NYT: Dorm Living for Professionals Coming to SF

[CheeringCharm]

www.nytimes.com/2018/03/04/technology/dorm-living-grown-ups-san-francisco.html?action=click&contentCollection=Book%20Review&module=Trending&version=Full&region=Marginalia&pgtype=article

Starcity residents get a bedroom of 130 square feet to 220 square feet. Many of the buildings will feature some units with a private bath for a higher rent. But Jon Dishotsky, Starcity’s co-founder and chief executive, said a ratio of one bathroom for every two to three bedrooms makes the most sense for large-scale affordability. The average one-bedroom apartment in San Francisco rents for $3,300 a month, but Starcity rooms go for $1,400 to $2,400 a month fully furnished, with utilities and Wi-Fi included.

[CheeringCharm]

I think this is kind of cool. I loved living in the dorms in college and I missed it when I was in my 20s. Before then, I hadn't realized how many of my friendships had been made in that type of forced proximity that dorms provide. It was really hard for me to learn how to make friends without it. The hardest part for me would be having to share a bathroom, although it sounds like you can have a private bath if you pay more rent.


This part sounds nice to me too:


The Starcity community manager (a.k.a. the building manager) is extremely involved in household affairs, dropping off care packages when someone is sick and organizing birthday parties. If tenants sign up for premium services, Starcity will do their laundry for $40 a month, clean rooms for $130 a week and even arrange for dog day care. For many residents, the arrangement does not feel temporary.

[cattledogkisses]

It wasn't too bad at the time, but I could never go back to dorm living. I don't even share my bathroom with H, lol.

I'm not even a fan of apartment living, tbh. I don't like sharing walls with people and dealing with other people's noise. Hell to the no on actually having to share my living space.

I am an introvert though, and my home is my sanctuary where I recharge away from people.

[raangoli]

As an adult who has now lived in my own house or condo for the last 17+ years, this sounds like a nightmare. As a new college grad just starting out, this would probably be awesome.

[Velar Fricative]

I'm not super familiar with SF but since it said at least one of the dorms is in the Tenderloin section, I won't be surprised if this is just another gentrification project but wrapped up in a prettier bow. I am all for having a lot of choices of living arrangements to choose from, and I know SF needs more options to house its legit middle-class, working-class and poor residents, but the answer isn't to push even poorer people out of one of the few neighborhoods they have access to. But I also can't sit here and say I know exactly what the solution is, so I guess I should shut up.

If I'm wrong about this particular neighborhood, someone from the area please correct me.

[sushi]

I hated dorms in college. Today, is consider that arrangement tho live in a great but expensive area. Plus, I'm tired of being alone and having no friends. With the exception of about 2 weeks, h had been gone since August. Before that it was 25-50%.

But in reality is last 2 weeks before I wanted my anonymity back. Plus I need mmj own damn kitchen

[penguingrrl]

I feel like this concept is slapping a band aid on a huge issue. Instead of dealing with he ridiculously inflated housing prices we just make housing less and less desirable.

I found dorm living absolutely miserable. Sharing bathrooms with a huge number of people and no way to cook for myself was awful. Even apartment living overwhelmed me and left me an anxious mess.

I think more needs to happen to address the fact that the rent is too damn high instead of finding even tinier spaces to consider home.

[vicky]

Mar 5, 2018 11:10:37 GMT -5 sushi said:

I hated dorms in college. Today, is consider that arrangement tho live in a great but expensive area. Plus, I'm tired of being alone and having no friends. With the exception of about 2 weeks, h had been gone since August. Before that it was 25-50%.

But in reality is last 2 weeks before I wanted my anonymity back. Plus I need mmj own damn kitchen

I need mmj and my own damn kitchen too.

[CheeringCharm]

I do agree that it is slapping a band aid on a problem rather than addressing the root cause but I think it has benefits too (such as providing camaraderie and support to people who live in a highly mobile, isolated society and conserving resources). As more people opt not to have children, I could see something like this (maybe with slightly more spacious apartments) becoming more and more common in big cities. I would be interested if I were single and had no desire to ever have children.

[sushi]

Mar 5, 2018 11:14:40 GMT -5 1234FIF! said:

I sometimes think about getting a rommate since I have a whole house to myself and then I think about their friends coming in and out and no. I just want ONE not ever talking to me or letting me know they exist person in there paying me rent.

In other words, this wouldnt work for me. Hahaa.

I could be your roommate lol. We all have metal "screen" doors that make a lot of noise. I make sure mine is silent both because I hate noise and I don't want my neighbors to know if I'm here or not.

