Warehouse Apartments… are they really a thing?

[-]

GreatSoulLord@reddit

The odd thing about commercial real estate is that they can turn anything into a place to live. It's amazing to be honest. I have a place me that was a train depot before they converted into this awesome looking apartment complex. Usually, these type of things are apartments or condos, they're usually a bit more upscale, and they're usually found in areas that are urbanized.

Reply

[-]

Darmok47@reddit

Senator John Fetterman's Pennsylvania home is a converted car dealership.

Reply

[-]

notthegoatseguy@reddit

>The odd thing about commercial real estate is that they can turn anything into a place to live. There are three different projects in downtown Indianapolis right now turning at least portions of office towers into residential. And because there's so many particulars that make office towers great for offices and kind of terrible for everything else, its really expensive to do so. But there is still so much demand not just for residential but specifically to live in downtown Indy, those places are going to rent out real quick. Whereas the office towers that are still office space are nowadays mostly empty.

Reply

[-]

SLCamper@reddit

We've had a number of these in Seattle too, in most cases they are old office building from the early 20th century that need major upgrades to fix them up anyway. And if you're going to put that much money in you might as well make them either entirely or partially housing, because there's an oversupply of office space and an undersupply of downtown housing.

Reply

[-]

JamesStrangsGhost@reddit

They definitely exist. Primarily in urban areas. They are usually higher end on the rent expense spectrum. Depends a bit on how small or large they make the units. A factory I used to work in is now apartments. When I worked there I told my boss, "This building is going to be awesome as apartments someday."

Reply

[-]

MissKLO@reddit (OP)

and do they really have the cool sliding doors and rickety old lifts?

Reply

[-]

JamesStrangsGhost@reddit

A lot of them do, yes. There's no reason to replace a working elevator. The one I was in had two. One for people and another for freight. I assume they closed the freight elevator, but maybe not. Would be really handy for moving furniture and stuff.

Reply

[-]

workntohard@reddit

Friend of mine lives in one of those converted warehouses. The freight elevator works but is normally locked up. Only opened for when someone is moving in or out so the smaller elevator stays open for people.

Reply

[-]

Thelonius16@reddit

When I was a kid in the 1980s I had a friend who lived in a converted loft apartment. The elevator opened right into his living room. But to stop it, his mom had to grab a cable while we were moving.

Reply

[-]

wonderfullyforgottte@reddit

Someone has been watching highlander.

Reply

[-]

Creme_de_la_Coochie@reddit

Lol first thing I thought of too

Reply

[-]

Sirhc978@reddit

I've never heard of warehouse apartments, [but old mill buildings getting converted into studio apartments](https://www.peabodyproperties.com/communities/images/com_jea/images/57/main.jpg) is super common in my area.

Reply

[-]

MissKLO@reddit (OP)

Ive heard of peabodys, I thought it was a victorian london thing…

Reply

[-]

Sirhc978@reddit

The north east has tons of these old mill buildings. The floors were usually completely open with very high ceilings. [This is what the inside looks like after renovation.](https://cdn10.bostonmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/lofts-riverwalk.jpg)

Reply

[-]

Vyzantinist@reddit

Damn, that looks swanky af and, save for the modern décor and aesthetics, almost right out of the media OP was referring to.

Reply

[-]

Sirhc978@reddit

I have seen these go for $3000 a month in a shitty town.

Reply

[-]

velociraptorfarmer@reddit

Can confirm, there are some in my shitty town that rent for $3000/mo or so. Wild considering you can get half a duplex here for a bit over $1k/mo

Reply

[-]

SleepAgainAgain@reddit

Peabody is also small city in eastern Massachusetts that boomed during the industrial revolution. If you ever look at a map of Massachusetts town names, you'll notice that a huge number were lifted wholesale from English place names.

Reply

[-]

gmharryc@reddit

We’ve got a few of those here in northern DE, and they’re pricy as fuck.

Reply

[-]

velociraptorfarmer@reddit

There's a massive one in my town. Most expensive apartments in the city by a mile. No idea who actually lives in them and who can afford them to be honest.

Reply

[-]

Pbrthur@reddit

One of my friends lives in a warehouse. He runs a record label out of it so he has tons of vinyl everywhere. Also a bunch of skateboard decks. It reminds me of the Foot Clan’s lair in the original TMNT movie.

