'You'll never guess the price': People React to Outrageous Rent of New York City Studio Apartment

Author image for Ada Elder
Ada Elder
Mar 9, 2023 1:00 PM EST

As someone who has lived in New York City for my entire life, I am used to the rent being ridiculous. But that doesn't mean I'm cool with it. Every time I move it's to another tenement-like apartment and farther from "civilization." It's frustrating, as a native, to be pushed out of your own neighborhood. But this is where the jobs are, and where my friends and family are, so I deal with it. 

Lately, I've been hearing that it's actually cheaper to live in Manhattan than Brooklyn - a claim I can only respond to with a skeptically raised eyebrow. "Try the Upper East Side," they say. They even have the audacity to suggest living in Midtown, a neighborhood that feels completely devoid of culture - unless you're a finance bro who enjoys being surrounded by other fleece vest-wearing finance bros. And thanks to a studio apartment walkthrough that went viral on Twitter recently, I now have proof that Manhattan is not a place to go if you're looking for a reasonably-priced home. 

Twitter user @JoshuaPHill shared the mind-boggling TikTok on March 7th, paired with the caption "You'll never guess the price at the end of this. It's outrageous." And he wasn't joking. After a quick walkthrough (in which the narrator emphasizes how small the studio is), the price is revealed $3,700 a month for a 250-square-foot closet. Renovated or not, that's way more than most people make in a month. Completely ridiculous, and wholly unsustainable. As per usual, the people of Twitter were not afraid to share their thoughts on the absurdity. And we have to agree with them. In the words of a legend, "The rent is too damn high!" 

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    There was a problem rendering this video - it may have been deleted.
    via Read Jackson Rising by @CooperationJXN
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    Font - Read Jackson Rising by @Cooperatio... @JoshuaPHilll At least I hope you can't guess lol. Maybe some new yorkers or people who pay too much for housing got it, but $3,700 for like 250 square feet is wild. This should not be a thing. 10:16 PM 3/7/23 - 108K Views . 36 Retweets 1 Quote 2,136 Likes
    via @JoshuaPHill
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    Tap - only. Guy Fieddy @lxcarruth The depth of the sink on top of the dishwasher doesn't sit right with me G it's a really nice apartment but again it is 00:04/00:25
    via @JoshuaPHill
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    Font - Brandon+ (no ads) $69/month @wasthereafire Me: Omg that's actually pretty nice, full in-unit bathroom, functional kitchen - Him: $3700/month Me: Oh this garbage is unlivable 10:39 PM 3/7/23 - 24.1K Views 15 Retweets 1,706 Likes
    via @JoshuaPHill
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    Font - Katherine M @katherine2pt0 recently renovated as in they cut an apartment in half to make 2 apartments, right? 10:34 PM 3/7/23 · 36K Views . 10 Retweets 1,140 Likes
    via @JoshuaPHill
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    Font - Merlin - End Drone Warfare Gramercy + elevator + laundry • 18h That number is surprisingly unsurprising living in tri-state area. 3 27 108 ilıl 47.3K Steve @heisenberg6.... 18h Wait an elevator is considered a perk? Here it's expected. Sounds like hell with those prices. Here that rent would pay a 700k mortgage. Which would buy a 4500sqft custom home. 13 271 121 ↑ il₁43.7K ↑
    via @JoshuaPHill
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    Font - Maestro Fluger (he/him) + @nfluger Just stop drinking Starbucks, right? 10:13 PM 3/7/23 - 29K Views . 7 Retweets 514 Likes
    via @JoshuaPHill
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    Font - ed Epic Duskk @EpicDuskk-11h What infuriates me the most is that is actually a really cute fucking place. Like I would absolutely love to live in a tiny apartment like that, but why the fuck does it cost almost 4k a month?!?! For fucking what?! 2 27 36 ılı 12.9K Bradley @mustyoshi. 7h Because you are just one of millions of people who would also love to live there. Supply and demand. 1 271 27 ↑ ₁10.9K 企
    via @JoshuaPHill
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    Font - Maybe: The LOYL @Shleiluv I've seen enough of these that I was pleasantly surprised to see a full bathroom in the actual apartment 8:20 AM 3/8/23 2,862 Views 23 Likes ●
    via @JoshuaPHill
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    Jaw - Gregor FAFSA @acid_communist yeah but you're really close to the uhhhh 7-11 on lexington av at that location.... 10:42 PM 3/7/23 12K Views ● 3 Retweets 60 Likes
    via @JoshuaPHill
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    Product - MONGOOSE @kentucking as soon as i saw it i knew it was nyc and automatically assumed it would be 5k. better than expected, actually. 10:19 PM - 3/7/23 23.2K Views 1 Retweet 239 Likes 口 ↑ MONGOOSE @kentucking 19h that being said, costs of living in nyc are absolutely ridiculous and that apartment's rent is 3x what i even make in a month. so that's fun. 27 27 37 ₁4,535 ↑
    via @JoshuaPHill
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    Font - mrq02 @mrq02 Technically rent's only $3700 if someone who can afford to pay $3700. Otherwise it stays empty and earns $0 a month. 11:17 PM 3/7/23 5,806 Views 89 Likes . ● they can find
    via @JoshuaPHill
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    Font - i retweet a lot (everything) @YungCadillac I wouldn't pay more than like $500 a month for that amount of space, and even that sounds like a lot. 10:29 PM 3/7/23 - 12.1K Views 40 Likes .
    via @JoshuaPHill
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    Smile - DeQuan Watson → @powrdragn What's wild thing is that you could get into a 500K-600K home (depending on interest rate) and have some money left over every month. 10:44 PM 3/7/23 · 54.3K Views ●
    via @JoshuaPHill
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    Font - Lee Pierce @LeePierceFilm That entire studio is the size of my living room. No wonder New Yorkers are always angry- they live in shoe boxes that cost the same as mansions in the Midwest. 11:01 PM 3/7/23 9,586 Views . ● 2 Retweets 48 Likes
    via @JoshuaPHill
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    Product - Dulcet Tone @DulcetTone woah! This countertop has been completely redone. it's a really nice apartment but again it is super small
    via @JoshuaPHill

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twitter nyc wtf studio-apartments rent renting-in-new-york-city real estate expensive rental-apartments money Video new york city
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