My NYC Apartment Is The Size Of A Parking Spot | Unlocked
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- Опубликовано: 15 сен 2024
- Alex Verhaeg, 23, lives in a tiny 95-square-foot apartment located in NYC's East Village. He pays $1,100/month in rent. Alex believes he has a pretty good deal because he doesn't have to live with roommates. However, there are some drawbacks: Since the space is so small, he has to sleep diagonally.
Unlocked is a new home tour series focused on how much people across the U.S. spend on their housing, what they get for the money and what they had to sacrifice to make it happen.
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Living In A Tiny NYC Apartment For $1,100/Month | Unlocked
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It's insane NYC has normalized this kinda lifestyle
this is not only a nyc thing, places like tokyo have been doing these for ages.the truth is appartment set ups like these are great for densely built high demand locations. we should encourage unorthodox apartment designs like these. it gives people more affordable options without resorting to the alternative which would be displacement, gentrification or the streets.
@@Will-cb4wb this is somewhere between Tokyo and Shanghai tbh. it's great for single-for-life human resources.
I’m from New York and we don’t claim him
Try finding something similar in Silicon Valley. NYC is affordable comparably. That space in San Francisco in a great area would cost 2x more.
@@Will-cb4wb really? He has no bathroom and no shower.
I've seen this guy's apartment like six times on RUclips. His rent price goes up everytime and just three months ago--in another video, his apartment was $995 a month.
Fr! I thought I was just seeing things
hes a famewhore
I applaud you man. It takes a very unique person to live in 95 sq ft, make it feel like home, and be happy living there. Hope you make it big someday. Your story is one that can never be forgotten.
thank you!
The shared bathroom is a deal breaker for me. I commend his willingness to live on such a small scale.
It is very difficult for young people starting out in life on their own to find a good situation for themselves. Alex is satisfied with the life he has, including the neighborhood, that fits his needs. I wish him well in his plans for his future.
no its not. he has no education. come on, he's a bike messenger. i graduated 6 years ago, debt free, first from low cost community college, then finished last 2 years at a four city university. got a gig as a financial analyst right out of school. i dont have to work 3 jobs like him. i pay $455 a month in maintenance for my co-op, taxes included. i paid the mortgage off last year. and i'm 2 stops away from Manhattan. and 4 stops away from work. my street is super quiet because i chose one with no pretentious woke retail stores that always cause noise all the time at all hours of the day and night. my unit is 850 square feet. this dude looks older than me. what has he done with his life? this is not a good way to secure your future. that rent is only going to increase year after year, likely double or even triple. especially with extremely high demand with the influx of a hundred thousand illegals on section 8. likely the city will grab any empty unit for them, thus driving rent ultra sky high. he doesnt even have his own bathroom, lolz. that's just sad.
As a 26 year old who can’t afford a $3k rent I would definitely jump on this.
Hopefully a toilet and a shower are in his future plans.
So much negativity in the comments! This type of living isn't for everybody, but he likes it and he's happy. He has his own RUclips channel and I love his videos-they're very positive and upbeat! He's a young person enjoying his life in a city he loves being in. I get more depressed looking at people who live in 8,000 sq ft houses/apartments and mega mansions-greed and excess isn't anything I admire or aspire to.
@@jenniferk9242 That's your own opinion, and you are entitled to it. 🙂
Charging that much for 95sq should be illegal
Why? It’s the cheap apartment you save money lot.
@@slowcodersloth wtf
i agree, but it’s also great to have places at these more “affordable” prices even if they’re tiny
@@slowcodersloth Define cheap. The renting prices shouldn't be this high in the first place. $1100 should be the cost of a normal sized apartment
That's cheap for NYC
I love his aura and calm energy . Humble living in nyc really shapes you
This isn't called renting it's called getting robbed
What?
@@slowcodersloth you don't understand?
Not for NYC. Where I am in Ohio, it wouldn't even be legal to offer that as an apartment, due to no private bathroom. All depends on the location.
