| Do you desire a carefree sort of living situation in | | | | The historic Soho district of New York City is the |
| which immovable walls and preset distinctive rooms | | | | proud address of the creation of the loft apartment. |
| do not define your space for you? Do you feel the | | | | Stuck with large manufacturing buildings that couldn't |
| need to have every aspect of your life set into a | | | | support modern technology, the building owners of |
| pattern? Do you crave the wide-open floor plans of | | | | the 1950's risked losing everything if these colossal |
| a loft style apartment, complete with floor-to-ceiling | | | | buildings remained unoccupied. The art community of |
| windows revealing a full, panoramic view, or do you | | | | the area was struggling to find affordable studio |
| prefer the structured living style of a more traditional | | | | space that was large enough to house their |
| apartment? If you're unsure of the direction that | | | | apparatus and spread it out so the atmosphere could |
| your living arrangements are heading, continue reading | | | | compliment that necessary of an artist. The |
| to hear the best (and worst) of loft-style and | | | | combined efforts lead to the loft-housing boom, as |
| traditional apartments. | | | | the artists couldn't afford both an apartment and a |
| To sum it up, a traditional apartment has definitive | | | | studio to work. A series of pulleys and trap doors |
| rooms separated by floor-to-ceiling walls and | | | | were installed to hide any domicile items of the |
| accessible through doorways with or without a door. | | | | resident when a nosey landlord would come around, |
| The square footage of such a home varies upon the | | | | as it was slightly illegal to live in such a building. |
| number of rooms, such as a one or two bedroom | | | | Even though the classic loft apartment is converted |
| with or without a den or office. Bathrooms are | | | | from an old manufacturing or warehouse building, |
| always separate and are not included in the overall | | | | more and more contractors are actually meeting the |
| square footage. | | | | growing demand of loft apartments by creating |
| On the other hand, a classic loft-style apartment is | | | | these buildings from the ground up. These |
| one grand space with an average living space of | | | | new-fangled reproductions are referred to as |
| 1,000 to 2,000 square feet. High ceilings (with | | | | "hybrids". |
| windows to match), worn wooden floors and | | | | Both a traditional and loft apartment come in |
| exposed building elements such as brick, pipes, beams | | | | different shapes and attributes, with or without |
| and duct-work with cavernous spaces beyond the | | | | fireplaces and such details. Secured video entry, |
| reach of the average resident are just a few of the | | | | in-house fitness center and a pool are a just a few |
| aspects that lure tenants to the city-life, industrial-chic | | | | of the luxury items that may or may not come with |
| abode. | | | | your apartment, no matter which style you choose. |