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$700 a Month for a Bed-Sized “Pod” in Downtown SF? Techies Are Renting Them

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11–20 of 147 posts

Re: $700 a Month for a Bed-Sized “Pod” in Downtown SF? Techies Are Renting Them

#11
My favorite story, possibly not true, about alternative sleeping quarters is from the days of sailing:

Sailors who were too drunk to make it back to their ships after a long evening at the tavern would to a room in the back of the tavern,

In that room would be two ropes stretched from wall to wall:

1. about waist height

2. just below armpit height.

The top rope was slightly offset, horizontally, from the bottom rope.

Apparently the idea was that you would walk up to the bottom rope, lean forward and drape your head and arms over the top rope. The top rope would sit under your armpits and would hold you up while you slept off the night of boozing.

That makes these "capsule" rooms seem not so bad.

Re: $700 a Month for a Bed-Sized “Pod” in Downtown SF? Techies Are Renting Them

#12

It sounds like the $700 covers more than the pod itself — renters also get access to a coworking space (and obviously, bathrooms and common areas. What is the going rate for coworking space in SF? To me (or rather, single me from many years ago), the key remaining question is what the bathroom situation is like. If you have to wait in line for bathrooms/showers with dozens of other residents, I'd pass. But if they ha…

[flagged]

The answer to your question is exactly the amount it takes to rent a co-working space. So maybe 100-300 a month.

Re: $700 a Month for a Bed-Sized “Pod” in Downtown SF? Techies Are Renting Them

#14

It sounds like the $700 covers more than the pod itself — renters also get access to a coworking space (and obviously, bathrooms and common areas. What is the going rate for coworking space in SF? To me (or rather, single me from many years ago), the key remaining question is what the bathroom situation is like. If you have to wait in line for bathrooms/showers with dozens of other residents, I'd pass. But if they ha…

[flagged]

A coworking space costs like 500 dollars so you would basically just get that bed sized appartement for 200 dollars per month.

Re: $700 a Month for a Bed-Sized “Pod” in Downtown SF? Techies Are Renting Them

#16
post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

A coworking space costs like 500 dollars so you would basically just get that bed sized appartement for 200 dollars per month.

Or, ya know, get an actual apartment that isn't a dystopian hell hole and NOT rent a co-working space.

Because you actually own a desk.

Re: $700 a Month for a Bed-Sized “Pod” in Downtown SF? Techies Are Renting Them

#19

This doesn't seem like a safe setup. How long before tweakers and others start lighting fires in their pods?

Presumably they only lease to people with credit cards and identity. This doesn't sound like motel 6.

Re: $700 a Month for a Bed-Sized “Pod” in Downtown SF? Techies Are Renting Them

#20

Not ideal, but a step in the right direction. We used to have SROs -- Single Room Occupancy -- units for singles, childless couples, retirees. We've torn down about a million of them since WWII. We need to update the concept and bring it back in some fashion. If your life is online, you don't need that much space. You don't need rows of bookshelves when you can download kindle books. Founders of online businesses are…

If your life is online you don't need to be in SF. There are plenty of third world countries to move to where Americans won't be ashamed to call you a compatriot.
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