Smallest House in Brooklyn†

I'm fascinated by tiny houses. I don't know if I'll ever downsize so radically, but there's something to be said for living well in the minimum space. Like the Tumbleweed Tiny Homes founder who spends less to heat his home all winter (In Iowa City) than I do for a month. Friend of mine forwarded me this email, a flyer basically for a home for sale in Brooklyn*:

This house, located near the intersection of

Ave T and Van Sicklen,

is Brooklyn 's smallest house.

Occupying what used to be a driveway, it's a one bedroom, one bathroom home that sits on a parcel of land 7.25 feet wide and 113.67 feet long. It's interior area is just under 300 square feet.

Here's the living room, looking towards the front of the house

Here's the living room again, looking towards the back

Here's the kitchen. Note that despite the small space, they've managed to fit a washer and dryer into the place.

Here's the bedroom. It has a Murphy bed, a necessity in such a space. This is what it looks like with the Murphy Bed down

And here the bedroom with the Murphy Bed retracted:

You also get some patio space out back. Here it is, looking towards the house:

And here's the patio looking towards the back:

Here are the home's 'Listed Features':

• Completely redone top-to-bottom, front-to-back!
• Tumbled stone entrance walk
• Renovated Bath
• Renovated Kitchen with new stove, new cabinets and new stacked washer/dryer
• Bedroom with Murphy Bed + 'Built-ins' ... (doubles as a den)
• Walkout to fenced patio
• 100 Amp service
• 2 Satellite Dishes and Receiver
• Window Air Conditioner Available

THE PRICE ? ? ?

You get all this for. . .

ONLY $479,900.00!

Only in New York !

*Another friend of mine, from high school, lives in Brooklyn. Talking to her husband at our 20th reunion, I made a reference to 'half million dollar houses,' think this adequately conveyed McMansion. Because here in Kansas City, you can get a fairly palatial estate for a half million. I always forget that same half million would not get your a coffin-sized walkup in Alphabet City.

† [postscript, leaving original post intact] Nothing like an urban legend, huh? First off, if I thought about it, I know you could at least get a coffin-sized apartment in Alphabet City for a half million. No money left for furniture, but it's not like you'd have room for two chairs and a bed. But anyway, I guess it doesn't play as well to say it's a house in Toronto for $189,000. Which, it turns out, is closer to the truth. Still a lot of money for a closet with a roof, but there you go. Thanks to Jill Darlene Cieslinski Knox who posted the legit link to my Facebook...