You ever read an article that seems like a direct response to something you've been thinking? That's how I felt after reading Tom Vanderbilt's piece on self-storage facilities in Slate.
"... the country now possesses some 1.875 billion square feet of personal storage. All this space is contained in nearly 40,000 facilities owned and operated by more than 2,000 entrepreneurs, including a handful of publicly traded giants like Public Storage, Storage USA, and Shurgard.
What this translates into, apart from one hell of a lot of stationary bikes kept behind padlocked metal doors, is an industry that now exceeds the revenues of Hollywood (and doesn't have to deal with Tom Cruise). One in 11 American households, according to a recent survey, owns self-storage space—an increase of some 75 percent from 1995. "
Why were self-storage facilities on my mind? Hey, I had to find a place to put all my junk (crappy furniture) after moving back to Michigan from Iowa. And I chose the storage unit closest to my house. Or at least the one I thought was closest to my house. Actually, there are several near my house, which I only began noticing after I put my stuff (crappy pots, pans, and plates) in storage. And a few of them appear to be cheaper than the one I impulsively chose. Hmm.
Anyway, it's everything you ever wanted to know about self-storage units. I can't be the only one who finds this stuff interesting. Am I?
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