Thursday, January 15, 2015

The REBNY is playing young people for suckers...and winning


One of the aims of the REBNY is to get young people into smaller apartments to maximize the profitability of limited space. Make micro-apartments "cool" and you solve your problem because now young renters will accept a shitty living situation and be happy about it!

Case in point. Check this "apartment" out:

http://elitedaily.com/humor/most-pathetic-nyc-apartment-listing-photo/906247/

Then check out the first comment (from someone who lives in Santa Monica!):

>>It's for a young, single person on a budget. It's really not that bad at all. It's clean and keep you safe. Think: minimalist. It's a "micro apartment", which are really in right now.<<

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well, a guy living under a bridge in a large cardboard box wouldn't really be any worse off. In fact, he'd be better off because he wouldn't be paying $1,000 a month for the "privilege."

Anonymous said...

Manhattan is a small island with a crumbling infrastructure and zero population zoning. Only city planners zoning for maximizing profits.

Not an ounce of wisdom to be found.

Anonymous said...

Livable is never a consideration.

This is what happens when the Mayor hires Goldman Sachs to head up housing efforts and partner with Robbie on Housing needs of people.

Seriously who in their right mind would ever put the basic human need of housing in the hands of Goldman Sachs?

This Mayor has done 180 degree departure from his campaign days.

Anonymous said...

The RE industry answer to affordable housing is "tiny apartments"

No dignity for the poor. Just stuff 'em in a closet somewhere and charge just enough they can never get out.

RE Industry touts itself as leaders.

I'd like to see Rob Speyer, Mary Ann Tighe, John Banks et al lead by example on this one.

That would be true leadership.

Anonymous said...

The tiny apartment in theory.

http://therealdeal.com/blog/2014/11/01/first-paris-then-new-york-city/

Converted Maid Spaces.

Psychology speaking this could really mess a person up. We are creating madness, mad housing that will lead to mad people.

Is this any different from solitary confinement - confinement being the operative word here.

Anonymous said...

Makes me thing of the old tenements and the injurious affect they had on people's mental and physical health. Seems we are going back in time. Julius Tishman was the Tenant Baron back in the day, so I guess it's in Speyer's blood to create tiny boxes for people to live in.

Anonymous said...

Watch the suicide rate go up if this proposal is implemented.

Anonymous said...


"I'd like to see Rob Speyer, Mary Ann Tighe, John Banks et al lead by example on this one."

I'd like to see that too. With Shelly Silver and Gov Cuomo too!

Anonymous said...

Good points to downsizing and the need for it and it probably would be more meaningful and more successful if it begins with the chopping up all the over-sized over-priced luxury dwellings to house Speyer's urban migrators. But probably not so small as the maid's rooms, symbolism aside.

Anonymous said...

Well that is really short term thinking that solves no population living problems while making a lot more money for RE.