For a number of reasons, young and old alike are doing research to find out what they can about lofts. The good news is that, contrary to popular belief lofts aren’t just raw former industrial space that only exist in New York City or Los Angeles. In fact, what constitutes loft space is something that many housing experts are in disagreement over. One thing that is certain, however, is that lofts can be found in almost any city possessing a downtown area. Whether a fresh-out-of-college graduate who is relocating to the city for a job or a middle-aged couple seeking something other than the monotonous, quiet feel of the suburbs, many people are being drawn to the romantic and glamorous inner-city lifestyle of loft living. Here are some of the more common reasons that loft residents give for choosing the loft lifestyle.
Transportation
It’s no secret that gas prices are going up; and, it doesn’t appear that this will be changing anytime soon. While lofts generally do tend to be more expensive than apartments one would find outside the city, the money that many who work in cities save on transportation alone is enough reason for many to choose loft living. Many city-dwellers opt to live a short walk or train ride from the office, thereby decreasing the amount of time, money and stress that would usually be spent commuting. The convenience of being able to walk or take some mode of public transportation to the grocery or convenience store is also enticing for those who are not particularly enamored with sitting in traffic or navigating the often confusing highways that are a city's circulatory system.
Entertainment
Perhaps one of the biggest attractions of loft living is the increased social and cultural opportunities that one has access to by virtue of living in a downtown district of a large city. For those in search of the vibrant nightlife often lacking in smaller communities, loft living usually gives one easy access to a variety of bars, restaurants, museums, coffee houses, theaters and clubs that cater to a multitude of different interests and scenes. No matter what interests or hobbies one may have, a large enough city usually guarantees that there is a niche for everyone.
Sense of Community
Loft living has evolved out of the idea of having one’s play place, work space and home converged into one convenient and versatile area. For many younger residents, loft living is a way of continuing a sense of community that many encounter in college, while many suburban veterans are in search of that sense of community that seems to be lost in the isolation of suburbia. Because loft living means that where one lives also becomes one’s playground, the loft lifestyle brings you into the daily orbit of likeminded people with similar interests. Living in a downtown area means that there is no shortage of spaces and venues for social interactions or happenings of all sorts. A byproduct of this convergence of space also means that loft dwellers have more choice and opportunity to support small businesses in the community and be part of the intimate atmosphere that usually results from these symbiotic urban relationships.
Apartments.com is a good broad resource to use in finding lofts, but because there is not one comprehensive site for searching lofts in the majority of America's large cities, the best way to go about finding lofts in your area is to search for loft space in the cities you are most interested in. Happy loft hunting!