Reply

[-]

mst3k_42@reddit

Yes, in Durham some of the old tobacco companies have been turned into lofts. They have really high ceilings and giant windows. Hideously overpriced. A hosiery (I think? factory was turned into low income housing.

Reply

[-]

WisconsinExPat@reddit

They exist. I think at one time they were inhabited by the poor just looking for a place to live. No they are the domain of higher income hipsters and yuppies.

Reply

[-]

TheFemale72@reddit

1000% correct- I wish I could give you more upvotes

Reply

[-]

acvdk@reddit

My coworker’s aunt bought a 3000 sqft loft in Tribeca for like $80k in the late 80s. Everyone thought she was crazy, but now its worth like $5-10M.

Reply

[-]

luckystrike_bh@reddit

>Tribeca 3000 square feet in manhattan. That is insane.

Reply

[-]

dontfeartheringo@reddit

I have a friend with a rent-controlled place that was the top floor of a potato chip factory in Brooklyn. He got it when no one wanted to live in Brooklyn. It is the classic exposed brick, open floor-plan, Brooklyn loft of '90s movie lore. I hate him. A little.

Reply

[-]

EpicAura99@reddit

That’s bigger than my 2-living-room suburban home lmao

Reply

[-]

rubey419@reddit

She must hate the increasing property taxes. Even if I bought in Manhattan for cheap decades ago, I wouldn’t be able to live there now just from the property taxes (and probably high HOA)

Reply

[-]

FabulousFerds@reddit

Did they update it at all in that time?

Reply

[-]

acvdk@reddit

I think so but no idea. I know my co-worker’s mom and the other sister are both very rich (CEO of a hospital and biglaw partner), so I wouldn’t be surprised if there is some family money there.

Reply

[-]

ucbiker@reddit

I think they’ve been hip for awhile. In Big Daddy, Adam Sandler lives in one with his roommate. His roommate is a big firm attorney and Adam Sandler is living off some sort of settlement. I think most of the movies these are from have similar sort of idly rich protagonists.

Reply

[-]

stellalunawitchbaby@reddit

The Arts District, I associate them with the Arts district lol. And by extension, New Girl.

Reply

[-]

duewest68@reddit

Yep. Some of the old factories in my hometown have been converted into very nice lofts. They are generally very expensive.

Reply

[-]

BostonBakedBees@reddit

Reusing old manufacturing mills (mostly textile mills, sometimes paper, etc) is common. Here's a [few good examples](https://www.bostonmagazine.com/property/2018/08/08/massachusetts-mills-condos-apartments/) in Massachusetts.

Reply

[-]

Stop_Already@reddit

My dad lived in one of those when they first opened up, a couple of decades ago. The high ceilings and large windows were lovely.

Reply

[-]

ElReydelTacos@reddit

They totally exist, but I don’t know anyone but me that’s actually lived in one. I lived in a converted box factory for 2 years. Just a massive open space with a kitchen in the corner and a little walled off bedroom and bathroom by the door. I loved it, but it had 100 year old industrial windows and in the winter you could a actually feel a breeze if you stood by them. In the summer your sweat and bake in the sun. The one wall was windows from about knee height up 18 feet to the ceiling. It was also super echoey. I moved because the neighborhood got scary. The maintenance guy got mugged and pistol whipped by the front door. A house in the same block got home invaded. And then a guy coming out of a bar a block down got shot in the ass.

Reply

[-]

rubey419@reddit

Very common in areas that are gentrifying and have new economic industries. Think Detroit, Pittsburgh, Harlem. My hometown Durham, NC was once a big tobacco mecca. Those old tobacco warehouses and plants have been repurposed into luxury apartments and condos.

Reply

[-]

Brendissimo@reddit

They definitely exist but I've never heard of one that comes cheap. Lots of square footage is rarely cheap anywhere, and if someone has gone to the trouble of converting an old industrial or storage building to residences, that's going to cost a lot of money even if you just do the absolute basics. Probably makes more sense to convert them to high end condos or apartments, usually.

Reply

[-]

That-shouldnt-smell@reddit

I lived in a few of these. One was a pretty big (about 900sqft) in Manhattan. At the time (1992) it was $1100-ish a month. The last time I checked it was going for just under $11000 a month. I had a giant one in Louisiana. It was maybe 5-6000 sqft. I had a small bike park in it.

