Is having a tight living space worth it if you have a lot? The new owner of this New York townhome must think so!

Tight living in New York

This beautiful brownstone townhome is located in Murray Hill, an historic district of New York. The four-bedroom, four-bathroom home was built in 1856, stands five storeys, and is only 11 feet wide! We’re sure that some of you are reading this at home right now under ceilings that are higher.

Having a home only 11 feet wide might sound outrageous, but when you have five storeys and a length of what looks like 100 feet, that space adds up, or “stacks up” might be a better way of putting it. This Murray Hill townhome features 3,664 square feet of living space - not bad for a home that might as well be a bowling alley.

According to Nest Seekers International, this Murray Hill townhome has sold, and the asking price was $4 million. We are not sure what the actual selling price was, but we can all just assume that it was in the millions.

Features of the Murray Hill townhome

As you can tell by the photos, this Murray Hill townhome is quite stunning. Here’s a list of just a few of the interior features and finishes:

A couple wood-burning fireplaces, a rear yard with a sunroom, office space, hardwood everywhere, a library with historic floor-to-ceiling French doors, an elevator, a 60’ deep ballroom, and 10’ and 14’ ceilings. How often do you find a home that has some ceilings higher than the width of the entire home? Not very.

This just goes to show, it doesn’t really matter how much space you have, it’s what you do with it. This townhome may have over 3,000 square feet of space, but it is broken up into sections that are no larger than your typical downtown Toronto condo.

Could you live in an 11-foot wide home?

On paper, this Murray Hill townhome is just as spacious as your average Greater Toronto Area single detached home on a 40’ lot. If you ever have the opportunity to enter a home like this, you would quickly discover that your 3,000 square feet of space is broken up into multiple tight spaces over five storeys.

So, we return to our original question: Is tight living space worth it if you have a lot? Some may find it easier to manage smaller spaces, maybe even easier to decorate.

Let us know in the comments!