I moved to NYC at 22 and lived with a 70-year-old roommate. She had rules, meals, and a busier social life than me.
A 22-year-old recent college graduate shares his positive experience living with a 70-year-old roommate in New York City. Despite the significant age gap, he found the arrangement to be a practical and successful solution to his short-term housing needs.
Why it matters
It highlights creative solutions to the ongoing urban housing crisis and challenges stereotypes about intergenerational living.
William Swanson. Courtesy of William Swanson William Swanson, 22, moved to New York and needed to find a short-term rental. After scouring the internet, he found a listing on SpareRoom from a 70-year-old woman. Swanson moved in with her and found that despite their age difference, she was the perfect roommate. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with William Swanson, a 22-year-old working in medical sales who moved to New York in June. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity. I had just graduated from college and was moving from Massachusetts to New York for a job starting in June. I planned to get an apartment with friends, but they wouldn't arrive in the city until the end of July.
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