I'm Jr I'm 26 I live in Manhattan on 22 000 a year
[Music]
hello hello come on in so this is the place this is it it's one room that's it it's a
shoe box yep water wall and what we got uh something 72 inches we're out of tape so this
is only 12 foot and we are at so I I'd say this is 14 14 foot by six foot 84 Square oh
okay well plus your bed space so what is the rent of this apartment 687 a month 8 244 a
year to live in Hill's kitchen you can't beat that no you can't you can't beat that you
can't beat that how did you find this apartment Craigslist I had no idea what I was doing
this was like kind of like a back burner apartment like first comes the worst if I can't find
anything you know I was looking for bedrooms in Brooklyn seven eight nine hundred a thousand
dollars for a bedroom right I didn't find anything this was my only like saved tab you
can't increase it legally five percent more than five percent yearly for as long as I
stay here right my neighbor's next door they've lived here for 12 years front door right bye
Mandy foreign right next to it is my kitchen but I'll cook like chicken and a skillet some
eggs soups it's not bad got my microwave pots and pans up there what I'm most excited about
I have a whole Ash closet right towels hats clothes shoes my air conditioner fits in here
yeah this thing it was here when I moved in actually so if I have bills Letters to Home
postcards all that I'll write them here keep my coffee probiotics everybody very important
Kitty treats one a day okay just one a day that's for later though she's already had
one today it's a strict one a day policy and then I'll keep like you know oil up here cooking
supplies below is kind of random stuff medicine oh yeah watercolor set too [ __ ] I'll walk
around just watercolor different buildings that I really really like so this window right
here we're in it in the painting right so walking around New York City I feel like I'm
in this beautiful painting so I wanted to put that on paper kind of what it feels like
there's a photo taken in 1940. this is the building this is my living room it's Manny's
living room actually store stuff in my nice little bookcase cameras all that stuff this
nice Wing back chair and the ottoman it's like I can't afford to go buy brand new furniture
I don't really know anyone who does that Salvation Army I thrifted it it was like 80 bucks find
cool stuff for the cheap the window it opens all the way this is probably my favorite thing
about my whole apartment if you look outside you can see Times Square the h m building
it pokes up over the walk-ups and it's just really I've dreamed of this right never did
I think of sunlight as a commodity right that's how I have plants so in the winter time the
sun's facing this way in the summertime in the spring it'll hit all these plants right
on they flourish they become so green my monstera like lifts up it's crazy manity loves it it's
good for her she gets some fresh air but this right here check it out so do I go to the
gym no it is so expensive right I can't afford that so if you back up check it out every
day every morning I lay out the mat I got my yoga yeah you can't beat that a zero dollar
gym in Manhattan what the heck come on I bike to work every single day right so I go to
the Hudson go down a couple miles to Chelsea I bike every single day rain snow heat I don't
care when I'm seeing people yeah I take the train but you know how many people can fit
a bike in their apartment so how much per month would you say you spend on Transportation
I don't know 20 bucks even I'm walking I'm biking the train is kind of like when I'm
feeling a little lazy actually do you want to come to work with me
man I'm a barista trainer so I bring in new people make them feel welcome I show them
something I'm super passionate about I teach people how to make latte art how to make siphons
chemexes all that great stuff like that's my job that's how I can live here in this
apartment for 687 a month I'm a regular person I don't make a salary I get paid by the hour
living here right and let me ask you would you say that you aren't enough to live comfortably
in New York City yes absolutely if you you're smart about it so this is your bed up here
yeah so you go up the staircase and up here the penthouse baby yeah dude and it's great
because you know I keep the window open for the cat the sitting noise is honestly nice
to fall asleep to sometimes when people aren't screaming if I come this way my bathroom
it's right across the hallway [Music] and it's nice it's like almost bigger than my
apartment my favorite part is this little Skylight we have up here when it rains it's
like in Manhattan no is this a shared bathroom yes but uh no problems whatsoever good yeah
super respectful I've never had an issue with that not once ever and you see how clean it
is spotless right we both put in the work what's the dream why New York City Music is
everything to me I get a little bashful foreign [Music]
I figured you know I love people and I love places and putting yourself out there yeah
I have a small space I don't have a lot of stuff but what I have I love I appreciate
it more than I ever ever did anywhere else I live this bike it takes me everywhere I
love this bike I respect this bike this guitar that is the most distilled way of self-expression
that I have in my life so I take care of it I oil the fretboard I change the wires right
I do all this stuff to make sure you know it stays okay because like I'm just gonna
go out and buy another guitar getting a little deep and stuff but yeah what advice would
you give to someone who has a big dream and wants to move to New York City is it possible
in 2023 it is possible right now I gave up almost everything in my life family friends
possessions my car I wanted to be here more than anything else this is the first place
since my hometown that I feel like I belong here just go for it Mark Twain said go out
on a limb right that's where the fruit is New York's this beautiful tree that produces
fruit year round I'm picking these apples right I'm eating them I'm thriving because
of that I get the most the most actual realistic full Human Experience here I walk down that
street I hear French Arabic sometimes Italian Spanish in my hometown do you know what I
heard English so I'm getting this insane experience of all the cultures put together in one little
five Borough bubble I make 22k a year hourly you gotta want it right you can't just kind
of oh I guess I'll go to New York no like I am going to live in New York would you say
right now living in New York City is worth it yes 100 percent hundred percent if I was
living in half the size of the space paying twice as much it would be worth it to me Eric
no doubt in my mind no hesitation I would have still done everything to get here for
that period [Music] [Applause] thank you