The "you will own nothing and be happy" really hit me with this video..
Yeah, this video depressed the shlt out of me.
He's done extremely well organizing his space. Kudos.
thank you !
$1,100 and he can't sleep comfortably in his own bed ☹️
I know, but I think he sacrifices that because he lives in the east village which is known to be alively neighborhood, and he can walk to nearly everything accessable by foot,
hes paying for location, what he loses in space he wins in accessibility, walkability and community
Community? Isn't that the same community that pushes people in front of moving subways?
He could put his bed in a different direction. He is happy.
Working 3 jobs to afford 95 SQ ft is something I couldn't do
working 2 very part time jobs to try and make one work full time !
He doesn't have one w2 position as a barber, delivery boy, and content creator (social media freelancer). Some freelancers form corporations to pay themselves biweekly, but taxable :-( income.
Legal apartments (and legal SROs) require proof of 3 or 4x the rent or a cosign-er that does.
I wouldn't count his "content creator" title as a job. He is a wannabe. Someone with some social media or RUclips accounts that hasn't actually made money on them. But still hopes to be the next big influencer. That is why he CLEARLY paid MSNBC to run this story. If he would just give up his delusions of being the next Pewdiepie or Charli D'Amelio and focus on a REAL career, he would be able to get a full time job. Just one. But Gen Z'ers all think they are going to get rich by boring people online.
The irony is, if HE, as a small time wannabe content creator posted this story, he would be legally obligated to disclose that it was a sponsored video. But old school media does not.
dammit dude, just let people enjoy things.
@@FUGP72 He's just waiting for his big break
This would be my personal nightmare.
He didn’t want roommates but would rather share bathroom(s) with stranger neighbors?? That’s worst than roommates 🥶 and his apt is technically a bedroom so he’s technically living in a roommate situation.
There you go, see corporate tv are trying to influence people and have them lower their standards so that they pay big money for low standards crap by sugarcoating it
Sounds like he has some sort of anxiety the way he talking about people and the subway. So perhaps he found a middle ground
Considering that I'm only in the bathroom and shower maybe 30 min. total per day --- it would be worth it to have my own space all the rest of the time, if that's all I could afford and I wanted that particular location.
In New York City, this is called a Single Room Occupancy Hotel (SRO) or rooming house. Many were built before 1969 and are rent regulated. The owner applied for permission for these apartments to not include a bathroom or kitchen. Otherwise, an apartment not having a kitchen or bathroom is illegal.
Several renters say SROs owned by the YMCA are the best e.g. clean,, sane neighbors, more restrooms.. My friends moved to Brooklyn when it was cheaper or the Bronx. But many people love Manhattan and will rent a room to live there.
I am surprised to hear him say that he doesn’t want to use the train dailly in New York. I hope that he visits the other boroughs and gets used to the USA’s No 1 public transportation system.
Very sad to see people having to live in these conditions. But he seems happy and blissfully unaware of the situation.
It reminds me of london, people are spending all their wages to live in wardrobe sized rooms!
Landlords these days have lost all morals.
It's not landlords fault, it's the market, supply & demand ... As long as there are idiots ready to pay such prices for wardrobe basically they will ask for that price. I'll never understand why some poor people love big cities so much when they'd have much more on the countryside or even a mid size city.
@@Wakanda4bigmama it's always the land lord's fault
@@squirrelyvanderblit4886 goddam capitalism
How much do you believe the property taxes and other costs are for that 95 sqft room in NYC (accounting for inflation and location)?
@@Wakanda4bigmama for sure, thats one way of looking at it. 🤑💰💰
there are prison cells that are larger
so true
The room itself looks cozy, but sharing a toilet and shower would be way too gross for me to handle.
Who cleans it?!?
Alex did a great job furnishing his apartment. I love to see videos of young people making a go at it in New York City. Kudos to Alex!