[sushi]

Mar 5, 2018 11:18:32 GMT -5 vicky said:

Mar 5, 2018 11:10:37 GMT -5 sushi said:

I hated dorms in college. Today, is consider that arrangement tho live in a great but expensive area. Plus, I'm tired of being alone and having no friends. With the exception of about 2 weeks, h had been gone since August. Before that it was 25-50%.

But in reality is last 2 weeks before I wanted my anonymity back. Plus I need mmj own damn kitchen

I need mmj and my own damn kitchen too.

Lol. Autocorrect. Should have been my. But I've used mmj, too. I just have to cross the river to oc to get it because despite being legal in state, my city still won't allow

[amberlyrose]

I've been hiring a ton of brand new consultants in SF and they all have been looking for something like this, even trying to find places they can share. They usually travel Monday thru Thursday/Friday and don't have time to worry about a yard, laundry, cleaning, etc. The traveling life also doesn't allow for much time to socialize, so a dorm-like community would be nice to make friends that are probably in similar careers.

[bronxgirl]

Mar 5, 2018 11:14:40 GMT -5 1234FIF! said:

I sometimes think about getting a rommate since I have a whole house to myself and then I think about their friends coming in and out and no. I just want ONE not ever talking to me or letting me know they exist person in there paying me rent.

In other words, this wouldnt work for me. Hahaa.

I've had roommates like this and it was awesome. I would forget they even existed except when it came tome for them to write out checks for rent/ bills. it was like they were semi-strangers subsidizing my life in the city.

While I can't imagine living like this now, it could be a good transition for new grads starting out.

[cville]

This is or was essentially the situation of several people I know in HCOL cities in the sense that they'll rent a 3/1 apartment and use roommate finder services or end up with 1 person they know and then the friend of a friend of a friend in the other rooms. At least this way they'll not have to quibble over splitting utilities or who owes who for 25% or the cost of the joint funded couch.

I'd hate it, but I can see how for many this is either no mental leap at all or even appealing.

[Velar Fricative]

Mar 5, 2018 12:00:34 GMT -5 cville said:

This is or was essentially the situation of several people I know in HCOL cities in the sense that they'll rent a 3/1 apartment and use roommate finder services or end up with 1 person they know and then the friend of a friend of a friend in the other rooms. At least this way they'll not have to quibble over splitting utilities or who owes who for 25% or the cost of the joint funded couch.

I'd hate it, but I can see how for many this is either no mental leap at all or even appealing.

Or whose turn it is to clean the bathroom.

I grew up in apartments so sharing walls has never bothered me (and we still share walls since we're in a townhouse), plus not having to deal with certain chores and maintenance duties might be appealing if I didn't have a spouse and kids. 

[2curlydogs]

God. No. NO NO no no no. Fuck having a roommate, sharing a bathroom, kitchen or other living space with people I have not been willingly legally bound to or have birthed.

I HATED dorms. They were the fucking worst. The second I could I got myself a single room with private bathroom. And even then, I hustled my ass into a studio apartment the next year.

[hocus2]

I think is makes a certain amount of sense if very high cost of living cities with a lot of single folks. Folks are doing this informally now by getting larger apartments and sharing so not having as much risk if someone moves out seems logical on some level. A shared bathroom might be a hill to die on for some folks but clearly others are willing to live with it given the advantages.

NYC has set up similar to this though they are fairly established and not part of on going gentrification .

websterapartments.org/amenities/
www.92y.org/residence/faq

[ESF]

Mar 5, 2018 11:07:39 GMT -5 Velar Fricative said:

I'm not super familiar with SF but since it said at least one of the dorms is in the Tenderloin section, I won't be surprised if this is just another gentrification project but wrapped up in a prettier bow. I am all for having a lot of choices of living arrangements to choose from, and I know SF needs more options to house its legit middle-class, working-class and poor residents, but the answer isn't to push even poorer people out of one of the few neighborhoods they have access to. But I also can't sit here and say I know exactly what the solution is, so I guess I should shut up.

If I'm wrong about this particular neighborhood, someone from the area please correct me.

You are not wrong that many poor people live in the Tenderloin, but this isn't exactly right either because poor people have already been pushed out. SF's housing problem is so severe that a family of four making $100k qualifies for a housing subsidy.  To the extent there are poor people still living in the Tenderloin, it's largely because they've been there for a million years in a rent controlled apartment and because there's buildings there operated by the city, affordable housing groups, etc. The only way the poor can continue to live there is if more charitable or public funds become available to buy and operate housing for the poor. That money just isn't there. It is such a god damn mess.

The big advantage I can see in this kind of structure is that it's a very efficient style of living. They can probably house a lot more people in a structure like this than they would if it stayed as normal apartments.  There are many reasons for SF's housing crisis, but one of them is that it's very difficult to build new buildings for various reasons, so there's an almost fixed amount of space. If you can't build new and taller buildings, then the next best thing is to find ways to fit more people in the existing space you have.

