Renters

Who rents in New York, where they live and what they have to put up with.

New to New York, and Dazzled by the Energy of Times Square
A couple who finally live full-time in the city sometimes can’t believe they have their own home in the middle of the craziness.
By Samantha Maldonado
He Lived in the Same Apartment for 30 Years. Then Came a Knock on the Door.
After an emergency evacuation put them into limbo, tenants of a New York building are still awaiting a court decision that might help them recover their past lives.
By D.W. Gibson
Rent Was $325 a Month and the Piano Fit
A couple briefly considered moving to one of the newer market-rate buildings in New York City and paying more for a splashier place. Then they got real.
By D.W. Gibson
They Wish N.Y.C. Were ‘Less Expensive,’ but They Have Big Theater Dreams
Two young actors were prepared to work hard to make it in New York theater. The rental market proved to be cutthroat.
By Samantha Maldonado
The New York Apartment That Has Sheltered One Family for 86 Years
A rent-controlled apartment is a rare thing, and so is the family that shared their home with students and refugees, rent-free, over the decades.
By D.W. Gibson
She Suspected She Was Adopted. It Turned Out She Was Right.
A Florida woman was determined to find the birth family she never knew she had. The trail led to the New York area, where she and her girlfriend now live.
By D.W. Gibson
The Freedom of an Escape From Venezuela and the Loneliness That Followed
A man fled the country to escape political violence and seek asylum in the United States. He has made some inroads in New York financially, but he misses the family he left behind.
By Danielle McLean
A Brooklyn Artist and the Possibilities He Seeks in Work and Life
After more than 40 years in a Williamsburg loft, Noah Jemison says the benefits of his tenure have come with a world of changes outside his windows.
By Samantha Maldonado
A New World Order for Renters? Well, It Worked for This Guy.
During the pandemic, a man realized he was free to work remotely in any city he wanted, in the U.S. and abroad. After moving a dozen times, he had a second epiphany.
By D.W. Gibson
Looking for Friends? How About 23 Housemates?
An engineer who moved from London to New York was planning to live alone, but ended up doing just the opposite — and loving it.
By Samantha Maldonado