Micro-Apartments Are The Latest Trend In NYC & This Broker Is Teaching Us How To Find Them
Could you see yourself living in 55 sq ft apartment? Yes, you read that correctly, five-five. Well, NYC has become so disgustingly expensive, that literally ten rulers of living space has become a trend, and many New Yorkers are opting in. Micro-apartments, also known as tiny homes, are becoming the new wave—but what are they exactly?
Not to be confused with your typical studio, micro-apartments are smaller-than-average studios intended for a single resident. They're ultra-efficient, relatively inexpensive, and often provide common areas where residents can relax and socialize. Some are designed for co-living, with a private bedroom, but all other amenities are shared with other residents, such as bathrooms, showers, entryways, etc. Thriving communities and high-trafficked downtown locations balance out its mini sizes. They're usually in areas where the walk-up is their living room and the city as their backyard. Think of them as a space to return to when it's time to only go to bed.
120sqft Tiny / Micro NYC Apartment Tour! Manhattan Studio in New York! Knowing Home w/Nyasia Ep 2www.youtube.com
Nyasia C., a designer, NYC real estate broker, and fashion lover, often shares apartment tours, home decor, travel and more. She took on the task of exclusively showing New York's most affordable units under 200 square feet. Her tips are simple: "If you're looking for an apartment under 200 sq ft., the listing will never say 'tiny apartment'. Instead, it will be listed as a studio. It's up to the renter to go look at each place to see if it is actually a tiny apartment or not. Or be sure to work with a broker who sees a lot of apartments and who knows where the best are."
Nyasia's experience ranges from luxury Manhattan apartments, all the way to micro inexpensive rooms. And oftentimes, she works with students in the Columbia area on the Upper West Side, whose age range have expressed a huge interest in keeping the trend going. She brings her regal energy and multi-year real estate knowledge to the forefront to make 100 sq ft, feel like 1000. "I believe you learn the most about people over food and in their home. I'm passionate about telling stories of how people live and work."
One of her smallest being a shocking 55 sq ft, she has also hosted tours of units with 72 sq ft, up to 200. And oddly enough, these apartments are everywhere in New York.
A few are shown below:
Nyasia C./YouTube
Rent: $1050
This unit did not include a bathroom, so technically, it is considered a room for rent. The bathrooms are shared and are outside in the hall. Two are on each floor. You sign a lease, just as you would with any other apartment, no roommates included. The width is around 5 1/2 feet, and length is 11 1/2. There is no closet, for those of us who have an extensive wardrobe, and there is no kitchen.
The rent includes all utilities and internet.
Nyasia C./YouTube
Nyasia joined Tony, a NY creative in Manhattan to give her a tour of his 120 sq ft living space. She took the time to see how he actually lived day-to-day in a furnished, micro unit. Like the previous unit, Tony's apartment does not have a closet or kitchen and he has a key-access bathroom that he shares with three other people.
Nyasia C./YouTube
Rent: $1725 (with one month free, $1581.25)
In another tour, the micro unit uncharacteristically included both a kitchen and a bathroom, and four closets--which is almost unheard of. The unit also included a space dividers and built in shelves. The kitchen is tucked away behind pull-closed doors, and utilities are included, minus internet. This unit is roughly 200 sq ft.
Nyasia tours additional micro units on her YouTube channel, where she also showcases all aspects of New York City real estate. She is currently no longer accepting real estate clients searching for apartments, but you can instead find her continuing to dive deep into the market one property at a time.
Would you live in a micro apartment?
Feature image courtesy of Nyasia C./YouTube
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Charmin Michelle is a southern native and creative spirit who works as a content marketer and events manager in Chicago. She enjoys traveling, #SummertimeChi, and the journey of mastering womanhood. Connect with her on Instagram @charminmichelle.
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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Some Signs Your Casual Relationship Is Getting Serious
In this modern era, establishing romantic connections has become increasingly challenging. From knowing what to say on the first date to knowing when to make things official, the rules have changed and this ain’t the same dating game that led to our parents falling in love and starting a family.