[Velar Fricative]

Mar 5, 2018 12:12:51 GMT -5 ESF said:

Mar 5, 2018 11:07:39 GMT -5 Velar Fricative said:

I'm not super familiar with SF but since it said at least one of the dorms is in the Tenderloin section, I won't be surprised if this is just another gentrification project but wrapped up in a prettier bow. I am all for having a lot of choices of living arrangements to choose from, and I know SF needs more options to house its legit middle-class, working-class and poor residents, but the answer isn't to push even poorer people out of one of the few neighborhoods they have access to. But I also can't sit here and say I know exactly what the solution is, so I guess I should shut up.

If I'm wrong about this particular neighborhood, someone from the area please correct me.

You are not wrong that many poor people live in the Tenderloin, but this isn't exactly right either because poor people have already been pushed out. SF's housing problem is so severe that a family of four making $100k qualifies for a housing subsidy.  To the extent there are poor people still living in the Tenderloin, it's largely because they've been there for a million years in a rent controlled apartment and because there's buildings there operated by the city, affordable housing groups, etc. The only way the poor can continue to live there is if more charitable or public funds become available to buy and operate housing for the poor. That money just isn't there. It is such a god damn mess.

The big advantage I can see in this kind of structure is that it's a very efficient style of living. They can probably house a lot more people in a structure like this than they would if it stayed as normal apartments.  There are many reasons for SF's housing crisis, but one of them is that it's very difficult to build new buildings for various reasons, so there's an almost fixed amount of space. If you can't build new and taller buildings, then the next best thing is to find ways to fit more people in the existing space you have.

Thanks, I knew you'd chime in!

[Aloe Vera]

I like this idea. I would have totally moved to a place like that after my divorce.

[Velar Fricative]

Mar 5, 2018 12:10:53 GMT -5 hocus2 said:

I think is makes a certain amount of sense if very high cost of living cities with a lot of single folks. Folks are doing this informally now by getting larger apartments and sharing so not having as much risk if someone moves out seems logical on some level. A shared bathroom might be a hill to die on for some folks but clearly others are willing to live with it given the advantages.

NYC has set up similar to this though they are fairly established and not part of on going gentrification .

websterapartments.org/amenities/
www.92y.org/residence/faq

My first job out of college was in the admissions office of a non-university-affiliated dormitory in Manhattan with similar setups. I just checked the current monthly rents since I last worked there 12+ years ago, and while they've gone up considerably since then, the rents are still lower than elsewhere and you get a lot more out of it in terms of programming, activities, services, etc. 

But, you have to be a graduate student or an intern to live there, hence the admissions office. So it was primarily for people who weren't so far removed from the dorm life experience anyway, unlike this example in SF where it notes that many age groups are represented along with many divorcees.

[juliej]

Before I was married, I would have loved a place like this. I love the efficiency of it - it feels very "starter lifestyle" in that lots of things are taken care of for you, especially things that would give me anxiety in a new place on my own. I don't need to have built-in BFFs, but I do better with other people around.

[sent]

I would have done something like this in my 20s. I wanted the big city life but it was so hard to make new friends to enjoy it with. I paid for a studio or 1 bedroom apartment to have a kitchen/living room I barely used. All the friends I had from school were 400 miles away, many married and settled by age 26 or before. And my profession had no way to meet and connect with others through work so making new friends required a lot of effort. I did definitely enjoy not having to share a bathroom, but I probably could have gotten over the bathroom sharing for all the other social benefits from living in a dorm.

[formerlyak]

I dated a guy after my divorce who was a musician here in LA and lived in a similar set up that was for artists only (all types - visual and performing). The goal of the building was not only to provide affordable housing for artists, but to give them space where they could collaborate with other artists. He loved it. He moved out when he got married, but when he was single it was a great set up for him.

[StrawberryBlondie]

I can see how this would be appealing for certain types of people in certain types of jobs, but this would make me want to kill myself. I sometimes think we need a 3rd bathroom here. And there are only 3 of us.

[cookiemdough]

1. There is no way in hell I would pay over a $1400 and not even have a toilet

2. $130 per week to clean an apartment that has no toilet is asinine.

3. This will not help with friendships. People used to converse in apartment buildings or with their neighbors in neighborhoods. And now they don’t. Thinking you will strike up a friendship with the person making you late in the morning because they are hogging up the bathroom you have to share is a pipe dream.

4. This just shows how little we now expect out of life. The wealth divide is real.

[jigsy]

I dig this idea. It isn't going to solve the housing crisis, but it might help. If people (I imagine the single crowd) move into set ups like this, it would make standard apartments more available for families.

