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A friend was telling me that someone said to her: With the limited space in NYC apartments, I'm surprised all New Yorkers don't have situations that look like hoarding.
Interesting New Yorker article about hoarding, including favorite infamous hoarders, the Collyers. Or are the Beales your favorite?
It would be interesting to know if lack of space makes people more prone to be hoarders. I would think the opposite would be true -- when you have tons of space and you begin filling it, and as time passes you just continue until a hoarder.
As New Yorkers it seems we have to be extra conscious not to bring too much stuff home because it can very quickly make the home feel crowded.
Most of the people on the show Hoarders didn't have tiny apartments. A few did (and I remember one guy with basically a studio) but most had actual homes with space to even hoard outside. Mental illness can hit anyone though.
New Yorkers are very careful space users...but it doesn't take much to make 400-600 square feet LOOK like hoarding even if it is only necessities.
It SO breaks my heart when some suburbanite with a two car garage, a full attic and basement whines about "no place to store anything."
I know a couple people who have small rent controlled/stabilized apartments since the Jefferson Administration...you know the type, Sheridan Square $650, Waverly Place $700.
You really have to crawl over stuff and finding a place to sit takes some art. But honestly if they only had even a 4 x 4 x 8 storage closet, they could have neat apartments.
One atticful and garageful of ACTUAL hoarders' stuff would fill 5 studio apartments.
I use EVERY CUBIC INCH of space to the best of its ability and I toss everything that no longer is useful/needed but still I am pushing the envelope. It gets harder and harder to prepare for company. For any sense of minimalism I must visit a museum.
New York City residents, especially Manhattan residents, can write books on the judicious use of space. "Hoarding" is for Peoria.
I think that a hoarder will hoard whether or not they have a large space to do it in.
I think so, too. I told myself I wouldn't buy any more "diet" books at Goodwill, but of course, I do. although far less than I used to. Haven't lost any weight, though. Now I gotta get rid of the excess wool and crochet hooks I bought recently.
It would be interesting to know if lack of space makes people more prone to be hoarders. I would think the opposite would be true -- when you have tons of space and you begin filling it, and as time passes you just continue until a hoarder.
As New Yorkers it seems we have to be extra conscious not to bring too much stuff home because it can very quickly make the home feel crowded.
I agree, Henna.
I look at some of the REAL hoarding portrayed in the suburbs with basements, attics and garages, thousands of square feet) stuffed to the rafters and the overflow in the living and bedrooms. If I had the luxury of just ONE of those storage spaces my apartment would be IMMACULATE all the time. My place looks overcrowded but that is the consequence of two people living in 650 square feet. If I were in a regular 3 bedroom suburban home, the place would look EMPTY with what I have.
I agree, Henna.
I look at some of the REAL hoarding portrayed in the suburbs with basements, attics and garages, thousands of square feet) stuffed to the rafters and the overflow in the living and bedrooms. If I had the luxury of just ONE of those storage spaces my apartment would be IMMACULATE all the time. My place looks overcrowded but that is the consequence of two people living in 650 square feet. If I were in a regular 3 bedroom suburban home, the place would look EMPTY with what I have.
I too know quite a few hoarders who have houses and none of them live anywhere near NYC or NY State!
Location: Born in L.A. - NYC is Second Home - Rustbelt is Home Base
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Well, hoarding can come under 2 areas. Those that are sick and fill up any space they have. NY'ers may come under the area of hoarding cause of very limited space. You give them the average space that most of the rest of the states have and they will have no problem. So this topic can be divided into 2 main types of hoarder: hoarder by desire and hoarder by design. The NY'ers may be more of a design issue.
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