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SAN DIEGO-Smaller may be better for some apartment tenants, but only if great amenities are either built-in to the complex or nearby, say multifamily developers. Urban complexes that are within walking distance from stores, restaurants and a host of necessities are all the rage, but so are communities with innovative and welcoming on-site amenities.

AREA Real Estate LLC has demonstrated this theory in its 12welve 2wenty1 urban apartment community in San Antonio, TX. As GlobeSt.com reported in May, at the recent ULI Spring Conference here, Adelman spoke of the projects his firm had completed along San Antonio's Riverwalk, where galley kitchens are the norm, the space is adaptable to a variety of furniture configurations and common-area amenities are highly valued. Every bit of space is put to use, from the boxing gym underneath the popular outdoor pool to the landscaped dog park to the community grills and dining tables in the courtyards. “Every nook and cranny is programed for usability,” said Adelman.

The apartments at 12welve 2wenty1 range from 456-square-foot studios that rent for $755 per month, to 832-square-foot one-bedrooms for $1,420 per month. The studios are the most popular apartment type, sought by single professionals under age 29 (slightly more males than females), earning an average of just under $60,000 per year. Some of the most popular amenities are the modern-design pool, visiting food trucks, boxing gym and adjacent dog run, all of which cater to the demographic's lifestyle, tastes and need for both convenience and variety.

While micro apartment units are also popular for some tenants, Adelman is quick to stress that these are not micro, just smaller than your average apartment—but affordable, hip and catering to professional Millennials.

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