A honest question for all newyorkers: What does NY has to offer for people with no money,? I mean people that pay $1100 for this room. I know NY is glamorous, cosmopolitan, lots of culture, restaurants, cafes, theaters, museums, etc. But a lot of those things are expensive for people who live like the guy on the video and other things are the kind of things you can enjoy in a vacation at NY and you probably would not visit each month even if you live there, like museums for example. Why live in a place that spits in the face of low income people?
I totaly understand the magic and adventure of living in NY for a time, I would live their even while being poor, BUT not for more than a year, it would be more like a long vacation while working (workation?) just to make good memories and have a time to know and enjoy NY before going to a more afordable place where it would be posible to save money to buy a property, etc.
Please answer. Thank you for your attention.
The only thing it has to offer is opportunities. I grew up in a small Connecticut town and moved to NYC when I turned 18. Have had amazing opportunities when it comes to acting and singing. However, the pandemic has changed things a lot and I will definitely be moving after 13 years here. NYC is HARD, but anyone can make something out of themselves with hard work and networking.
@@Gabriela.H Thank you for your answer, Gabriela. I hope you find new and exciting oportunities and success wherever you go. Maybe it is like in that Frank Sinatra song: "if you can make it there you can make it anywhere!" In a certain sense you passed a hard test. Congratulations!
Oh! by the way, what has changed since the pandemic in NY?
@@juliocesarsalazargarcia6872 um...everything.
You really dont understand that their are many regions of the city of NY, some rich, some poor, some affordable, some dangerous? You take one video and are completely confused as you were just born yesterday? Take time to research the different residential areas of NYC and average residential prices, then come back.
Here in Africa, for $1,100 you’re paying for a 3-4 bedroom house with an en suite master bedroom,swimming pool ,free parking for 1 or 2 cars and if you’re lucky it includes electricity and water. You pay for garbage collection for an extra $30 a month
This is in Southern Africa just Incase anyone wants to relocate, for Zambia 🇿🇲,South Africa,Botswana and others.
When I loon at this all I want to do is cry because you’re living in a box . I’m claustrophobic and I’d feel boxed in ,anxious and would be panicking almost everyday. America should do better this is so sad.
Yes but how many jobs are paying 3-4k$ in Africa tho? Its all perception based, rent is usually adequate to what average wage and demand is. NY has one of the highest paying jobs and opportunities, thats why these cardboard rooms cost that much. Dont get me wrong, I dont live in US and I would never live in NY even if I did, im just saying u cant compare Africa with something like NY or Tokyo
That just a room, not an apartment.
I can't live in a place with no bathroom. I don't want to share a bathroom with strangers.
For an extra $500, he can get a a real apartment.
Maybe he could but definitely not in that neighborhood. He'd need to move way uptown and even up there is getting expensive. Additionally why assume he's got an extra $500 to spend a month?? That's not some little bit of cash lol
In the east village, he would have to triple it
@@katelyngloade6633 He probably spends a lot on eating out.
@@saulgoodman2018. I get where your coming from but assuming he's a standard 23 year old (I am one and have other friends in the same age bracket) food is about $450-500 monthly. That's from my time in NYC. But I'd say a third is groceries, next third is dining, then a whole separate budget for bars. He could cut those luxuries out and save $300 bucks but what's the point of living in NYC if you can't enjoy any of what it has to offer. Dude also definitely buys groceries cause then he wouldve downsized the fridge.
@@katelyngloade6633 That's different. This guy orders out almost everyday. He can't really cook. So he's really not buying that much groceries.
$1100 a month and he doesn't even get his own bathroom? SMH
Forget the bathroom... he can't even fit in his own bed. Makes me so sad to see a human living in the USA in those conditions AND paying $1100 for it....
Hopefully it doesn't go to 2000 per month.
That wouldn't surprise me!!
@@kevinb8881 it's the bank at fault or the landlord is Hella greedy...
@@eyeswideopen7777 That doesn't surprise me either!!
Reminds me of living in the dorms, without a roommate.
