New York — we've all heard of her. She's romantic, chaotic, tough, and expensive AF. And everybody wants to hang out with her. Like many millennials, I wish I could wake up in the same zip code as the Empire State Building, and have a morning routine reminiscent of The Devil Wears Prada. Inspired by my recent Erewhon expedition in Los Angeles, I asked New Yorkers on my recent trip there how they afford to live in the iconic city.
I wanted an array of answers, so I asked New Yorkers I met while exploring six buzz-worthy places: the subway, Times Square, Margaritaville resort, Mr. Purple bar at Hotel Indigo, Brooklyn's Alligator Lounge, and The Met museum. Out of the 33 locals I asked, 21 of them were down to talk.
Here are 21 locals' confessions of their monthly rent, what they do for work, the salary they bring in each year, and the anonymous doodles I drew of them in exchange for their honesty:
My takeaway: Most locals who were open to being real about their rent were from the Bronx or Brooklyn — Manhattan folks are touchy about rent transparency, I guess. Back in Los Angeles, I pay $1,725/month for a one-bedroom near Hollywood. So, while New York rent prices are high, they're not as out of reach for me as I thought...if I'm okay having a roommate. Based on these 21 responses, that's a sacrifice most New Yorkers put up with to afford their lifestyle. And after having a whirlwind week there, yeah, I get it.
If you also live in New York, for the sake of rent transparency, what do you pay each month for rent? How do these prices compare to where you live? Share your side in the comments.
And to keep up with drawings like these, follow BuzzFeed's @comics.
Clark set the Indiana Fever’s franchise record for turnovers (10), shot 5-of-15 from the floor and struggled with the Connecticut Sun’s physical defense.
The atmosphere was electric for Clark's home debut and there were brief flashes from the Fever, but it's clear they've got plenty to work on before they can compete with the WNBA's elite teams.
Yahoo Sports NBA draft expert Krysten Peek is back for another season of On the Clock with Krysten Peek. Krysten just spent the week in Chicago at the NBA Draft Combine and kicks off draft season joined by CBS Sports' Kyle Boone.
Gottlieb's repeatedly courted controversy in his media role and will reportedly continue to host his nationally syndicated radio show while coaching Green Bay.