Reply

[-]

romansapprentice@reddit

Yeah! Most of them are loft apartments. Look up lofts and you'll probably see a lot of them. Personally I absolutely love them, would love to live in one one day. America has a massive problem with destroying infrastructure, in the 60s especially due to "urban renewal" we tore down more buildings older than that. So I think almost any preservation of old buildings is great. As to what income level they serve etc, that completely depends. In my city they're for the wealthy mostly. Heard they're a bitch to heat.

Reply

[-]

Eudaimonics@reddit

Buffalo has entire neighborhoods like this

Reply

[-]

MizzGee@reddit

I used to live in one in Oakland. It looked great, but it was drafty and cold and a fire trap. But great parking, the band could play at all hours and everyone else was either an artist, a musician or a nitrous dealer.

Reply

[-]

tonkadtx@reddit

Yes. A lot of cities (NY and Pittsburgh come to mind) have industrial areas that have been converted to residential space. They were initially very cheap because the amenities are sparse and they are difficult to heat. Now, they are worth a fortune to buy or rent based on square footage alone. Many are also in neighborhoods considered cool or desirable.

Reply

[-]

brookish@reddit

Not common but they exist. I live in one - a loft that is in a converted 1940s-era department store in a mid-sized city. Open plan, high ceilings, exposed pipe work, the whole thing. My windows open onto the neighboring brick wall of a nightclub; I hear jazz and salsa and DJs spinning a variety of styles on evenings and weekends. I love it. Building is full of artists.

Reply

[-]

seatownquilt-N-plant@reddit

I think in older cities that had urban factories https://chicago.curbed.com/2020/3/3/21161396/lofts-in-chicago-for-sale-best-neighborhoods

Reply

[-]

MissKLO@reddit (OP)

Oh I love them! Id happily move to the city if I could have one of those!

Reply

[-]

FlyAwayJai@reddit

There’s a TON in Chicago. The good news is they all don’t cost $1M+ :)

Reply

[-]

splatgoestheblobfish@reddit

There are a decent number of old warehouses downtown that have been converted into lofts. I've seen a few. They are very nice inside. They are pretty expensive and brag worthy to the people who live in them. (More than once I've heard someone say, "Well I just bought a loft downtown." In the same manner someone might say, "Well, I just bought a 5000 Sq. ft. beachfront house.") One company bought one of the old warehouses and turned it into a facility where you can rent a floor for wedding receptions, Christmas parties, and so forth. I guess it's kind of cool, because our downtown area has a lot of historical buildings and architecture, and they definitely kept a lot of the old warehouse look, especially on the outside. But most just have a view looking at other old warehouses, and these are located mostly within a few blocks of each other, and the surrounding areas are full of crime. People choose to buy or rent these lofts in this area, then complain when their cars get broken into or stolen, or someone gets shot in front of their building. A few of the buildings kept the old elevators (or installed something similar) and the sliding doors.

Reply

[-]

boilershilly@reddit

Yes, I live in one in a city of about 60k. It's in the urban core developed around the turn of the century. On the street that the railroad used to run down. Would be considered a yuppie I guess. It's pretty much been updated to be a normal apartment, just with exposed brick on exterior walls. Heating absolutely sucks in the midwest. Primarily because I only have heat pumps and electric backup heat, which struggled to keep up. Cooling is a breeze and very cheap in the summer though. Don't really get how that works insulation wise.

Reply

[-]

Capital_Pair_7161@reddit

Look up "electric works fort wayne" for a concrete example of this. An old General Electric factory was closed down for years. Now my home town is completing the renovations to turn it into mixed-use space (first floor business, upper floors apartments). A lot of businesses went out and left giant empty buildings. Once the demand for housing reached a certain point these old properties found a new purpose - a shell for living. There's another example in-town with an old Coca-Cola bottling plant

Reply

[-]

One_Posh_Possum@reddit

Yes they exist, and none of the people portrayed in film to live them actually could

Reply

[-]

sirbaconofbits@reddit

I may be wrong but aren't those with open floor plans referred to as flats?

Reply

[-]

SanchosaurusRex@reddit

They’re usually called lofts or studios.

Reply

[-]

sirbaconofbits@reddit

Thank you.

