Posit: no one really needs more than 500sf/person (Ohio, Philadelphia)
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It pains me to admit that when I am adequately funded I will buy a pre-packaged Ikea room or two
I'm going for a kitchen.
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(who travels with a tape measure, I know)
I have a purse-sized one. You never know when you're going to need to measure something, right?
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Originally Posted by weteath
Now where I live currently, for some reason everyone goes to Starbucks
There are no Starbucks in Chicago? LOL
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why for the sake of vibrancy would you drive 15 minutes to Starbucks or downtown to read a paper in a vibrant setting
Why would anyone drive anywhere to read the paper? I find this rather ridiculous.
Stay home and save money!
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Originally Posted by Chemistry_Guy
Space is kind of like a pickup truck... people can do without much of it as long as they have a friend that lets them borrow theirs from time to time. I have friends and siblings that are very happy with their small apartments, yet they'll all be watching the Superbowl at my house, and when old friends are in town they know they always have a comfortable place to stay for their whole family so they go out of their way to visit.
You've got that right! Among my in-laws, I'm the only one with a yard. Guess who gets to host the Fourth of July and Labor Day picnics, while the aunts and uncles and cousins and brothers-in-law brag about their urban lifestyles?
I have a purse-sized one. You never know when you're going to need to measure something, right?
There are no Starbucks in Chicago? LOL
Why would anyone drive anywhere to read the paper? I find this rather ridiculous.
Stay home and save money!
You've got that right! Among my in-laws, I'm the only one with a yard. Guess who gets to host the Fourth of July and Labor Day picnics, while the aunts and uncles and cousins and brothers-in-law brag about their urban lifestyles?
My point being people go to Starbucks to get on their computers, don't even get anything. My other point with Chicago was it didnt take the name "starbucks," for a place to have a crowd. Where I stayed in particular had one Starbucks along a 12 block stretch, many other places along those blocks weren't empty to say the least.
Really, you can live quite comfortably at 500sf/person and maybe throw in an addition 100sf/pet.
A family of 4 with a couple of cats and a dog could live quite well in a 2300sf house (indeed, this would be considered luxurious in Manhattan). Anything more than that is unneeded luxury or ostentatious display of wealth.
Debate.
Luxuries are, by definition, "unneeded." That's what separates them from necessities. Nonetheless, "luxury" and "ostentation" are two very different things. My parents, brother, and I grew up in a 4,700 square foot home, which was appropriately sized relative to its 3/4-acre lot, an example of "tasteful custom construction" built right before the ill-fated McMansion era. We certainly didn't "need" all that space, but because there was a semi-open floorplan that emphasized larger functional rooms over compartmentalized clutter, we used almost all of it on a regular basis. In addition, the decoration scheme was very understated--lots of neutral tones, few accessories or knickknacks--that gave it a pleasingly understated look. Granted, after that my dad's new girlfriend (a so-called "interior designer") got her grubby paws on the place, she transformed it into a gross, opulent mess, as if her "handiwork" were taken straight out of an allegorical Nouveau riche playbook.
Either way, it's very possible to live in a large space without heaping on the schmaltz.
Luxuries are, by definition, "unneeded." That's what separates them from necessities. Nonetheless, "luxury" and "ostentation" are two very different things. My parents, brother, and I grew up in a 4,700 square foot home, which was appropriately sized relative to its 3/4-acre lot, an example of "tasteful custom construction" built right before the ill-fated McMansion era. We certainly didn't "need" all that space, but because there was a semi-open floorplan that emphasized larger functional rooms over compartmentalized clutter, we used almost all of it on a regular basis. In addition, the decoration scheme was very understated--lots of neutral tones, few accessories or knickknacks--that gave it a pleasingly understated look. Granted, after that my dad's new girlfriend (a so-called "interior designer") got her grubby paws on the place, she transformed it into a gross, opulent mess, as if her "handiwork" were taken straight out of an allegorical Nouveau riche playbook.
Either way, it's very possible to live in a large space without heaping on the schmaltz.
So big is ok as long as its just a vast area of unadorned drywall painted in a muted color? I've seen warehouses that sound more homey than that.
So big is ok as long as its just a vast area of unadorned drywall painted in a muted color? I've seen warehouses that sound more homey than that.
(1) That's not at all what it looked like.
(2) This is a rule that applies to dwellings of any size, as far as opulence (and in my personal opinion, taste) goes.
While the decoration scheme isn't exact, the interior pictures found at this link do a decent job approximating the decoration scale of my childhood home.
I work on our cars in the alley. A garage would be nice, but not essential. I probably spend less than 10 days a year under the hood. I don't do major repairs. I've never had one, so I guess I don't miss it. Luckily our winters are so flukey, it can be 20 one day and 50 the next.
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I was thinking about this last night. When we lived in Champaign-Urbana, IL, it seemed like every dwelling had some sort of off-street parking where one could work on a car, if one so desired. Sometimes that was a driveway. I can't remember living anywhere there that didn't have someplace off the street for the cars. Apt. complexes had parking lots and/or garages.
I was thinking about this last night. When we lived in Champaign-Urbana, IL, it seemed like every dwelling had some sort of off-street parking where one could work on a car, if one so desired. Sometimes that was a driveway. I can't remember living anywhere there that didn't have someplace off the street for the cars. Apt. complexes had parking lots and/or garages.
I would have thought that's not uncommon in Pittsburgh with all the rowhouses. Here, most have driveways but a few streets on one block, maybe half of the attached houses have no off-street parking. Probably a few other spots in town with the same situation as well as those that live in apartments above stores in the center of town (one can rent a municipal spot for $25/month*) but probably not allowed to work on your car there).
I was thinking about this last night. When we lived in Champaign-Urbana, IL, it seemed like every dwelling had some sort of off-street parking where one could work on a car, if one so desired. Sometimes that was a driveway. I can't remember living anywhere there that didn't have someplace off the street for the cars. Apt. complexes had parking lots and/or garages.
I guess it ain't as Urban(a) as you thought!
Some have created driveways in their backyards on my street. I haven't seen the need as we have ample public parking. It just isn't an issue.
The 1880-1920 rowhouses don't have parking, because most didn't have cars. The "deluxe" rowhome areas starting about 1925 had tiny unconnected garages and driveways in the rear (usually at basement level). Some postwar rowhomes (mine) did have driveways but only the fancier ones had garages. Mine is basic.
Not that it's legal, but I doubt anyone cares if done quickly. Residents don't have any place off street, I'd assume.
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