A NEW KIND OF ROOMMATE THE RISE OF CO-LIVING IN NYC
Many of the biggest tech companies have made their bones and billions altering traditional industries forever. Netflix destroyed Blockbuster, Uber and Lyft are crushing cabs, and so on. In an age where everybody wants to be a “disrupter,” it’s no surprise that tech- centric businesses are scrambling to find new rental arrangements. In New York City, companies like Common, Ollie, WeLive, and Quarters are rapidly developing so-called co-living spaces. As they grow in popularity, they are beginning to alter the rental markets. Co-living spaces are essentially a dressed-up version of dorm living. They usually come in the form of private bedrooms with shared spaces of various types, including bathrooms, living rooms, and larger spaces to be shared by floors or entire buildings. They also include millennial-approved creature comforts, like coffee bars, cleaning services, and high-speed internet. All of these bonuses are included in the price of rent, so residents don’t have to untangle who pays for what as you would have to in a traditional roommate situation.
It’s not hard to see why so many companies are flooding the co-living space. Young people continue to move toward urban centers in huge numbers, and the cost of living is outpacing wage gains. People are also less likely to be married in their 20s and have kids by the time their 30, creating an interim period where co-living spaces can be desirable from a social perspective as well as a mere living arrangement. Generally, co-living costs about 10–30% less than market rates in a given area. “It’s not cheaper than finding a roommate on Craigslist,” says Brad Hargreaves, CEO of Common. “But people are coming to Common because they’re looking for something more reliable and high-quality than finding a room on Craigslist.” Whether these co-living spaces are a techno-utopic dreamland, as some of the brand’s marketing would have you believe, or just a flash in the pan remains to be seen. But for now, they are the hottest trend in NYC real estate.
CLASSIC APPLE CRISP MICHELE’S RECIPE CORNER
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INGREDIENTS
Filling: • 5 lbs Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and chopped • 1/4 cup pecans, finely chopped • 3 tbsp all-purpose flour • 2 tbsp maple syrup • 1 tbsp lemon juice Topping: • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour • 1/3 cup brown sugar • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt • 6 tbsp chilled butter, cut into pieces • 1/4 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 350 F. 2. In a mixing bowl, mix all filling ingredients together. Transfer to individual serving ramekins. 3. In a different mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt for the topping. Mix in butter until it forms lumps roughly the size of a pea, then stir in pecans. Sprinkle topping over filling. 4. Bake for 35–40 minutes, let stand for 10 minutes, and serve.
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