Depressing
He can’t even sleep on his bed! And also needs to share bathroom 😢
Sharing a bathroom with strangers is a big no no. Idc where the place is located, I’m sorry
Manhattan-lower east side
@@AfroAngola 😂
Good comprehensive video. The no bathroom would be a deal breaker for me even if it was free, but I guess at your age and being a creative it's fine. Just hope you're saving like crazy.
Wow. I pay $1250/mo for a 2 bedroom with separate office space & balconies. So glad to be out of NYC!!
I think this is just odd decisionmaking on his part not necessarily NYC. For the amount he's paying he could have a studio in brooklyn with more space and a bathroom
@@grainofsalt2113 It is. He just wants to live in East Village. I guess he likes the location so he is willing to accept a bad deal.
wow I will never complain about my house again
It’s basically a dorm 🥴
Maybe the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation need to look into resolving problems like this. This is not the American Dream, its the American pitiful. But kudos to Alex for making it work. When I win the lottery, I am going to find you and buy you a decent 2 bed room apartment in NYC. You deserve it!
I'm impressed by his positivity and optimism and how he is appreciating what he has.
These videos always say NYC but they should specify that this is Manhattan. People are willing to pay anything for “central location” meanwhile he can go either uptown, BK or Queens and get much more space. This is his choice so if he is happy, good for him.
actually for 1100 you are not going to do much better than this in Brooklyn and queens especially if it's close to a subway station.
You would have to pay me $1100 a month to live in that. That should be $100 a month lol
I lived just like him in Tokyo for 10yrs! Super tinny apartments are very common there. It was cozy, you can basically reach every thing from your bed. As I can't afford a larger apartment, I moved to the suburbs.
I’m not sure I could live in a space that small!
I. Would only sleep there. That’s it.
Yes, you could if you have to. It would be much harder if you were older with a good job and money in the bank, then lost everything for some reason.
@@TheCreoleSon89 in NYC, in that neighborhood specially youre exactly who that apartment would be for. east village is a neighborhood where i wouldnt need to go to my apartment for nothing else but to sleep in
Well, FIRST of all it's not an apartment!!! It's a room .. !!! It was some kind of storage or utilitie space .. and because there are so many foolish people that's willing to pay for it , fills someone pocket with your money 💰💰💰. Welcome to NYC !!!
1100 shouldn't be legal, IMHO.
Right!!! So terrible!
It is called a SRO, and large cities have been getting rid of them for decades, which is really too bad. They are a great way to get a start, or depending on how life goes, perhaps what keeps you from living on the street.
Probably not a utility space. They probably just walled up a normal apartment to make 3 of these ILLEGAL (all apartments in NYC must have at least one room that is 150 square feet) apartments.
@@FUGP72 Even OLD apartments? Mind you, I think that is a SRO, though I don't know the rules for them nor how to tell if they are leagle or not.
Now that I have watched it again, that looks perfectly leagle. The building is not new and he has 2 exits. Not to mention, it looks clean.
I commend him for making the best of the situation. If he's good on making those sacrifices for his perception of convenience, than good on him. I personally would take on commute and limited restaurant hours for a larger space. I did that when I moved from queens to long Island but to each their own.
Leave Ny.
@@Troonielicious trust me I'm working on it. 2 yrs max and I'm out.
How much was previous rent and current? What was the size and size of current one as well?
The best of a situation would be to move out of that overpriced state.
@@banshee1133 was paying $1700 for a 1 bedroom, got a multi family home now paying $3400 a month now but renting out upstairs
So great to see this piece on Alex! Been a fan of his since he started on TikTok. Congrats buddy!
$1,100 for 95 square feet?
and the worst part is you have to be conscious to sleep diagonally !
Having said that i appreciate the attitude that the guest has towards life !
This video makes me so grateful and blessed I moved to Florida when I did 😅
Good job doing what you have to survive. As long as you are comfortable with your surroundings that is what counts.
It is clean, but I wonder if he could do something with the bed, like reposition it. But overall, this can only be temporary and shows the sad state of the NYC apt market... Kudos for building his dream.
