Gothamist

A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.

Gothamist

WNYC Listen Live

Donate

 

 

Arts & Entertainment

Finally, Someone In Williamsburg Is Living In A Shipping Container


By

Jen Carlson

Published Mar 1, 2013

Modified Mar 1, 2013


Share

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail


Never miss a story

 Email address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .


By

Jen Carlson

Published Mar 1, 2013

Modified Mar 1, 2013


Share

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail


We rely on your support to make local news available to all

Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

After purchasing a small plot of land at 351 Keap Street in Williamsburg, David Boyle and his wife Michele Bertomen began troubleshooting how they would build their home on the land. They told DNAInfo, "We were just sitting around one night, bottle of wine, just feeling like we couldn't do it. And then just, 'How about shipping containers?' came up." Wine, what can't it do?

shippingkitchen0213.jpg
via DNAInfo

Their home was erected in just a few hours in 2009, but they were then hit with a stop-work order from the Department of Buildings. But now the 1,600-square-foot architectural masterpiece is complete, created out of six shipping containers, each costing $1,500. The delay ended up costing around $100,000 in interest on a building loan, and the entire project topped out around $400,000. Considering they initially scrapped brick and mortar plans for potentially costing around half a million, the shipping container plan didn't end up saving them too much money.

Still, it's pretty cool, and contains a roof deck, front yard, spiral staircase, and more rooms than your average oversized NYC apartment. And it's all theirs—they now have their final certificate of occupancy, which was approved yesterday.

Tagged

351 keap street

real estate

shipping containers

williamsburg


Jen Carlson

Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.

Read more

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations


Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations


MORE arts-entertainment

Owl pellets and period equity: What's happening at NYC's public libraries this November

Also: Books!

By

Alec Hamilton

Published Oct 29, 2026 at 4:00 a.m. ET


How the Village Halloween Parade keeps its soul

A visit to the community-driven pre-parade puppet preparations.

By

Hannah Frishberg

Arts & Entertainment

How the Village Halloween Parade keeps its soul

A visit to the community-driven pre-parade puppet preparations.

By

Hannah Frishberg


'You Can See Everything' … as long as you go to Staten Island

By

Sonia Rao

Inside the hidden chamber that controls Lincoln Center's magnificent fountain

By

Sonia Rao

In the algorithm age, NYC college radio DJs are still broadcasting the funky stuff

By

James Ramsay


Never miss a story

Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.

Sign upEmail address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .