In the Academy Award-winning 1960 film "The Apartment," Jack Lemmon's character paid $84 for his Upper West Side one-bedroom. Today the average rent for a one-bedroom Manhattan apartment without a doorman is $2,842.

Other than being grateful that their rent is substantially less, why should anyone in the rest of the country care about apartment living in the Big Apple? We care, in part, because New York City is a trendsetter when it comes to lifestyle in the U.S.

A return to urban living is gaining momentum nationwide, writes Metropolitan Home Editor-in-Chief Donna Warner, as she introduces a new monthly feature called Apartment Life in her magazine.

For Warner, the new feature is a trip down memory lane. Years ago, Warner was on staff at Apartment Life magazine. That publication morphed into today's Metropolitan Home, , which is an urban-minded magazine about modern design.

Warner recalls wistfully her beginnings at Apartment Life: "It wasn't your mother's magazine. We had sassy solutions. ... I loved it! We had fun."

The rebellion of those years has been somewhat replaced by global awareness. "Today people are typically more concerned about doing good and caring about the environment a lot," Warner says.

With social change in mind, Metropolitan Home, readers will be treated to an updated version of that 1970s magazine with more emphasis on holistic living. But it's not all serious. Readers can expect to find clever and fun solutions to apartment living.

For middle-age readers downsizing in search of simplicity and serenity, as well as for younger readers who are just starting out, city life offers similar challenges, Warner says. They can expect Apartment Life to give them the coverage and tips they need to create more from less.

"There is a sort of universal appeal in seeing what other people do in small space," writes Metropolitan Life Creative Director Linda O'Keeffe in the inaugural Apartment Life column. "It is very gratifying."

The photograph offers a peek into what one owner did with her 634-square-foot Greenwich Village penthouse near New York University. "There is a boat-like feel ... every square inch counted," O'Keeffe writes.

I am fond of pointing to nautical designers as a way to learn how to get tiny spaces to live large because they are masters at distilling function down to its barest dimension. Warner, too, encourages people to seek the services of professionals.

"Always hire a designer," Warner says. "Proportion and scale are so important. Really think it through and look at every possible surface. There should be unity of color and materials as top tricks to expand your space."

The owner of the featured Greenwich Village apartment enlisted the services of architect Andrew Wilkinson, who immediately suggested removing a spiral staircase that dominated the kitchen and replacing it with a straight staircase.

Above the microwave, you can see a frosted-glass insert that allows light to pass from the living area into the bathroom. There is another sliver of glass above the slender refrigerator. You will notice other details in the photograph that could easily translate into your own tiny space, such as the reflective surface behind the sink. Shiny surfaces reflect light, which is one secret tool for making a space feel larger.

So is seamlessness. We see simple lines in this well articulated example. Keep color schemes calm and the details to a minimum. In this way you will be safe in establishing a quiet and serene background. Urban living, after all, can be noisy and hectic.

"It's about a mindset," offers Warner. "How much do you allow in to bother you? It's a little bit yogic."

Christine Brun, ASID, is a San Diego-based interior designer and the author of "Big Ideas for Small Spaces." Send questions and comments to her by e-mail at christinebrun@sbcglobal.net. To find out more about Christine Brun and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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