Yeah sure...move the bed a foot one way or another.
Anyone willing to work three jobs to survive is going to be just fine in this life. One day, you will look back at this place and know you earned everything you have.
Only Americans praise struggling. We really need to let go of the “rags to riches” or “made it out the mud” mentality.
Doubtful. If he is ever a success, the state will take his 'excess money', as the 'hoarder' he is.
@@mariasantanasantana262 No. He just wants to be a content creator and not get routine job like the rest of the people walking the street.
U really wanna praise working 3 jobs to live like a rat? Its insane, but most people find it as a passing phase until they get onto better things. If youre living like this for 20-30 years and dont wanna move to somewhere better its your fault really.
Dang. That looks like a prison cell…even the view from the window…smh…and at least they have a toilet in them
😄 So true
i live in a “shoebox apartment” but it’s still much bigger and HALF of this rent 😩 i know it’s not NYC.. but it’s in central tokyo!!
Jeez, $1100 to live in that tiny shack AND he has to share communal bathrooms with other people? He could pay less to rent an apartment with 1 or 2 roommates and there would be less competition for the bathroom.
No bro you didn't get a good deal living in that hole in the wall for $1100 a month with a shared bathroom. Poor kid got taken advantage of. This is criminal. Im actually seething about this, he presents his life as comfy and free but its anything but. He is struggling and the greedy landlord is raking in a free income.
This guy is in his early 20s and is living HIS dream. I'm happy for him! I love the E. Village! So I understand why he'd want to live down there.
It's overrated and he's living a nightmare. He'll realize this when he upgrades.
@@choicemeatrandy6572 Who are you say someone else is living a nightmare?! STFU
I've seen people in Hong Kong rent spaces separated by steel nets that look exactly like cages for animals. Is this where NY is headed?
Being from NY myself, we used to call that a storage unit back in the 80's. I moved South in the 90's because I could see this coming. Good stuff, @Alex.
#minimalistlifestyle.
So is this just to say that he lives in the east village of Manhattan? It's definitely not worth it.
I live 25 miles east of Manhattan. My apartment is also $1100 a month. But here's the difference. Mine is a FULL one bedroom. That includes a FULL bathroom. Utilities included, off-street parking and walking distance to the train station.
I applaud him. He made this his humble home and loves it. Idk about the 🐁 lol, but this is insightful.
Well the fact that he has to share bathrooms makes it like living with roommates (or in a college dorm), except he gets more privacy because he doesn't have to see them, gets to lock his own room, and pays everything separately. I'm surprised why not more apartments are like this. Instead a lot of people who do have roommates just end up awkwardly shutting themselves in their own rooms and barely ever speaking to their roommates anyway. (And who knows, maybe they also got their own electric stove going in their bedroom because they hate sharing the kitchen).
They aren't like this because it is ILLEGAL under NYC code. All apartments must have at least one room that is 150 square feet or larger.
Landlord and city greed.
Really?
This video is about him not what we will do. He’s content, happy, and young. He’s in a prime location. He’s a minimalist which makes it even better. What may be a deal breaker for you is more than enough for some.
Why do transplants do this. Living like a pauper just to say you live in a trendy neighborhood for what. Like a train couldn’t take you to the EV in a few mins and you can have much more space smh. A waste.
He has to sleep in a diagonal position to fit in on his bed.. I respect him, this is definitely not for me... I love freedom on my bed.
The rent is too expensive in my opinion.
Seriously... If you can't even sleep properly then is it even a bedroom?
Agreed. NYC is robbing these people and they don’t care.
@@radhikapatil1986 Exactly!!
Two part time jobs and one fulltime job and only a shoebox apartment without own bathroom is insane but you made it a really nice place.
this can't be real. sad to know that bigger cities with lots of opportunities have the highest rent and salary can't even sustain rental prices plus groceries etc. but kudos to this guy for making it work.
That’s the thing, though. Unless you work in finance, high fashion or entertainment you don’t need to live in these major cities.
