"counter space" news and stories

I just moved from a suburban apartment with a large kitchen to a big city studio apartment with no counter space at all. I have one little block of counter space, but if I put a microwave there, I'll have no space at all to prepare food, cut food, rest dishes and other items before I serve them, or store stuff you usually keep on a counter, like canisters or a cutting board or a can opener or whatever. And there's no room for one of those microwaves that hang from above.

So what are my options? In this day of microwave frozen meals and quick dinners made on the fly, can I really go back to 1978 and do completely without a microwave and just cook in the oven again? I've gotten so used to a microwave - I think we all have - and I'm not sure I can go back. I guess I could buy one and just keep plugging it in and unplugging it after I use it and store it in the bottom cabinet.

Anyone else have this apartment problem or decide to go microwave-less?