the world around it. Frantic landlords began renting the high-ceilinged, large windowed spaces to the growing art community of the area, as studios were tough to come by at a reasonable rate. The artists began living in these "lofts", even though zoning laws of the day prohibited such uses. A series of pulleys and false walls could trick even the cleverest inspector from catching a glimpse into the living area of the artist's "studio".

Since then, Loft apartments have popped up all over the globe, and taken on a whole new genre of occupants in the process. If you're contemplating the possibility of this carefree living style, below are the Top 3 Reasons for Living in a Loft Apartment-

1. Open Space and Delineate Your Own Areas- The simple design of a loft apartment is straightforward- literally. A wide-open space replaces walls, doors and rooms of traditional apartment floor plans, allowing you to move around and place your belongings and furniture wherever you'd like, not where you "have to". The open floor plan allows you to make your bed in one area one week, and in a completely different spot the next.

2. Eclectic Style- Bringing the old and new worlds together is part of the ambiance of loft living. Where else can you reside and have 100 year old plank-wood floors, 6-foot tall windows, an off-white sheet for a curtain (with duct-tape pull-backs), all pulled together by the latest contemporary sofa, straight off the line from your favorite New York designer?

3. Big City Living without Sacrificing Breathing Space- Living in a city has traditionally meant a tiny apartment without room to breathe. The other option was to live in suburbia, which meant a daily commute into work in a car, bus, or commuter train. Loft apartments grant their residents the best of both worlds, as this type of residence is much cheaper to construct and/or maintain from a landlord point of view, and the savings are typically passed onto their tenants.