless people hanging around.
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ajadedidealist
ajadedidealist 2yrs+
I think that it's amazing how little stuff we actually NEED - that said, plenty of my "stuff" has sentimental rather than practical values. I couldn't get rid of those memories...
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BroadwayBK
BroadwayBK 2yrs+
@Uraniumfish I have the same problem but with magazines - but I can't imagine getting a storage unit just for them :)
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ajadedidealist
ajadedidealist 2yrs+
This woman did: http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/peggy-wilkins-playboy-hef-hugh-hefner-playmate-database/Content?oid=1384687
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hhusted
hhusted 2yrs+
Unless you are a collector, I don't see the reason to keep magazines. What I do is go through each magazine and tear out the pages I want or need. Then I throw the magazine away. What is your custom for handling magazines?
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uptowngirl
uptowngirl 2yrs+
@ajadedidealist thanks for that link! wow! I love the glossies myself especially the travel magazine called Departures which I would love to collect if I had the space. Since space is such a premium in NYC I do what hhusted does I tear out what I like and recycle the rest of the magazine. Luckily for us now most of the content of major magazines are available on their websites but I still love the glossies and am going to continue with my US subscriptions by by becoming an international subscriber when I am abroad.
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BroadwayBK
BroadwayBK 2yrs+
I used to have a massive collection of Rolling Stone magazines, and after toting it from new apt to new apt for years I just threw them all away. I couldn't take it anymore. I love magazines, but I can't imagine loving them SO much that they override the aesthetic of your home. I mean, shelves of boxes with the Playboy bunny on them? That is pretty tacky. Not that I don't read the articles :)
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DBlack
DBlack 2yrs+
I have a weakness for hefty architecture books, and have to take responsibility for that weakness by just sucking it up and going though the massive cost and annoyance of moving. What can you do. Since I don't smoke, I have to have at least one other bad habit. But I would never get a storage space for my stuff, since part of the punishment is to make sure it all has to live with me.
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Uraniumfish
Uraniumfish 2yrs+
@ajadeidealist Wow. In college I briefly had a roommate who had a room decorated in pink and her walls were lined with collectible Barbie dolls in their original boxes. HUNDREDS of them. She was a "mature" student in her early thirties. A bit kooky.
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ajadedidealist
ajadedidealist 2yrs+
I'm a child of the new age, I'm afraid. Rather than subscribing to magazines, I read my content online. No boxes to store, but also no ability to flip through months' and years' worth of history.
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uptowngirl
uptowngirl 2yrs+
@Uraniumfish Wow! your roommate sure sounds kooky .. was barbie-like in appearance as well?how bizarre..
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NeverSleeps
NeverSleeps 2yrs+
@Uraniumfish That roommate actually sounds kind of scary. Was she otherwise normal? Did she actually get a guy to date her?
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Uraniumfish
Uraniumfish 2yrs+
@ uptowngirl She wore vintage clothes and vintage cat-eye glasses. She was very distinctive looking. @NeverSleeps I never saw her with anyone.
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BroadwayBK
BroadwayBK 2yrs+
Wow. That tops all my weird roommates, Uraniumfish. How did you get stuck with that one? Please tell me she didn't bring hundreds of Barbies into a dorm room.
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hhusted
hhusted 2yrs+
@Uraniumfish: What a hobby and at thirty years of age. My brother had a hobby of collecting watches. Now that was expensive, but to collect barbie dolls, especially at thirty. I can understand if she was a teenager and loved dolls. Well, obviously, she was a doll collector.
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uptowngirl
uptowngirl 2yrs+
@Uraniumfish she sure doesn't sound like the sort who would collect something as kitschy as Barbie dolls!
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NeverSleeps
NeverSleeps 2yrs+
@Uraniumfish Shocking!
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Uraniumfish
Uraniumfish 2yrs+
@ Everybody I love the reaction this former roommate is getting. Yes, shee really did bring all those Barbies into a dorm room. It wasn't quite a dorm though, but more like apartment-style student living. There were three of us in the apartment, we each got assigned to a room. To be fair, it was art school, so there were a lot of kooks around. But she definitely stood out, with her Barbie friends. As a way of getting friendly, she showed me around her collection. But I never did step foot in her room again after that first time. Somehow I'm getting the feeling a lot of people didn't step foot in that room again after the first invitation.
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NeverSleeps
NeverSleeps 2yrs+
Awwww. Now I'm starting to feel slightly sorry for her. But is sounds like hoarding. Or just... that is too much interest for an adult to take in Barbies, I'm sorry.
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hhusted
hhusted 2yrs+
I've been single and living alone for a long time. I only lived with a roommate for three years. I like having my privacy, but I also like having to share expenses.

So for those of you who are considering roommates, I believe it is best to weigh all costs, and decide which is the best way to go.
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Uraniumfish
Uraniumfish 2yrs+
@BroadwayBk haha ha..yeah, I would run too. That signals some from of derangement in my book. And I think I'm fairly tolerant of people's odd ways. Do all these women think they're going to change your roommate or something?
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Uraniumfish
Uraniumfish 2yrs+
@NeverSleeps And I agree that the particular subject matter - Barbies - is much more weird than collecting, say, Star Wars figures. Though I knew a guy who collected those too...
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uptowngirl
uptowngirl 2yrs+
@Uraniumfish Have to confess in my youth I too collected the Star Wars Figures simply because. I used to be crazy about Han Solo...
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hhusted
hhusted 2yrs+
Hey grow up people. :) :) ha ha. I know what you are saying ajadedidealist. I had a stuffed animal on my bed for years as well.
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BroadwayBK
BroadwayBK 2yrs+
@Uranimfish It's likely that they think that. Though he appears to be dating someone somewhat exclusively at the moment, so maybe it's possible to change him after all. Hmmmm...but the Bart figurines are still there.

