Moving in and out might be an exciting experience but it’s also tiresome, and when it is in New York City, that experience can turn into a real brainteaser. As the average rent in the city keeps rocketing, so does the number of people living with roommates.
The hunt for the right roommate is all the more difficult considering the appalling high number of lunatics haunting New York’s streets. But the cost of living being rather expensive, sharing the rent with someone else is always worth considering, especially if you’re young and single or if you have enough space to do so. And what if this someone else could turn out to be friendly?
However, to avoid ending up dreaming about murders and ways to fake an accidental death, take some time to choose the right person and play the detective. Ask every questions you could think of and most importantly trust your gut - if you feel like there’s a red flag underlying somewhere just don’t go there. In this sort of situation, instinct is seldom wrong. Hopefully you are not alone in this nightmare search and technology remains the best of tools to start the journey. Craigslist is often the first thing that comes to mind, but it has its fair share of nutties.
Many website have then come up with original ideas to master the art of the roommate hunt and make your experience a bit easier. Most will agree that the best way to get to know someone is probably to have a little chat over a good beer. Well, that’s exactly what roommateswantednyc.com has imagined. With about seven meetups each month in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens, a fun and informal way to find your next lodging companion.
Roomiematch and Roomster appear to be two reliable and serious websites, asking their users personal information to ensure the future match will be a success. The first one uses a processor to screen its subscribers and then emails you the potential matches it has come up with. With the second one though, you have to do the search on your own, but the subscribers are asked to get specific about their expectations and their hopes, as well as their own interest and personality. Sometimes if you want something done, it’s always better done by yourself.
Now we’ve saved the best for last with the newly launched app Roommates, developed by Apartment List, a rental real estate search engine start up. The app connects to your Facebook profile in order to screen your tastes, friends, interests, living styles, etc. Once you’ve notified the app your preferences such as your target neighborhood and prices range it will then alert you for potential matches and suggest you to facebook friend your roomie-to-be. The New York app should be launched before the end of the year.
Its founder, John Kobs explains: “As it is now, there's so much competition. You'll see a crowd on the street on a weekend morning in San Francisco and it's not some hot new restaurant -- it's an open house.” That is why he further commented that his hope was to simplify the roommate hunt and have renters connect with people who would actually be compatible, not just some practical strangers.
We cannot help but to remark that by using users’ facebook profile, Roommates takes a lot after Tinder, the dating app. What if such perfect roommate match could also turn to be your perfect soulmate? Wouldn’t it be convenient? Whether roomie turns into sweetie or not, good luck to all, August and September are busy apartment turnover months.