Reply

[-]

pirawalla22@reddit

In the USA there is no agreement on if/when an apartment can be called a flat. I always thought a flat referred to an apartment that occupies the whole floor its on. Other people have told me calling anything, at all, a "flat" just marks you as pretentious.

Reply

[-]

SanchosaurusRex@reddit

I would just see it as someone using a Britishism for apartment. I’ve never heard flat used in the US.

Reply

[-]

timbotheny24@reddit

They exist. Syracuse is part of the Rust Belt and has been converting a shit ton of factories into really nice lofts and apartments.

Reply

[-]

MaggieMae68@reddit

There are a ton of them in Atlanta, too. Lots of old cotton mills and other industrial buildings. I used to have some friends who lived in the Crown Candy lofts building: http://crowncandylofts.com/

Reply

[-]

stellalunawitchbaby@reddit

Yep. If you head over to Zillow and look in the Arts District in DTLA you’ll see some. That’s where the characters in New Girl lived in the show, I believe.

Reply

[-]

cool_chrissie@reddit

Common. But they are generally high end from what I can tell. Definitely not low income. They are going to be in higher income urban areas.

Reply

[-]

TheoreticalFunk@reddit

Back when those films were made they were super low rent because the factories had sat vacant long enough... These days those are premium spaces.

Reply

[-]

sighnwaves@reddit

They exist. Check out unit J on social media.

Reply

[-]

ThinkingThingsHurts@reddit

Yes. Warehouses and I've seen a few old schools turned into apartments recently

Reply

[-]

StonyBolonyy@reddit

https://germantownmilllofts.com/ This is an example in Louisville, KY. I personally would like to live there, but they are to pricey for me. When I was little they used to be a big antique store, then they became these lofts. But when it was first built in 1889 it was a cotton mill.

Reply

[-]

abyssinian_86@reddit

Tons of them in Syracuse NY! I lived in a really cool one with a giant window that used to be an overhead delivery door for an elevated train. There are a lot of old industrial buildings here that have been turned into lofts/apartments. They’re not cheap though, they’re more expensive than non-loft apartments. My rent was $1350 for 800 sq ft in 2018

Reply

[-]

SWOUnderTheHill@reddit

I've never personally seen one in my life nor have I ever met somebody that has but I wouldn't doubt some older building gets revamped into living areas

Reply

[-]

MissKLO@reddit (OP)

they don’t even look on telly like they have been all that revamped, I mean they never seem plastered, just usually an open plan kitchen put in, and peppered with very tasteful furniture

Reply

[-]

SleepAgainAgain@reddit

If it's on TV, the layout was probably picked to get good camera angles, which means bigger and more open than most places would be, but probably within the budget of the top 5% of people.

Reply

[-]

rotatingruhnama@reddit

Plus, these apartments are an easy way to communicate to the audience, "this character is a hip person who lives in the big city."

Reply

[-]

TucsonTacos@reddit

The New Girl is the epitome of it. I'm not sure where they live in LA but unless Schmidt is footing the bill we got a bartender (at a shit bar), an elementary school teacher, and a coach of some kind. Then the big money marketing guy. You don't ever see Schmidt exhausted after his 3 hour commute though.

Reply

[-]

rotatingruhnama@reddit

They're supposed to be downtown iirc. I can suspend my disbelief a little bit on that. Schmidt and Nick have been living there for about ten years when the series starts, so I figured the loft was rent controlled, and they moved in before the area got nice. So they probably pay below market rent. Plus it's four people living in a three bedroom unit, which cuts down on costs (Schmidt's room is actually a den, that's why his clothes are on a rack instead of in a closet). And, lol, over the years, as LA gets more expensive, more characters start cramming into the loft.

Reply

[-]

TheCloudForest@reddit

This is something that was *relatively common* back in the 80s/90s. By relatively common, I mean that probably less than .1% of Americans were living like this, but as industry moved first to Mexico, then Asia, these unused buildings would be taken up, sometimes with dubious legality, by people without the money but needing the space. Artists, musicians, sex workers, ambiguous netherworld dwellers, etc. Most of them have long been priced out as this kind of living became a fad and the properties were renovated and rent increased, or they were converted into condos and sold to young professionals for substantial sums. I don't know if the furniture was really "tasteful" back in the beginning before the property values shot up. But maybe an eclectic saved-from-the-thrift-shop look.

