MANHATTAN LOFT SPACE

Chelsea, Garment District & Soho Commercial Loft Space

Commercial loft space is defined as an open space with high ceilings and either wood or concrete floors. This category of commercial space is located in former manufacturing or warehouse buildings that have been converted to office use. Most Manhattan loft buildings are located in Chelsea, The Garment District, Tribeca, Soho, Greenwich Village and Hudson Square.

Open Plan Spaces with High Ceilings

Most floor plate sizes in Manhattan loft buildings range between 2,500-10,000 Square Feet. They tend to be between 6 to 12 stories high with a total square footage rarely exceeding 100,000 Square Feet. However, a few former manufacturing buildings, such as the Starrett Lehigh Building on West 26^th Street, are much larger, with a total Square Footage exceeding two million square feet. Manhattan commercial loft buildings generally have at least one freight elevator and at least one passenger elevator. In commercial loft space, ceiling heights vary between eleven and fourteen feet, substantially higher than traditional office space, where drop ceiling height is typically nine feet.

Companies that rent loft space like to maintain an open environment. When they do build offices, the walls go up eight feet, leaving several feet of clearance below the high ceilings.

Manhattan Office Space Suited to Creative Firms

Creative companies such as publishing, computer animation, film production, fashion design, architecture, graphic design and web design firms are attracted to commercial loft space. Most service businesses like skin care salons, dance studios, martial arts studios, dance studios and yoga studios also prefer loft space. They value full floor identities as well as column less spaces which can be found in small boutique buildings.

Affordable Commercial Rents

Mostly classified as “Class C” buildings, loft spaces are more affordable than conventional office spaces: base rents for loft space in The Garment District start in the range of $25.00 per Square Foot. But unlike tenants renting traditional office space, commercial loft tenants are responsible for incidental charges such as water, sprinkler and guard service.