Arrival in Nice
Cleaning ladies in the St. Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral in Nice. |
The key to the apartment was in a lockbox attached to a pole in an alley two blocks away. I appear to have the sixth floor to myself. There are no other doormats, no family names, no one comes or leaves. The communal washbasins in the hallways and single detached bathroom tell me the maison's "help" were lodged here in the early 20th century, Downton Abbey-style.
I stayed in a building of similar vintage in Vienna with the same setup. No one wants to live in a 9-square-meter room without a bathroom anymore, but smart Airbnb investors have long seen the potential of pint-sized apartments and they could well serve a role in alleviating homelessness as housing costs continue to climb out of reach.
For many, the future is already here. As I pointed out in my Hong Kong blog, the average living space on the island is 160 square feet per person, with many having it much worse.
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