Reply

[-]

miniborkster@reddit

Usually there are parts that are more finished off and parts that are left a little more unfinished to preserve the look. Like, the bathroom and bedroom might be drywall, and the kitchen and living room are the old warehouse structure.

Reply

[-]

Gothmom85@reddit

I lived in an old parachute factory. It was so big they had indoor "gardens" which was really just some astroturf and skylights because so many didn't have windows. This was cheap because the area was Just starting to develop and there was nothing around. Now it is a fairly walkable area and they charge a lot more. There's also some across the street that are income restricted (so you get cheaper rent by only making so much) also. There's a mix. Right across the river we have a lot of old warehouses, factories, etc turned into apartments, condos, restaurants, etc.

Reply

[-]

yerunclejamba@reddit

Aye. Scot here. Currently situated in an old horseshoe nail factory.

Reply

[-]

spider_leg_sundae@reddit

They exist. Not a warehouse but the wife and I live in a converted bank. It was Atlanta’s first skyscraper built in 1908. They converted it into lofts in ‘96. We bought ours in 2019 and they are still affordable because of the neighborhood and how dangerous it can be. For example, we live next to an open air drug market and all that comes with it. But the developers are buying up all the abandoned spaces and lots and pretty soon all the junkies and homeless will be chased out and the cost of living downtown is going to skyrocket.

Reply

[-]

hasbeenwriting@reddit

I've seen warehouses turned into apartments. There's a building here called the Bekin building that has been turned into apartments.

Reply

[-]

bagel0verl0rd@reddit

i used to live in one, at least it sounds like what you’re describing, idk i was like seven to eleven maybe?

Reply

[-]

FacileArgument@reddit

Its sort of a Boomer dream, be an artist living in a cheap warehouse loft. If you can find one these days, it won't be in NYC or LA. And it wil be in a bad part of town. When I first moved to Tampa I knew a guy who bought an old warehouse and built a apartment into it. His band woudl rehearse there. That neighborhood got gentrified, and no warehouses are left.

Reply

[-]

GOPJay@reddit

There are a bunch of them in Chicago. We call them lofts. When many old factories started going dormant, people would live in them rather inexpensively - mostly because they were located in factory districts. Since then, many have now been repurposed into expensive condo buildings in now chic neighborhoods and they can be rather costly.

Reply

[-]

Steel_Airship@reddit

There are several old tobacco warehouses in my hometown that have been converted to "loft" apartments. Around where I live, a lot of old schools get converted to apartments as well.

Reply

[-]

HighFlyingGinger@reddit

From what I've seen theyre generally converted to loft-style apartments.

Reply

[-]

irelace@reddit

Yes. They're pretty common up here in the northeast. They purposely leave the facade of the building looking like whatever old mill or factory it used to be because people, for some stupid reason, are more willing to spend money on something that looks like that.

Reply

[-]

Darkfire757@reddit

Yes, they exist. They’re not everywhere though

Reply

[-]

ambassador_softboi@reddit

They’re real. They’re called lofts.

Reply

[-]

blipsman@reddit

Yes, they exist... lofts were first cheap artist housing live/work space in places like New York in the 1970's, and then as the areas began gentrifying they became trendy/popular in the '80s. The trend expanded to other cities that have older warehouse/factory buildings that had become obsolete as urban industrial activity moved to more outlying areas, waterfronts went from industrial to recreational use, historic preservation became a prevailing movement in urban planning, etc. You'll mostly see them in older big cities like New York, Boston, Chicago, Philly, Milwaukee

Reply

[-]

rogun64@reddit

I wanted to buy an abandoned warehouse near downtown and live/work in it when I was young. Now it's the cool thing to do and has been for a few decades. My sister used to live in a warehouse that had been converted into apartments, but they looked more like apartments then a warehouse. She actually lives in a real warehouse today, but it's also her business. Several people do the same in her area, although it's still an industrial area. I don't think she really likes living there, but it just makes sense. She's been looking for a house, though. Her living space is nice, but there are a lot of challenges and I'm sure heating the space is one of them. In her case, it's more about the A/C though and how costly it is for upkeep.

Reply

[-]

Praxiscat@reddit

They are definitely a thing. Not in DC per say, but I have been to plenty of them in Chicago.

