Last week, the Real Estalker reported that CNN anchor Anderson Cooper was trading in his cool Midtown Manhattan digs for something a bit hotter --  a lower Manhattan firehouse. It's four stories, more than 8,000 square feet and allegedly still has the firepoles intact.

We've always liked the silver-haired Cooper, and this unexpected purchase just made him that much cooler. Trading in the doorman and the walls of glass for the history-laden walls of a New York firehouse screams "character" to us.

We wonder if he'll get a dalmation?

There are all kinds of interesting convered abodes -- or "recycled real estate" as some call it. From churches to school, factories to airplaces, there are many properties without picket fences that people are thrilled to call "home." Here are just a few.

Anderson Cooper’s Converted Firehouse:

[via RealEstalker]


A Converted Church:

[via All About You]


Home, Home on the Tugboat:

[via Nubricks]


Warehouse Sale:

[via Web Urbanist]

One Cool Shipping Container:

[via Big Boom Blog]