In an expensive city like New York, people in their late 20s and early 30s often live with roommates to help cope with the high cost of living.
But Ishan Abeysekera has taken it to the next level with his current living situation in Brooklyn: He shares a public building with 23 other people.
“When I say I have 23 roommates, people are like ‘What? That sounds crazy,'” Abeysekera told CNBC Make It. “But actually, it’s good.”
The 33-year-old engineer lives in cohabsa company that offers fully furnished bedrooms and communal living spaces for stays as short as 6 months to a year or more. In addition to stores in Manhattan and Brooklyn, Cohabs also owns properties in European cities including Madrid, Paris, London and Milan.
Ishan Abeysekera believes choosing a communal living space will increase his chances of making friends in his new city.
Valentina Duarte | CNBC Success
Abesekera didn’t actually plan to have so many roommates — or any roommates at all. When he first moved from London to New York City for work in late 2022, his work schedule put him in a one-bedroom apartment in Manhattan’s Financial District.
When he began looking for his own apartment, he searched across the city for a one-bedroom apartment that would fit his monthly rental budget of $2,000 to $3,000. On a whim, he looked up Brooklyn’s public life and discovered Cohabs.
When he went to tour the available rooms in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, and saw some residents eating dinner together in the dining area, he was immediately convinced.
“How do you really get to know people when you’re new to a city? This seems like a good way to do it,” he said.
So Abeysekera put pen to paper and moved in. His monthly payment also includes WiFi, utilities, household supplies, weekly cleaning services and monthly communal breakfasts.
Cohabs residents have their own rooms but share living space.
Valentina Duarte | CNBC Success
He originally had a smaller room for $1,850 per month with a $1,850 security deposit, but upgraded to his current room when a larger room became available.
Tenants in the four-story, 24-bedroom building range in age from 21 to 36. shelves to store groceries.
“It’s totally fine to share a kitchen with so many people,” he said. “You have your own cupboard where you can store your stuff.”
The building comes with shared office space, an outdoor terrace, and a finished basement with a giant couch that can accommodate all residents at once. There’s even some fitness equipment and some ongoing building-wide workout challenges.
The Cohabs building in Ishan provides each resident with a small room.
Valentina Duarte | CNBC Success
“There are so many shared facilities and spaces here that you never really get in each other’s way,” Abesekera said. “Everyone has their own space, their own room.”
However, he admits there are “a lot of similarities” between his current living situation and life in a college dormitory. But, he said, there’s a key difference: “Everyone is more respectful because they are more adult-like and more mature.”
Just like some people in a college dormitory who become lifelong friends, Abesekera said he has developed strong relationships with the people he met through Cohabs.
“Coming here really helped me build a community and make friends,” he said. “It really enriched my life.”
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