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Arts & Entertainment

Finally, Someone In Williamsburg Is Living In A Shipping Container


By

Jen Carlson

Published Mar 1, 2013

Modified Mar 1, 2013


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By

Jen Carlson

Published Mar 1, 2013

Modified Mar 1, 2013


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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.

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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations


Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations


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