WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A fully-furnished apartment with all utilities included -- even the furniture -- for under $900. Sound impossible? Well, it's not if you're open to "one-room living" in South Florida.
Experts say there’s a growing market for studio apartments, and they’re not just for millennials. And it could benefit your wallet and the environment, too.
Native New Yorker Holly Lopez says she’s found her piece of the Big Apple in West Palm Beach. Her kitchen, bedroom and living quarters are all in one space.
“I got everything here,” Lopez said. And her rent includes, all utilities down to the internet, cable, dishes –- even the furniture for $820.
“As we get older, I think we don’t need all of these things,” Lopez said. “You got to learn to live simple. I think that’s the key in life.”
Lopez lives in Northwood’s The Pershing, a building comprised of 54 studio apartments, the majority under $900 with all utilities included.
“It saves to the individual moving in, but it also on a broader scale saves to the environment,” said Lawrence Schechter, general partner for The Pershing.
Additionally, all major appliances are energy efficient. Stoves only have two burners, for example. And there’s a reduction in the amount of furniture and packaging tenants could potentially throw away because all apartments are ready for move-in.
The Pershing is one of two studio apartment buildings owned by Schechter in Palm Beach County. He hopes he and his tenants encourage others to contribute to preserving the environment through minimalist "one-room living.”
“We only have one Earth, so we have to make the best of that because life is not a dress rehearsal, and our world is not disposable,” Schechter said.