Living in a Former Automotive Shop

Cari Tuna over at the Wall Street Journal tells us what’s up in the Mission:

In the Mission District, onetime automotive shops are proving a popular choice for group housing. Near the 16th Street Bay Area Rapid Transit station, a cohort of 20-something software developers, a musician and a photographer has lived on the second floor of a large former auto-body shop since last year.

Johnny Hwin, 25, a musician and Web entrepreneur, says he inherited the apartment from residents who added bedrooms, a bathroom and a kitchen over the last several years. One roommate sleeps in a former elevator shaft that once lifted vehicles to the building’s second floor.

Read on.

Cari Tuna.

[Photo by Anomolous_A]

4 Responses to “Living in a Former Automotive Shop”

  1. Glenparker says:

    I wonder what they did about all the toxic chemicals in the floors of these places. Asbestos dust from brake shoes, oil, tranny, ps, brake fluid, coolant, etc.

  2. Macho Energy Police says:

    Who cares? shoot junk in your neck like they did 30 years ago when this type of arrangement was the slighest bit Alt.net.Im sure these Pioneers all have iPads with wings in their Dittos. Software developers? Kill me now and hear me later.

    • wcw says:

      I lived in the erstwhile garage of a defunct industrial laundry in 1992, and it was an extremely rote and tired thing to do then. But we liked have fifteen foot ceilings and the ability to hoist an engine out of a car on the living room floor.

  3. Macho Energy Police says:

    True, but you can also rent a Bluebird from Action rentals on SVN and do it on the sidewalk…or maybe not anymore….someone might blog about it too loud.