Anyone else wondering why he has a huge strip of clear tape on the back of his shacket??
NYC is one of the very few places in the US with a walkable environment where you dont need a car. The prices are ridiculous for a few reasons, but keep in mind that this guy doesn't need to pay for a car which most people in the states would need.
There are LOTS of cities, bit and small, where you can easily get around without a car. And lots and lots more cities where you can easily afford a car with the savings in cost of living.
He had me saying wow he just lives a free beautiful life until he mentioned the rodent problem and the solution was the cat and then he was touching that cat in his mouth on his bed 😂#realtalk
Love it! Live your best life! Love NYC, do what you got to do!
Ok I’m impressed, also I think I see a black refrigerator, which is worth mentioning. I mean if it is & that it fits. God bless you Alex
It's a room for rent when you don't have own toilet and bath. Does somebody clean it? Shared bathrooms can get pretty gross.
Looking forward to what a grand and a half will be able to buy in 10 years
Apartments with no bathroom should be illegal.
He is young, content and happy and that is how it should be.
you don't know how fast that can change.
His friggin bed is too short for his body. "content'. Yeah right.
" Sometimes is vanilla ice cream, sometimes is garbage" LOL those are completely different worlds there
Love that the building hired cat to take care of the rodents!
It's like living in a comfortable jail!
He could add boxes and storage bins with stuff if he lifts his bed. LMAO he doesn't fit in his bed omg
you have to be conscious to sleep diagonally
He gives an amazing tour.
Shared bathroom and shower? Oh, Father in heaven🤢🤮I would just ask to live in my parents basement and pay them the 1k a month; Atleast I know whose using the shower and toilet. Or, better yet, go live in a hotel! It's prob cheaper by the month.
Omg I just recently subscribed to his channel when I was traveling last month and would watch some of his vids, glad to see him featured here, seems like a nice guy
Humble guy.
This is a rooming house not a apartment building
Wait, $1,100/month and you still don't even get your own bathroom and shower? Yeah, next...
Counted the mail boxes. There're 28 people living in that apartment. Thats a revenu of 30.800 a month, that's robbery.
“Convenience”zzz 🥶. You can get something 10x that size for the price in parts of Dallas.
But then you’re in Dallas.
@@free22 🤠
@@free22 even worse, Texas
Homie’s paying $1100 for a prison cell lol
The United States has 3.8 million mi² of land, and you choose to live in the grossly overpopulated, overpriced 303 mi² of NYC. Why? With so much livable land in this country, why do you choose to live in NYC, where $1100/month gets you not even 100 square feet? This is the literal definition of insanity. No way would I go back to NYC. Not with those prices.
He likes the area and gets good business for his job ie more clients. He doesn't need a car and has good friends in a multicultural neighbourhood. There is more to life than mansions. He is still young and there is plenty of time for him to explore possibilities.
Apartment? Please! More like a cell!
Idc how small a place I live in: I have to have in unit laundry and my own bathroom.
This guy utilized his space extremely well tho 👍🏾
He's adorable.
I would live in something like this if it was cheaper than $11000 a month. I live in long island and make 60,000 a year and would like to live in the city eventually to reduce my commute time
Is this the American dream? This guy is talented and energetic, he would get a better life in Europe.
I genuinely don't understand why you wouldn't just live in Brooklyn and have more space. There is nothing so great about the East village that you would force yourself to live like this. I like this guy so much though
$1100 and you don’t fit in your bed nor can you leave your soap in the bathroom!
YOU HAVE A GREAT DEAL FOR New York AND THATS WHAT YOU LOVE THANKS FOR SHARING
Glad he likes it! I personally don't miss my dorm room :)
This guy is getting away sky free while other NYC renters are paying 5 and 6 times more on their units, crazy crazy crazy!!!
This should be illegal
Now thats a positive person right there.
This video is just sad. A dystopian nightmare.
cant even sleep normally, yikes. no matter what u say, u cant convince people u actually want to live here
This guy should be splitting internet with his neighbours to save more