Year built: Completion December 2007
1 bedroom Loft + den - 2 full bathrooms
Unit size: 1,151 sqft total
View: City View
Price: $395,000 1 year FREE maintenance!

....:: General loft characteristics:

....:: Origin:

Lofts originated in Paris in the mid 19th century as artists' ateliers. The oversized paintings of the time required expansive high-ceilinged studios—the first lofts.

Loft living emerged in Manhattan's SOHO garment district in the 1950's to 1960's. During these times, old abandoned 19th century factories and warehouses were converted to open floor-plan apartments. These apartments were illegal, so it made way for low rent and undesirable living. The first tenants of the "loft" apartments were the "starving artist", who needed a way to both live and work for cheap. They needed space that could provide room for their, sometimes, larger than life artwork. Loft apartments was the perfect fit, since they were wide open spaces with a flair of the art in them, from their exposed brick and ducts to the high ceilings and large timber beams.

Today, loft living is not about just finding a place to sleep at the end of a long day. It is a way of escaping from the traditional and conventional living of the cookie cutter condo or suburban home. It is about living, not only in, but also, as a part of an aesthetically unique space. Lofts are still built from old manufacturing or commercial buildings converted into numerous unique loft living spaces. Only now, there are many more converted loft buildings and a much higher demand for them. They are mainly concentrated in the larger cities where older, larger factories and warehouses exist. Some of these cities include: New York (Manhattan), Boston, Washington DC, Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, Toronto and London.

....:: Loft types:

Many different types of lofts have emerged because of the high demand for these unique spaces. They include the traditional New York style hard loft and the new construction soft loft. Throughout the last decade, more and more people use an expanded definition of lofts in their property description in order to ask for a higher price. Higher prices are usually associated with traditional hard lofts or authentic lofts, as compared to lower prices for loft style condos or soft lofts. In hard lofts the original post and beam construction and the original concrete or wood floor and ceilings are retained. Exposed ductwork, electrical, and plumbing complement the exposed brickwork, which complete the overall industrial appearance. High ceiling heights, from 10ft to 36ft, and usually large floor to ceiling windows, accompany the other characteristics to give the loft that open spacious atmosphere.