Living in New York City has always been known to be expensive, but one TikTok user and her partner recently experienced just how outrageous it can get. In a viral video, Ally Shapiro shared the details of their “modestly priced” one-bedroom apartment in the East Village, which is now being rented for a whopping $7,050 per month.
The video tour revealed a narrow kitchen with only a few cabinets, a decent-sized living room, a single bedroom with minimal space, and a closet that was barely sufficient for two people. Commenters agreed that while the unit was nice, it was certainly not worth over $7,000 a month. Many wondered if there were amenities that justified the high price, but Ally explained that the building only offered a gym and rooftop access, which she had in her previous apartment in Washington, DC for only $1,500 a month.
BuzzFeed tracked down the exact listing on Street Easy and discovered that the rent for the unit had skyrocketed from $5,950 to $7,050 between 2021 and 2023. Even the minimum payment of $4,524 felt like a stretch, although Zumper reports that $4,313 is the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in New York City.
Despite these averages, Ally and her partner were priced out of the building. “Once it hit $7,000 for a one-bedroom, I knew we were just being taken advantage of,” Ally said. “To be paying so much money and not be comfortable in my own home wasn’t worth it.”
Viewers of the video also expressed their disbelief at the exorbitant prices. Some mentioned that they pay much less for larger apartments in their own countries, while others compared the New York prices to their own experiences in different parts of the US. It is disheartening to see prices rise to the point where many people can no longer afford to live in their own city, Ally added.
Rent prices have been increasing throughout the US in the past year, with some places experiencing jumps of nearly 30%. If you have been affected by these rising prices, feel free to share your experiences in the comments.
