New York City testing post-disaster housing

New York

STAINLESS-STEEL appliances. Cabinetry hand-built by Amish artisans. A shower flush with the floor - both sleek and accessible. And gorgeous sunsets from a private balcony overlooking Cadman Plaza and the Manhattan Bridge.

This is not some new luxury development on the border of Brooklyn Heights. From the outside, at least, those passing by on the ramps to the Brooklyn Bridge might even mistake it for a set of buff shipping containers. Yet they could come to count on this home in a box.

In the event of a disaster, New York City wants to deploy these stackable apartment pods as temporary homes.

Not that they look or feel terribly temporary.

"Almost everyone tells us these are nicer than their own apartments," James McConnell, the assistant commissioner for strategic data at the city's Office of Emergency Management, said during a tour last week. When the next "big one" hits, thousands could find themselves relying on these p…