Micro Apartment Living in Big Cities

Based on the increased need for urban housing, many large cities across the globe have housing in short supply.  The rent in the big cities, such as Los Angeles, New York City or San Francisco is extremely high. There has been a trend for these cities to design and build apartments consisting mostly of micro apartments which range in size from 220 square feet to 300 square feet. The smaller or micro units are rented at a lower amount, making it more affordable for recent college graduates or young professionals to live in apartments in the city. Washington D.C. has recently joined the micro apartment trend with the opening of The Harper Building, this past summer, and there are more projects in the works. These apartments are close to major business areas, restaurants and transportation in the city. The new micro apartment buildings offer common areas, such as workout rooms and pools where the young professionals can meet and “hang-out”. This is a perfect choice for millennials who would rather not have the extra space or a roommate.

A micro apartment by definition is any apartment less than 500 square feet that is designed for efficiency. The micro apartments average 350 square feet with some spaces actually being even smaller. Having the correct layout for the apartment and the renter’s needs is very important. This will help create no wasted space in the living space. The micro apartments usually have a kitchen, living space and a bathroom in different configurations. With micro apartments or even studio apartments, you will need to be very creative with your furniture, storage and belongings. Furniture will need to serve multiple purposes in the room. A micro apartment dweller will need to be very organized and use every nook and cranny in the allotted space. You will not be able to clutter the spaces in these apartments with a lot of “stuff”.

Tips for Living in Micro Apartments

Each piece of furniture or storage cupboard in the space will have to be functional as well as decorative in small apartments. Create zones in your room for sleeping, eating and entertaining. Use as much vertical storage that you can. This is especially important in the bathroom where you can use vertical storage units above the toilet. In the closet, use ultra-thin hangers to hang clothing as they take up less space and add shelves in the top of the closet. In the kitchen, only buy essential utensils and accessories. You will not have room to store your larger kitchen accessories in such a small space. Do not clutter your counters and kitchen sink with dirty dishes. Wash the dishes and pans soon after use and return them to their proper storage area. Organization and tidiness will go a long way to making your micro living space appear much bigger than it actually is!

Storage Solutions for Micro Apartment Dwellers

So, what do you do with the belongings that won’t fit into a micro apartment? Renting a storage unit in D.C. is a great option for the small apartment residents. It is important to find a storage facility that is near your apartment so you can easily access your items. Storage units are perfect to store clothes, suitcases, larger kitchen accessories that you don’t have room for, and boxes of personal belongings that you cannot throw away. ezStorage has locations in the Washington D.C. area that are great storage options for these new urban apartment dwellers.