There's a room for rent in Brooklyn. Fully furnished, with big windows, a view of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway--and more than 50 housemates. "You either love it or you hate it," says Brad Hargreaves, founder and CEO of Common, the New York City-based startup behind this modern boarding house. He's talking about the room with the view of highway traffic, but he could also be talking about the concept behind his property-management company, which is trying to redefine how young adults live in cities.
Common is one of a handful of startups championing "co-living," a residential spin on co-working. Instead of renting a desk in a shared office, you get a bedroom in a shared house--and, Hargreaves hopes, an instant community of like-minded roomies. Residents tend to work in creative and high-tech fields--so if you're looking for a place to crash while building your startup, or need to recommend housing for new employees, consider the pros and cons of this new house-sharing option.
The houses
After its 2015 launch, Common has:
- 3 buildings in New York City's Brooklyn (one in Williamsburg, depicted here, and two in Crown Heights);
- 2 buildings in San Francisco's South of Market district; and
- 1 building scheduled to open by the end of 2016 in Washington, D.C.'s Shaw neighborhood.