This Woman Went Viral For Having The “Smallest Bathroom In NYC,” And You Truly Have To See It To Believe It
Ah, New York City: home of great pizza, iconic landmarks, a 2 train that's constantly delayed (sorry, that one's personal), and, of course, very small living spaces.
In my near-decade of living in NYC, I've experienced my fair share of tiny spaces. During COVID lockdowns, my family very seriously questioned how my partner and I hadn't killed each other in our 300-square-foot apartment.
Happy to report we both survived (and moved)!
Even then, I was stunned when I came across TikToker Emily Bonani's video of her home with what she claimed was the "smallest bathroom in New York City."
"I'm moving tomorrow, so it's time I show you my bathroom, which I believe is the smallest bathroom in New York City," she announces to her now 15 million viewers.
She then takes us over to her bathroom, and everything seems pretty standard at first. There are some hooks on the door "that did come with the apartment."
Side note: apparently, Americans are known for loving hooks now???
There's a lovely floral shower curtain "from Urban Outfitters."
So chic!
Then, a quick pan over to an eyebrow-raising toothbrush holder in the shower. Hmm, I wonder what that's all about!
Oh, and here's a super cute bath mat with a clear shot of the toilet.
But it seems like something's missing. A sink, maybe?
Well, here it is! That's right: it's on the toilet tank.
If you're already clutching your pearls at the thought of a toilet-sink combo, I'm not sure you're ready to learn how it works. "What's great about this," Emily begins as she demonstrates, "is you don't have to turn on the sink and turn on the toilet in two separate actions."
She continues, "It actually is the same action." Yup, the toilet flush activates the water flow from the sink.
@bananabonani / Via tiktok.com
Want to use the sink but not the toilet? Want to flush without turning on the sink? Well, too bad! "That's not an option that you have," according to Emily.
@bananabonani / Via tiktok.com
As she mentioned, though, this toilet-sink (sink-toilet?) is "big in Japan." A few years ago, a Reddit post went viral showcasing this exact design in someone's bathroom in Japan, which is intended to save water.
As I understand it, the water runs through the sink as the tank is being filled for the next flush.
For other citizens of the world who have never encountered such a thing, there was plenty of concern for Emily's well-being in the comment section. "engaging w this so you can afford to move out," one person wrote.
"The soilet would be my final straw after a long day," someone else admitted.
The authorities are being notified as we speak.
Even Zillow was gobsmacked.
Others pointed out that the "soilet" looked familiar since it's a common design in jail cells.
But don't worry, Emily has since moved to her "dream apartment," fully equipped with a separate bathroom sink. She also let curious commenters in on her rent at her previous place, which was $2,075 a month and "rent-stabilized."
A rent-stabilized apartment in NYC is rare, and I think many of us would put up with the soilet to avoid watching our rent go up 10% every year.
Anything to live in the greatest city in the world, am I right?
