Many San Francisco residents know all too well that rent is not cheap.
But for 25-year-old freelance illustrator Peter Berkowitz even a one bedroom one bathroom apartment was something he couldn’t afford.
Berkowitz was a cook in New York City’s Flatiron District before moving to California to pursue a career in illustration. He went apartment hunting with a friend only to discover that he could not afford anything.
His solution was to build a pod in a Sunset District apartment where he would pay $400 a month in rent.
“It seemed to be something where I could do it cheaply enough and actually make a space that I enjoy living out of, save money, and I wouldn’t have a subsequent drop in quality of life,” Berkowitz said. “I think that’s how it turned out.”
Berkowitz lives with four other people in the three-bedroom apartment, and he said the other roommates pay about $800 per month for their rooms.
While his pod may look small, Berkowitz said, “it’s very comfortable.”
Calling himself a neurotic sleeper, Berkowitz likes the peace and quite the pod gives him. “I’ve always known about Japanese capsule hotels and felt confident that I could build something and still have my own private space,” he said. “I was thinking, if you could go to sleep and it be truly quiet–that was an idea that stuck in my head.”
He spends his time in the pod reading and working on a built-in computer table. He keeps his clothes behind the backboard of the bed and stores his backpack and shoes outside of the pod.
Putting pants on he said, “requires more yoga than I’m used to doing.”
While his roommates were definitely skeptical about the idea, they eventually came around and helped him build the $1,300 pod.
“They’ve been very patient and I’m very thankful to have sane, mature and super nice roommates,” Berkowitz said. “I think the general reaction is I’m the weird guy living in a box. That’s the best summary.”
“When I’m in here, it’s not on my mind that I’m in this pod and it’s so depressing,” he added, with a laugh. “It’s become very normal very quickly and it’s not quirky to me. It’s just a comfortable, cozy and thoughtfully-designed bedroom.”
Berkowitz knows the idea may seem crazy to some, but he’s a firm believer in maximizing living spaces in light of the city’s housing issues.
Would you ever live in an 8-foot pod? Do you think this idea is crazy?
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To learn more about Berkowitz’s pod, click here to visit his website.
[Featured Image Credit: Peter Berkowitz]
Man Lives In An 8-Foot Box To Save Money On Rent is an article from: LifeDaily