Because times are hard and dating is harder, we had to look to an expert to help us understand when that casual fling becomes something serious. So we chatted with Karina F. Daves, a relationship coach who has made it her mission to teach women how to enjoy more satisfying partnerships.
As a relationship coach, Daves leverages her experience as a former social worker and adjunct professor of women’s studies to teach women how to strategically evaluate their personal identity, values, and standards so that they can elevate their relationships and themselves.
She tells xoNecole, “You should not be with somebody for their potential. The key is being with somebody for their patterns. Instead of looking at it as one specific milestone, look at it as there are multiple patterns at which this person is showing you what role they want to play, what their values are.”
"You should not be with somebody for their potential. The key is being with somebody for their patterns."
Daves’ work has amassed more than 240,000 followers across her social media platforms, and her videos have reached close to 25 million and half a million alone this month.
According to the relationship coach, some key indicators that a relationship is going from casual to serious are:
“You talk about it going to a serious level, and you talk about intentions. Intentions are very clear in a relationship that is serious. At this point, you intend to date each other either for fun or you're dating for marriage. This is something that is very comfortably talked about.” She adds, “You enter each other's worlds fully. This means that you meet people in each other's world, but you also become part of their routine. You're not a task that they have to do, you are just a normal part of their day-to-day life."
“You're not a task that they have to do, you are just a normal part of their day-to-day life.”
In terms of how partners can communicate effectively about their expectations and intentions as a relationship becomes more serious, Daves shares:
“You will want to become serious by being vulnerable and having this conversation. Before the actual communication part occurs, you have to identify what it is that you want this relationship to be. What is it that you want out of a future partnership?”
Daves emphasizes the need for clear communication and suggests doing away with the potential you see in the person and instead focusing on what you want in love. "This is an opportunity for that person to say that's not who they are and that they can't give you that."
"Relationships should also be fun. We do not want to forget that these conversations can be serious, but also a source of fun and joy. They do not need to feel heavy. If you see that they are joyful, this can be a good indicator of what the rest of the relationship would be like when you're getting ready to have serious conversations," Daves concludes.
We know that specific milestones or stages in a relationship can help signify its deepening commitment; Daves has these tips for navigating these transitions:
Introducing one another to each other's worlds can be a big indicator that the relationship you share is getting serious. "When you start meeting each other’s friends and families, this is a big milestone and a vulnerable place to be." Another sign that things are getting serious is openly professing the "L" word. "Communication is significant as far as proclaiming that you love your partner. These are really big milestones that shouldn't be forced."
Speaking of communication, Daves adds that “another big indicator is how you overcome your first moment of misalignment. This is a huge indicator of the rest of the triumphs that you will face. Were you both open? Did you both feel safe sharing? Did you respect each other's point of view? How did you resolve the issue?”
"Communication is significant as far as proclaiming that you love your partner. These are really big milestones that shouldn't be forced."
Lastly, Daves suggests assessing one another's level of emotional investment:
One of the ways Daves suggests we assess the level of emotional investment is by doing a simple activity called “eggs in a basket.”
This activity involves discussing important and valued aspects of a relationship. Daves explains, “The way to assess the level of emotional investment is to test their heart posture. 'Heart posture' is referring to where their heart stands when it comes to this relationship and how it logically has made sense of it all.”
In those instances, ask each other the following questions:
- Do you feel clear about our intentions and where our relationship is going?
- Do you see me as a life partner?
- Are we past potentially seeing us together to understand each other's patterns and choosing to make that commitment?
- Are we a part of our life’s plan?
- Do you still have individual goals?
“This isn’t just about seeing their investment in the relationship but also how they’re choosing to invest in themselves as people. You don’t want a partner that will lose themselves in the relationship because you won’t have a partner anymore, you’ll have someone to parent,” Daves said.
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Featured image by xavierarnau/Getty Images