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Thread: Where small space living and community intersect

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    Senior Member catherine's Avatar
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    Where small space living and community intersect

    http://inhabitat.com/nyc/horrifyingl...ry-6/?extend=1

    This is an interesting photo expose of the cramped quarters of Chinese immigrants. They live on practically nothing so they can send money home.

    The photojournalist tries to capture both the "horrifying" living conditions as well as the sense of community.

    I keep thinking, maybe a "horrifying" living condition is when a family of 4 rattles around in a 4,000 sq. ft. space without even speaking to each other all day.

    I'm not saying that these cramped quarters are not challenging or difficult--but I'm reminded of the beach bungalow DH's relatives owned when DH was a boy. It was probably no bigger than a two-story motor home, and on weekends 20 of his relatives came down from Queens for a relaxing weekend. There were berths set up in the basement.

    My DD actually lived in a co-housing situation in Brooklyn, and her "room" was a lot like one of the pictures in this essay. It was more like a perch. You had to climb up on a real ladder and the "room" was about 3 ft tall, so she would just crawl in and lie down. There were about six people living there--some hardcore environmentalists, and they had greywater systems in place. Very different. A tad "horrifying" to the parents (us) but she survived.
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    My brain automatically took this to the international space station.
    It is amazing that we think we can't live with less, or that kids should get every "advantage" (some turn out not to be). Had this discussion with a friend of mine, who he and his 5 brothers, all grew up in a house that was around 1000 square feet.

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    What an inspiring story of human resilience and community. Any city should be proud to have such strong-willed and resourceful people living in their midst, and be willing to give them an opportunity for a hand-up. (Though I am sure those immigrants would much rather be living in larger quarters).

    I think it is quite possible to live comfortably in small quarters, bunked in tight with all sorts of people, but there has to be some organisation, some mutuality, i.e. community. And it cannot be in a situation of dire poverty, for then close quarters become cramped, and what could be a cosy close-knit community becomes suffocating, tense, unbearable, ripe for disease and squalor.

    So when does cosy become cramped?

    Expectations and context partly. Growing up, our family of five travelled cross country in a Duster (small car). Today, acquaintances say they NEED that SUV or mini-van (with air-con and DVD players on backseats). Is this simply being spoilt by wealth?

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    Senior Member bae's Avatar
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    The March rental data for that neighborhood in NYC claims that the rent for a studio apartment is ~$4250/month.

    I don't find the pictures of the living situations in that article to be "horrifying", but rather a quite clever adaptation to the real estate circumstances.

    I'd love to be able to have a 8x8 apartment in Manhattan for $100-$200/month, heck.

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    Senior Member catherine's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bae View Post

    I'd love to be able to have a 8x8 apartment in Manhattan for $100-$200/month, heck.
    Tumbleweed house--Tribeca version. Hmm.. sounds pretty good to me!
    "Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it--every, every minute?" Emily Webb, Our Town
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    Having lived for many years onboard ships (military ships not cushy cruise ships) in tiny shared spaces with bunk beds stacked 3 or 4 high on either side of a tiny room, and just a small locker for all my earthly possessions and uniforms, a 64 sf "private" room would seem like heaven to me! Definitely helped instill a love of small spaces in me - and an appreciation of how little of a space I need to be happy in. So after that I lived in a small apt (500 sf) and then on a small sailboat (with now ex) dh, it all seemed huge.

    Currently I'm living in a very large immigrant Vietnamese community, and seeing the very large family groups who share a house together both in order to get ahead in life (pooling money and resources) as well as to help each other out, seems like a good thing to me. It's something more westerners could do for the same reasons.

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    Senior Member KayLR's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by gadder View Post
    What an inspiring story of human resilience and community. Any city should be proud to have such strong-willed and resourceful people living in their midst, and be willing to give them an opportunity for a hand-up. (Though I am sure those immigrants would much rather be living in larger quarters).

    I think it is quite possible to live comfortably in small quarters, bunked in tight with all sorts of people, but there has to be some organisation, some mutuality, i.e. community. And it cannot be in a situation of dire poverty, for then close quarters become cramped, and what could be a cosy close-knit community becomes suffocating, tense, unbearable, ripe for disease and squalor.

    So when does cosy become cramped?

    Expectations and context partly. Growing up, our family of five travelled cross country in a Duster (small car). Today, acquaintances say they NEED that SUV or mini-van (with air-con and DVD players on backseats). Is this simply being spoilt by wealth?
    Your Duster would not accommodate all the child safety seating now required -- not that I'm defending "needed" SUVs, just saying ...
    My therapist told me the way to achieve true inner peace is to finish what I start. So far today, I have finished two bags of M&Ms and a chocolate cake. I feel better already!

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    Senior Member awakenedsoul's Avatar
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    When I was a young gypsy in NYC, we lived three in a tiny two "bedroom" apt. It was really little. One of us was usually on tour. We were there to train, audition, and make it into a Broadway show or tour. We all reached our goals. I wouldn't want to do that now, but it was fun at the time...

    The older I get, the less I realize I need.

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    When I saw that photo I thought "fire-trap." I'm all for people scrimping on housing to save or get ahead, but I also think fire codes are there for a reason.

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    Senior Member iris lilies's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lainey View Post
    When I saw that photo I thought "fire-trap." I'm all for people scrimping on housing to save or get ahead, but I also think fire codes are there for a reason.
    Goobermnt safety regulations both protect the people and restrict their liberty. It will always be a push-pull.

    The reality of the situation depicted is that it depends entirely on the demographics of the group living there for success. If the inhabitants were typical homeless people who inhabit the sidewalks of my city, that cube-apartment place would, within a matter of weeks, be a complete wreck. Human and animal excrement, rats bed bugs and cockroaches, rotting garbage, and likely fire would have destroyed the place. Not a month goes by without an abandoned house in my city goes up in flames due to squatters setting it on fire.

    The fact that neat and tidy Chinese people with a focused goal in life did not wreck the place, instead made it habitable for all, shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. Not all cube dwellers are created equal. It's too bad it was shut down.

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