LOFT HISTORY

Lofts originated in Paris in the mid-1800s as artists' ateliers. The oversized paintings of the era demanded expansive, high-ceilinged studios — the first lofts.

Loft space arrived in the United States as storage warehouse lofts near the shipping ports of New York and Boston.

Abandoned loft spaces in SoHo (South of Houston Street) began drawing starving artists.

Full-floor loft spaces in SoHo were renovated and transformed from commercial to residential properties. Since this was technically a commercial zone, 92 percent of these residences were illegal — but the sheer number of new residents forced the city to rezone and allow the conversions.

The trend spread from New York's SoHo to urban centers across the country over the next two decades, supported by favorable tax treatments, zoning amendments, and public investment in large-scale downtown projects.

Environmental psychologist Susan Seagart surveyed over 2,500 workers across 53 Denver companies and institutions. Her results revealed a strong market for downtown housing among single women and men, single mothers, and unmarried couples living together.

Loft residences popped up in converted office buildings (Philadelphia, New York, Boston), warehouse lofts and factories (Atlanta, Minneapolis, Cincinnati, Cleveland), reclaimed waterfronts (New York, Milwaukee, Cincinnati), historic areas (Charlotte, Lexington, Chattanooga), 'found' land (Des Moines), and new mixed-use construction (Chicago). The cities with the largest downtown growth that decade: Miami, Boston, Atlanta, Chattanooga, San Francisco, Chicago, and Seattle.

Seinfeld, Friends, and Sex and the City glorified urban living for 20- to 30-somethings — pushing loft and downtown apartment imagery further into the mainstream.

Lofts in Los Angeles run the full spectrum — adapted from historic warehouses and theaters in the Arts District and Downtown, through architect-designed live/work in Venice and Marina del Rey, to brand-new vertical communities in West LA, Hollywood, and beyond. Loftway has been documenting and selling them since 2003.