- Elisa moved from Paris right into a luxurious communal dwelling home with 15 different folks in New York Metropolis.
- For $2,000 a month, she will get a completely furnished room and customary areas in a three-floor townhouse.
- She loves the sense of neighborhood together with her roommates and does not plan to depart anytime quickly.
This as-told-to essay is predicated on a dialog with Elisa, a partnership supervisor and enterprise developer dwelling in New York Metropolis who requested to be recognized by solely her first title to guard her employment. The next has been edited for size and readability.
I moved from Paris to New York in 2022 after I was headhunted for my job at a French startup. It wasn’t deliberate, and all the things occurred shortly.
I attempted to search for an condominium whereas nonetheless in Paris, however deep diving into Fb teams did not fill me with confidence, and I used to be worried about being scammed.
I heard about Cohabs from one among my greatest pals from France, who lived in one of many homes. Cohabs are share houses in cities around the globe, and there are just a few homes every in Brooklyn and Manhattan.
My buddy supplied for me to stick with her for 2 weeks so I may search for residences, however then I fell in love with different individuals who lived there. It helped me make pals immediately.
There was a gap, so I moved into the identical three-floor townhouse as my buddy in Harlem. I like it.
You are screened earlier than you’ll be able to transfer in
The Cohabs crew ensures you have got the proper vibe and are there for the proper causes earlier than you’ll be able to signal a lease.
The questions have been pretty simple: They requested my age, the explanation I moved to New York, how I heard about Cohabs, what are my earlier experiences with flatmates, and what are my hobbies.
You possibly can signal a lease for six months or one yr, and I selected one yr.
Home guidelines are written into the lease
The lease has some issues you need to conform to which might be above and past a typical lease settlement.
We conform to pay our lease on time, be respectful of others, clear our room once we transfer out to obtain our deposit again, hold widespread areas organized, wash our dishes, arrange for the crew of housekeepers, respect one another, let our housemates know once we invite folks over, take out the trash, and cut back, reuse, and recycle.
The lease is honest to me for what I get
I pay $2,000 a month for my 135-square-foot fully-furnished room, which incorporates all utility prices.
I really feel it is honest when you think about that you simply’re renting a room plus the huge common spaces. Every flooring has its personal furnished open kitchen and lounge. I share a toilet with one flatmate, however there are totally different lavatory association choices based mostly in your room.
The home feels tremendous homey — it is clear, and the furnishings is classic and very nice. A housekeeping crew comes as soon as per week.
There’s additionally an app to submit restore requests, so when you’ve got an issue with the espresso machine, for instance, you’ll be able to create a ticket, and a member of the Cohabs crew will come and show you how to repair it.
The shared areas are huge: Now we have an enormous yard with a barbecue, a rooftop with tables, an enormous tv room with sofas, a health club, and a laundry room.
16 of us dwell in the home
It sounds wild after I say I’ve 15 roommates, however it seems like I am on “Friends” the TV show. I really like having a little bit household in New York and friends I can count on.
Many people are very removed from our family members and are pretty new to New York. Now we have People, Spanish, English, and French amongst our nationalities. The age vary is 23 to 32, which appears like rather a lot however works effectively.
Each evening after I come dwelling from work, individuals are within the kitchen making meals and having meals collectively. That makes me actually completely happy.
This feels higher than a typical share home
I used to be tremendous nervous after I moved to New York as a result of I solely knew one particular person, so transferring into the home was a reduction. My primary worry was feeling lonely, so this was the right resolution.
I’ve lived in shared flats and homes earlier than, however the sense of community right here is far stronger. The Cohabs crew actually emphasizes this — on the primary Sunday of each month, they ship us a brunch for everybody to bond over. Additionally they arrange occasions like going mountaineering collectively.
The underside line is respect
We’re adults, so we all know tips on how to dwell in a neighborhood and respect one another. I have never seen any bizarre fights or drama.
Residing collectively has been simple, as we now have comparable existence, however if you wish to have folks over, you do have to warn everybody else.
My household came over from Europe, and my mother and father have been impressed with the home. They stayed in a lodge, but when my brother got here alone, he in all probability would’ve stayed with me in the home.
We have began a few of our personal traditions
Final Christmas, we put up a tree and hung footage of our heads as a substitute of ornaments.
For New 12 months’s Eve, all of us purchased a tiny bottle of Champagne and advised one another our goals for the year. Each time one among us achieves that aim, they get to pop their bottle of Champagne.
My household and pals have requested me if sooner or later I need to go and dwell in a extra typical place. The reality is I really don’t.