I wouldn't mind this set up (though I would pay the extra for a private bath, lol). As a single person, I feel like it would be a nice way to meet other people as well - better than swiping on apps at least. And I think figuring out a way to re-introduce the idea of community is great. Last week, a girl who lived in my building may have been murdered (cause is still under investigation), and since then, I have talked to 5 of my neighbors. I have lived in my apartment for 2 years and this is the first time I am speaking to any of these people - I wish it were under more pleasant circumstances, so I think this set up is kind of a great idea.

I don't think it would be for everyone, but in HCOL cities where most people are living with roommates anyways, heck yeah, lets help them build a community too.

[cookiemdough]

Mar 5, 2018 12:46:20 GMT -5 jigsy said:

I dig this idea. It isn't going to solve the housing crisis, but it might help. If people (I imagine the single crowd) move into set ups like this, it would make standard apartments more available for families.

I wouldn't mind this set up (though I would pay the extra for a private bath, lol). As a single person, I feel like it would be a nice way to meet other people as well - better than swiping on apps at least. And I think figuring out a way to re-introduce the idea of community is great. Last week, a girl who lived in my building may have been murdered (cause is still under investigation), and since then, I have talked to 5 of my neighbors. I have lived in my apartment for 2 years and this is the first time I am speaking to any of these people - I wish it were under more pleasant circumstances, so I think this set up is kind of a great idea.

I don't think it would be for everyone, but in HCOL cities where most people are living with roommates anyways, heck yeah, lets help them build a community too.

The key here is that someone died before talking to your neighbors. Why do you think this set up would change that dynamic. It is an American culture shift that we prefer to interact on social media than with the person right in front of us.

[Deleted]

Mar 5, 2018 12:49:46 GMT -5 cookiemdough said:

Mar 5, 2018 12:46:20 GMT -5 jigsy said:

I dig this idea. It isn't going to solve the housing crisis, but it might help. If people (I imagine the single crowd) move into set ups like this, it would make standard apartments more available for families.

I wouldn't mind this set up (though I would pay the extra for a private bath, lol). As a single person, I feel like it would be a nice way to meet other people as well - better than swiping on apps at least. And I think figuring out a way to re-introduce the idea of community is great. Last week, a girl who lived in my building may have been murdered (cause is still under investigation), and since then, I have talked to 5 of my neighbors. I have lived in my apartment for 2 years and this is the first time I am speaking to any of these people - I wish it were under more pleasant circumstances, so I think this set up is kind of a great idea.

I don't think it would be for everyone, but in HCOL cities where most people are living with roommates anyways, heck yeah, lets help them build a community too.

The key here is that someone died before talking to your neighbors. Why do you think this set up would change that dynamic. It is an American culture shift that we prefer to interact on social media than with the person right in front of us.

I think a dorm setup would make me LESS likely to want to interact with my neighbors. I live in an apartment right now, and despite being a normally social person, I despise most of my interactions with my neighbors. I have to pretend to be pleasant to their dogs even though they let the dogs immediately outside the building entrance and let them off their leashes in the lobby. Some asshole parked in my space one Friday night, and it was a two-hour ordeal to get them ticketed, so then of course I'm wondering which of my asshole neighbors let their friend park in my space. Our previous next door neighbors had a loud sleepover party (seriously, WTF) the night we brought our baby home. People constantly leave garbage in the elevators. And the hallways constantly reek of stank weed because apparently nobody has ever heard of edibles.

I can't imagine this kind of stuff AND having to share a bathroom with these people.

I think I'd be a nicer neighbor with my own walls and garage and yard. I'm starting to understand the concept of good fences make good neighbors.

[penguingrrl]

Mar 5, 2018 12:46:20 GMT -5 jigsy said:

I dig this idea. It isn't going to solve the housing crisis, but it might help. If people (I imagine the single crowd) move into set ups like this, it would make standard apartments more available for families.

I wouldn't mind this set up (though I would pay the extra for a private bath, lol). As a single person, I feel like it would be a nice way to meet other people as well - better than swiping on apps at least. And I think figuring out a way to re-introduce the idea of community is great. Last week, a girl who lived in my building may have been murdered (cause is still under investigation), and since then, I have talked to 5 of my neighbors. I have lived in my apartment for 2 years and this is the first time I am speaking to any of these people - I wish it were under more pleasant circumstances, so I think this set up is kind of a great idea.

I don't think it would be for everyone, but in HCOL cities where most people are living with roommates anyways, heck yeah, lets help them build a community too.

I never made a single friend living in the dorms. I made tons of friends in college, and ended up living with a few for the last few years (in an on campus apartment), but barely tolerated the people I lived in such tight shared quarters with.

But now I know my neighbors on all sides, and talk to them often.