@ajadedidealist I hardly think a few stuffed animals compared to a wall of Barbies or a junk shop for a living room.
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BroadwayBK
BroadwayBK 2yrs+
@uptowngirl It's okay, as long as you aren't dedicating a storage unit or a wall in your bedroom to such things.
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uptowngirl
uptowngirl 2yrs+
@BroadwayBK Those figurines are long gone...the only thing I seem to hoard nowadays are shoes and jeans as I am always on the lookout for some that fit perfectly ..then I tend to buy multiples of the same when I do happen to chance on a particular well fitting pair ..
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BroadwayBK
BroadwayBK 2yrs+
@uptowngirl Oh, you're perfectly normal then.
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hhusted
hhusted 2yrs+
@Uptowngirl: You are just like my girlfriend. She is constantly buying shoes. I ask why so many shoes. She told me she is fanatical about them. She wants one type of shoe for work, one type for play, one type to wear around the house, etc. She has about four pairs of boots. I asked why four pairs. One pair has a broken heal or bottom, the other one leaks, and the third one just doesn't look good on her during parts of the year.

I wear one pair of shoes until it literally falls off my feet. I am not into shopping that much.

Honestly, that's why I haven't figured out the psychology of women shoppers. And perhaps I never will. My girlfriend told me women were created to shop for the home.

Oh, well. All I can say, is if it makes you happy, go for it. After all, it is your money.
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uptowngirl
uptowngirl 2yrs+
@hhusted I can point out a few guys who are just as bad as us 'gals' when it comes to buying shoes...:):)
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hhusted
hhusted 2yrs+
@Uptowngirl: Yeah, I bet you could...:):)
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DBlack
DBlack 2yrs+
@uptowngirl Hehehe...and are those guys mostly finance guys?
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NeverSleeps
NeverSleeps 2yrs+
@DBlack or hipsters.
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BroadwayBK
BroadwayBK 2yrs+
My roommate literally has an entire wall in his room dedicated to his stupid shoe collection. And the best part is, they are practically all the same pair of shoes.
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uptowngirl
uptowngirl 2yrs+
@DBlack you got that right :):)
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ajadedidealist
ajadedidealist 2yrs+
That's hilarious, @BroadwayBK! Does he wear them or just collect them.
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hhusted
hhusted 2yrs+
@BroadwayBK: Really. Oh, my goodness. Maybe he just likes shoes, or has a shoe fetish. But the same type and style? That is weird. I can see having a collection of different types of shoes. That makes sense, but not the same.
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uptowngirl
uptowngirl 2yrs+
@hhusted that's called bulk buying and I am guilty of that as well..if I like something or if something fits well I buy multiples of it ..but in my case it mostly jeans not shoes..
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NeverSleeps
NeverSleeps 2yrs+
@BroadwayBK Like, there are shelves and shelves lining the wall? Or he lines them up against one wall of his room?
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hhusted
hhusted 2yrs+
@Uptowngirl: What is the point of bulk buying though. I would like your viewpoint about it, because I don't see a reason for it.

Thanks for your input.
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uptowngirl
uptowngirl 2yrs+
@hhusted as I mentioned earlier a pair of jeans that fits well or a pair of shoes that are comfy are quite often difficult to find.. so when I do find that ideal pair I tend to buy multiples of it so that when one pair wears out I can always replace it with another one.. hope that makes sense now..
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hhusted
hhusted 2yrs+
@Uptowngirl: I see your viewpoint. Thanks for explaining that to me. It makes sense.
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NeverSleeps
NeverSleeps 2yrs+
@BroadwayBK I always wonder at people who own a lot of the same thing when it's really unnecessary to do so. What are people trying to prove with 100 pairs of the same shoes or shirts or whatever? It boggles my mind. Plus, in a city where space is a huge issue, why would you want so many pairs of the same shoe cluttering up your walls?
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NeverSleeps
NeverSleeps 2yrs+
@hhusted I agree that hoarding is a real problem. Probably one of the worst mental disorder manifestations that you could have in New York City what with the available real estate!
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BroadwayBK
BroadwayBK 2yrs+
My roommate is definitely that - a compulsive hoarder. I once rid the freezer of a bunch of stuff that had been years - years! - expired, and he was really mad, as if he'd been planning to eat it all that week. And the kicker is that most of it was left over from old roommates. He was super pissed that I'd thrown out his bacon grease, stating "That was like ten years' worth of bacon grease!" Note: all the man ever cooks is bacon anyway.
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uptowngirl
uptowngirl 2yrs+
@BroadwayBK your roommate sounds like a real character! I am not as much of a compulsive hoarder as he seems to be.
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hhusted
hhusted 2yrs+
@BroadwayBK: It sounds like you need to get rid of the guy. He will leave you with little room for your own stuff.

That is one thing I am not and that is a hoarder. I throw things out if they are two days old. I hate keeping stuff, especially if there is no need for it.
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BroadwayBK
BroadwayBK 2yrs+
@uptowngirl I certainly hope not.

@hhusted Too late, there was never any room for my stuff. And you are right - I'm looking into moving, don't worry.
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hhusted
hhusted 2yrs+
@BroadwayBK: If you need any help in moving, let me know. I'll do what I can.
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BroadwayBK
BroadwayBK 2yrs+
@hhusted Thanks for the offer, but every other guy I know is in a band, owns a van, and could use some extra cash. If I ever get out of this mouse infested shanty I don't think the actual moving will be much of a problem. :)
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hhusted
hhusted 2yrs+
@BroadwayBK: How did your move go? I'm not sure if you mentioned it yet.
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