Reply

[-]

zephyrskye@reddit

They definitely exist. I used to live in a converted factory building back in the early-mid 2000s. Decades before it was turned into apartments, it was a factory/warehouse for a company that made shipping and storage containers Basically many of our cities have (or at least had) these vacant and crumbling warehouses and factories, the ghost of our massive industrial history. When manufacturing moved overseas, these buildings were left empty. Initially, repurposing these places was an affordable living option for those with less income. But they became trendy and areas became gentrified. Anymore you generally have developers buying them up and either demolishing and redeveloping… or converting them into “luxury” apartments

Reply

[-]

PsychologicalCan9837@reddit

I’ve seen a lot of these in the south. Former cotton mills (and things of that nature) which are converted into apartments. Usually pretty nice. Hardwood floors, really tall ceilings, and huge windows. Typically solid spots.

Reply

[-]

Mean_Journalist_1367@reddit

Yeah, it started in bigger cities where former industrial buildings (factories warehouses etc) that were built well but being unused getting converted into apartments. It's starting to spread to other places with large empty buildings (recently and old church here got converted into a dozen apartments)

Reply

[-]

rotatingruhnama@reddit

They exist, sure. I've never lived in one, but I've been inside a few. Even in large cities, I typically lived in a fairly standard flat, maybe with parquet floors and a small balcony. My apartments were always purpose-built apartments. They're not nearly as common in actual American life as they are in media. I suspect they're a common form of housing in TV and movies for two reasons: 1. It's shorthand for, "this character is a hip, urban person, probably a bit artsy and edgy." 2. A large, open room is easiest for moving cameras and crew around. So if a set looks like a warehouse apartment, that's much more convenient for filming.

Reply

[-]

hunterofhunters7@reddit

Renovated textile mills are very common apartment buildings on the east coast. They definitely range in quality quite a bit. I have lived in some, and have friends living in some that look like pretty standard apartments on the inside but the hallways and common spaces are more industrial in appearance. My sister lived in a rather high end one that I think I purposely leaned into the aesthetic because of its trendyness on tv with rustic wood floors and lots of iron work but none of it was original to the building being a functioning mill.

Reply

[-]

Aggressive-Fee-5106@reddit

Most amazing collection of 2022, genz fashion at its peak now. https://medium.com/@aspartanwarrior27/top-5-aesthetic-t-shirts-da264732dc03

Reply

[-]

Thestolenone@reddit

My mother lived in Boston in the late 50's and she knew someone who lived in one, it wasn't renovated at all. She said the toilet was just sat in the middle of the living space, no walls or even a screen. She knew a lot of starving artist types that lived where they could afford.

Reply

[-]

Gallahadion@reddit

Yeah, they exist. There's a section of the downtown in my hometown that has them. [https://www.toledowarehouse.org/residential-directory/](https://www.toledowarehouse.org/residential-directory/)

Reply

[-]

m1sch13v0us@reddit

Minus the sliding door, I lived in one in Chicago. It was modernized, but it was a converted warehouse from 1900. Very industrial. Exposed wood beams, brick, metal windows. Loved it.

Reply

[-]

shits-n-gigs@reddit

Where abouts? Like, neighborhood?

Reply

[-]

m1sch13v0us@reddit

River North

Reply

[-]

GOTaSMALL1@reddit

Lots of people talking about how this is a lot of "old factories/plants" being repurposed... But I've been in commercial and multi-family construction for decades and a lot of these are brand new buildings made to look "industrial". They are typically in tv shows/movies to show how cool, urban and relatively "poor" a person is. But in reality they are expensive as fuck.

Reply

[-]

Responsible-Rough831@reddit

\>how common are these? Not very common \>do they actually exist? Yes \>what end of the housing scale would they be pretty high end \>like would they be middle class accommodation? Middle class if you stretch it but not low income \>whats it like to heat them? pretty expensive

Reply

[-]

Potato_Octopi@reddit

Only know about old mills turned into condos / apartments. They vary but generally middle class.

Reply

[-]

lezzerlee@reddit

Yes, quite common in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Reply

[-]

BunnyCatLove@reddit

Middle class but in areas that are generally upper-middle class. I 8/I

Reply

[-]

miniborkster@reddit

Not super common but totally a thing, usually considered to be a cool place to live. Maybe they used to be cheap, now in my city I'd imagine they're some of the more expensive apartments (cause they're cool).

