People pay up to $2,700 a month to live with 27 roommates in a NYC townhouse — see inside

2024-04-09 20:38:04+00:00 - Scroll down for original article

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Cohabs may have fans in NYC, but it might need to tweak its model to expand across the US. Yaëlle De Vroey, who works for Cohabs and lives in one of the locations in Harlem, has the company's logo tattooed on her ankle. Maria Noyen/Business Insider Part of the reason Cohabs' attempt to enter the US market has been successful so far is because it began operations in NYC, Clark said. Many people moving to the city are younger and unmarried, the prime target audience for a coliving concept like Cohabs, Clark added. It's also a hub for international residents — many of whom move to NYC alone and seek a sense of belonging. But to replicate Cohabs' success elsewhere in the US, Clark said the company might have to consider tweaking the model to accommodate other aspects of American culture. "As we go into new markets where there's less and less of an international vibe, we're going to have to be more sensitive to what is more palatable to Americans in general," Clark said. One of the ways Cohabs is considering doing that is through smaller coliving spaces that more closely resemble a traditional housing model — spaces shared by six to eight people instead of nearly 30. In that way, "people can still get to know each other and form really strong bonds" without it being "overwhelming," Clark said. For several residents of the Harlem house, including De Vroey, the experience has been so positive that they've immortalized it with matching Cohabs-themed tattoos. It suits her in a way that a traditional roommate setup might not. "If you were in a smaller apartment or in a smaller house, you would want to get out," she said. But in the Harlem townhouse, equipped with its kitchens, lounges, and private bar, De Vroey said there aren't many excuses to leave. "I almost don't want to get out," she said.