Laugh all you want, Jack, but I've had suspicions as to why the New York Times keeps wanking about Portland. I used to think that the paper used Portland's follies to rationalize the latest hipster stupidity in Brooklyn. Now, I suspect someone is trying, not so subtly, to encourage the hipsters without trust funds to move to Portland. "We only want the hipsters with money in New York. They won't accomplish anything other than turning water into urine in either city, but if the broke ones move to Portland, it won't be our problem."

276 sf? How big is a jail cell?

My favorite part about the NYC studios - "The one in the rendering even has an overhead storage space to stash a surfboard." Because...?

They got a ways to go to catch up with Paris - 17 sqft.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/01/17/169655378/miniscule-parisian-apartment-housed-man-for-15-years

A jail cell averages 6x9 feet...about the same as a college dorm room.

. . . .but I've had suspicions as to why the New York Times keeps wanking about Portland.

I wonder if it might have to do with some connections between some Portland and New York people, such as David Bragdon formerly from Portland and Metro who moved to New York? There may be other people who have lived in either place who communicate and have media connections, and it looks like our city marketing efforts are working overtime to send press releases to any New York connections.

http://sustainablebusinessoregon.com/articles/2012/12/david-bragdon-reflects-on-nyc-his-new.html?page=all

Paris's minimum apartment square footage is 9 sq/meters, which is 97 sq/ft. Don't worry, Portland is working towards that fine goal.

What's minimum city code for the square footage of a bathroom?

Something tells me that $800 for a 267 sf apartment isn't quite "market rate," either, but it is like a chicken hawk feeding on the young hipsters who think they are getting such a deal (while saving the environment).

Kids, move over to the Eastside and live in a normal place with a PRIVATE bathroom, get a roommate, and still save yourself a few bucks a month.

But Mike, if they move over there, they can't just walk to the bars and hang out all night long. What sort of cad would ask them to plan?

I think the "hip urban" folk ought to buy up the U.S.S. Ranger, along with the other half-dozen retired U.S. Navy aircraft carriers. Then dock them around Hayden Island.

Each aircraft carrier can support 3,800 people and includes several foodservice areas, a hospital, barber shop, bank, post office, and other necessities for life. On its massive deck - plenty of "greenspace" where its residents can run on the deck, lounge on the deck. The hangar deck provides indoor recreation space.

This would be the ultimate in recycling, as well as minimalistic living. Each resident would be afforded just one berth, one underbed storage area, and one foot locker. By having the aircraft carriers parked around Hayden Island, the interior of the island would be preserved for natural purposes and recreation, while the aircraft carriers would block commercial and maritime use of the island.

Then New York would have to ask: Do they turn the Intrepid from a museum, to the newest "minimalistic living" colony?