Last July, I got an email that changed my life overnight: I had been selected for a prestigious traineeship program at a Broadway theatre company. I had only a month to pack my bags, find an apartment, and move from Southern California to New York.
For the last three years, I have lived alone as a resident assistant at the University of California, Los Angeles. In my final year, after working my way up through the ranks, I was fortunate enough to live in my own air-conditioned, one-bedroom apartment with in-building laundry.
In New York City, the median rent for a studio is $3,790 a month. With the $16.50 an hour that I would be making as a trainee, it wasn’t possible to maintain the same standard of living that I’d had during college.
I was already considering getting a roommate, no matter where I had found a job, but quickly, it became a necessity.
We found an apartment quickly
I was lucky enough that my close friend Eliyah was already moving to New York for a fellowship in public policy and was waiting to find out if I would be joining him.
After spending most of our days bathed in the blue light of StreetEasy.com, we asked his brother to show us a three-bedroom apartment in lower Manhattan.
It didn’t matter that the building lacked air conditioning or laundry. I ignored the fact that I would be living without a window in my room, that the bedrooms are railway-style, and that our only common space would be the kitchen.
This apartment was by far the most affordable option we found, at just under $4,000 a month. We signed the lease shortly after his brother left the viewing.
Courtesy of Sheldon Skoboloff
We only had five days between finalizing the lease and paying the first month’s rent, so we were desperate to fill the third room. Not only would finding a third roommate help us split the cost of rent in three, but also the sum of our security deposit and the broker’s fee.
After screening Facebook group message requests from a lot of potential nightmare roommates, we found Shivani, an international student from India, studying Fashion Management at Parsons. We all instantly connected.
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These roommates make the apartment a home
My life in New York is colorful and adventurous because the three of us get to explore the city together. I’m constantly taking my roommates to arts and culture events around the city.
Eliyah helps us navigate nightlife and local government, while Shivani connects us to the fashion world and the Indian community. If any of us lived alone, our personal maps would be missing so many pins that are now cornerstones of our daily geography.
Living with other people means learning the contours and nuances of their lives. I can tell you who my roommates’ bosses are, what brand of kimchi they buy, and which one is prone to leaving half a lemon on the counter.
Living in such tight quarters, in the best cases, creates a familial bond. Eliyah and Shivani aren’t just friends to me; they’re like extra siblings that I have the honor of annoying and comforting every day.
Sure, my bedroom has no windows, and the unique apartment can get cramped, but I wouldn’t change a thing about my life in New York.
I now know that when I come home, no matter how I’m feeling, my roommates are there to support me and make my world feel a little bit lighter. I can’t believe I was missing out for so long.
Editor’s note: According to New York City’s building code, a windowless room in an apartment is illegal.