Reply

[-]

TillPsychological351@reddit

Very common in older industrial cities. Britain has these as well, don't they?

Reply

[-]

Deolater@reddit

I saw one pretty recently on an episode of _Lewis_ (set in Oxford UK).

Reply

[-]

machagogo@reddit

Warehouse or LOFT as in was an old factory or whatever that has been converted? The latter is fairly common in older northern cities as industry moved out leaving massive building in prime real estate unused.

Reply

[-]

Shadow-Spark@reddit

Definitely a real thing in places where there are old, defunct factory and warehouse buildings. They're actually often quite expensive luxury apartments rather than middle or low income, or at least the ones around here are. The rent for some of them is double what I'm paying per month for my rowhouse's mortgage for half the square footage.

Reply

[-]

CupBeEmpty@reddit

Absolutely. Brick warehouses and mill buildings in New England have been revamped and refurbished for residential places. They are usually a bit upscale for rentals.

Reply

[-]

notthegoatseguy@reddit

[I had the opportunity to tour this old Ford plant](https://goo.gl/maps/ReuxCCQRdKaQCnmLA) before it was converted to apartments. The bones on this structure are so good, and the space that was needed to build and assemble these vehicles was massive. Also great views from the rooftop. Within downtown is the [Stutz Building](https://goo.gl/maps/LvhWhxg8MP4e3QBF8) which is office and restaurant space. There's a classic car collection on the first floor. You can also still use the freight elevator used to transport large parts.

Reply

[-]

pirawalla22@reddit

They definitely exist. I have been to numerous of them and know people who live in them, in NYC and SF. They may be less common in other cities. Generally in my limited experience they are fancy/expensive. Although I did once look at one in Brooklyn during an apartment search (like 20 years ago) that was more down-market.

Reply

[-]

Fun-Attention1468@reddit

Yes. The Dixon Ticonderoga pencil factory in Jersey City is an apartment building now.

Reply

[-]

illegalsex@reddit

I've seen loft apartments in converted old factory buildings or similar. They tend to be on the more expensive side since they're usually in trendier, gentrified areas. I don't know if that's exactly what you're describing.

Reply

[-]

MissKLO@reddit (OP)

well Im currently watching Fatale on netflix and Jennifer Garner lives in one… Ive also seen one on Yellowjackets, that guy adam lived in one.. of thats any help

Reply

[-]

illegalsex@reddit

[Here](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Fulton+Cotton+Mill+Lofts/@33.7501967,-84.3709782,533m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m15!1m8!3m7!1s0x88f503f0f0d17425:0x9f60c382368380ae!2sCabbagetown,+Atlanta,+GA!3b1!8m2!3d33.7497918!4d-84.365377!16zL20vMDZseDgw!3m5!1s0x88f503f3dceedc8f:0x5033fe7f3e69163!8m2!3d33.7501967!4d-84.3701817!16s%2Fg%2F1v5fsrb9) and [Here](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Mattress+Factory+Lofts/@33.7484363,-84.3776713,3a,101.7y,90t/data=!3m8!1e2!3m6!1sAF1QipOMec3b2InAAJ3ej5eaIjf_buycj704rW_E7O8!2e10!3e12!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipOMec3b2InAAJ3ej5eaIjf_buycj704rW_E7O8%3Dw128-h86-k-no!7i1000!8i667!4m11!1m2!2m1!1slofts!3m7!1s0x88f5038da3bbe4c3:0x4b7432b6a80e4a51!8m2!3d33.7484891!4d-84.3776421!10e5!15sCgVsb2Z0c5IBEmFwYXJ0bWVudF9idWlsZGluZ-ABAA!16s%2Fg%2F1tfh5hh7) are a couple of the types of places I'm talking about. Right next to each other too. I haven't seen the lifts you're talking about, which I'm guessing would be the original freight elevators.

Reply

[-]

MissKLO@reddit (OP)

yes! Freight elevators was there word I was looking for! They look lovely places to live, I particularly like the very high ceilings

Reply

[-]

MrLongWalk@reddit

Could you give an example?

Reply

[-]

MaoWasaLoser@reddit

A buddy of mine lived in a condo that was converted from an old factory, so yeah they do exist to some extent. It was a real nice place on the inside.

Reply

Reply to Post

120 Comments