How many roommates is ideal?

Some friends & I are all graduating and moving to New York soon. I'm on the fence about whether I want to room with one or two other people and wanted to get some opinions.

Is it easier to hunt for 2- or 3-bedroom apartments in Manhattan? Is it generally cheaper (per-person) for a 2- or 3-bedroom place? How many roommates do you guys have? Ever wish you had more/fewer? Other thoughts?

18 Comments
 

Depends on your personality type, but ideal for me is as few as possible. Not based in NY but in another tier 1 market, and I lucked out with great rent for a 2 bedroom but don't lease out the other room, use it for storage/office. The only thing that would make it better is having SO move in to split primary rent.

How were you able to afford a 2BR in a tier 1 city living alone?

Array
 

It's a class C building, but it's in a prime location (about a 10 min walk to major public transit). Most of the other tenants are grad students and immigrants, but it's very safe. Building complex definitely needs some tlc, and it's one of the few in the neighborhood that hasn't been redeveloped yet, so eventually the show is going to end, probably in the next couple years.

 

Gumball3000

I would go with 1 brunette and 1 blonde.

I lived in a 4BR in NYC with 1 brunette and 1 blonde and another guy. 

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 

I have 3 roommates in Manhattan, definitely wish it were fewer especially with all of us in the apartment with wfh but still very manageable as we all get along.

I’d say having 1 or 2 roommates is ideal, definitely saves money and personally I think I’d go insane living alone at this age. Also I think there are more 3 person apartments? Not 100% sure on that though.

 

PrivatePyle

I lived with 4 guys in a massive 2,000+SQ space down in FiDi. 

You lived with 4 guys in a 5BR? 

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 

Zero (+1 if you're in a relationship and things are at that stage). You can still have a social life, and visit / pregame / whatever at your friends or yours if you invite people over. Difference in living alone is that you have much more control - the feeling of certainty in being able to go to a quiet, peaceful home after a stretch of long days in finance >>>>> going home to a place that may have music blaring and people shouting. 

 

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"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee

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