Why Can’t American Cities Build 3-Flats Anymore?

Comments · 2K

• ST

  @stewarthicks · 1 year ago · pinned

  Which city&apos;s version is your favorite? I&apos;m biased. Also, please consider supporting the channel by subscribing to Nebula: <a href="https://go.nebula.tv/stewarthicks">https://go.nebula.tv/stewarthicks</a>. You&apos;ll be the first to watch our videos (and many more) before everyone else, and you&apos;ll get 40% off!

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• RE

  @reviewguy12 · 1 year ago

  One advantage of 2-3 flats is the versatility of the design. When you&apos;re young and first buy one, you can live in one unit and rent out the other two units for a revenue stream. When you get married and have kids you can take over one of the units to create room for your kids and maybe in-laws. When you retire you can move into the lower floor unit and have your, now adult, children live in the upper units. This versatility allows the property to adapt to your specific needs, what ever stage of life you&apos;re in. The same can not be said about single family homes, which have only one use case.

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• HE

  @henryglennon3864 · 1 year ago

  Correction: It&apos;s &quot;triple &nbsp;deckah&quot; and &quot;Doahchestah&quot;. You&apos;re hurting my eayahs.

  1.6K

• TH

  @therealCamoron · 1 year ago

  &quot;Zoning codes don&apos;t usually allow for occupation of this bottom unit&quot; lol, that never stopped my Chicago landlords. I&apos;ve lived in at least two illegal garden units, usually they were against code because they didn&apos;t have two entrances/exits.

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• IN

  @Infernus25 · 1 year ago

  They are also so much more aesthetic and add character to a neighborhood instead of so much of the bland boxes that are getting put up everywhere

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• LA

  @laken1804 · 1 year ago

  In Boston the triple deckers are &nbsp;very valuable nowadays. They are getting converted into condos and sold by units for at least $350,000 per floor.<br>When I was growing up in the 80&apos;s it was cheaper to buy one than a single family homes. The banks were more likely to approve the loans because you can live in one unit and rent the other two. That&apos;s extra income. I remember one that was for sale in my neighborhood for $40,000 back in 1986(all three apartments together), people thought that was expensive &nbsp;back then. But it needed some cosmetic work.<br>But nowadays you rarely find them for sale because they have turned them into condominiums.

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• EM

  @EmNhiềuChuyện · 1 year ago

  I own a 3 flat outside of Boston. I live in one unit and rent out the rest. <br>I also rented out one of my flat to my nephew at 30% under market value. 3 years later he is now a first time home owner.

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• MA

  @markrichards6863 · 1 year ago

  I grew up in Boston, in a three decker, that dated back to the late Industrial Revolution. It was just the normal way people lived. There were some drawbacks. For one thing, it was rather noisy, three families stacked on top of each other. We lived on the second floor, got noise from doth directions as well as noise complaints from above and below. Although, for the most part we all got along. One advantage to the design was great ventilation, windows that opened on all four sides. With modern soundproofing, maybe they should try to Bring that concept back. Thise old buildings had a lot of interesting quirks. We had a coal room, which we used as a hide out. We had large a large front deck, where we slept on really hot nights. Swing out clothes lines where all of the moms spread the neighborhood gossip faster than the internet.

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• US

  @user33housecats · 1 year ago

  I knew so many people who lived in 2 or 3 flats in Chicago and man those floors were spacious, those were wonderful

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• MR

  @MrX_117 · 1 year ago

  I lived in one of these building for years in Chicago north side. Just seeing the building gave me a rush of good memories. We have so many in Chicago I hope they last forever.

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• DA

  @dapper189 · 1 year ago

  I grew up in a Chicago 2 flat. It was awesome. My grandparents lived in their own house, upstairs! I miss them and that house. 5109 W Henderson.

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• ER

  @Erik_The_Viking · 1 year ago

  Two words: zoning laws. I would love to see more 3-flats and higher density housing, which is desperately needed. Sadly this will take a long time to happen.

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