How coliving is combatting urban loneliness

With a population of over 8 million people, you might think it’s easy to meet people in New York. But unfortunately, it’s not that simple. Urban isolation and loneliness is a growing issue in the United States. According to a 2018 survey, more than two in ten adults in the US (22%) say they always or often feel lonely, lack companionship, or feel left out or isolated, and a recent Cigna survey revealed over half of Americans (54%) said they always or sometimes feel that no one knows them well. That’s pretty sad.

What’s more, former US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy says that loneliness can lead to increased risks of a whole host of mental and physical diseases and is as damaging as smoking fifteen cigarettes a day. So although you might not find yourself wanting to rent a cat or a cuddle to cheer yourself up on those long winter nights (which is the new trend in Tokyo’s ‘affection industries’), you might be struck by the loneliness of your move to the next new city.

So, where is this problem coming from? Urban loneliness has most often been linked to living alone. And Manhattan has one of the highest percentages of people living alone in the world, with two-thirds­ of people living by themselves (the national average in 1920 used to be 5%). The hard part is that if you live on your own, most people in big cities already have a group of friends which can be impossible to break into. The majority of New Yorkers seem to have pre-existing high school, college or work friends who they see and interact with almost exclusively. Sure, it would be great if you can find other people who are new to the city, but where do you find them? And wouldn't you benefit from the knowhow of people who have lived there longer?

You can meet someone at an event or a bar and hit it off but then never hear from them again because in a big city, there’s no accountability. We all know how easy it is to avoid someone with 8 million other people floating around. Roommates seem like the answer, but more and more often you’ll find descriptions on apartment sharing websites that say the roommates "keep to themselves" or are "always out" and are looking for other people to live with who won’t "disturb" them.

That’s the beautiful thing about coliving. At Outpost, we’re upfront about our aim to build a community in our houses, and although members don’t have to take part in anything if they don’t feel like it, you know from the start that you’re going to be living with other people who want to make new friends just like you.

Our range of events, communal spaces and co-working areas are all designed to tackle loneliness and get meaningful conversations flowing. Sociologist Eric Klinenberg wrote in 2012 that, “research shows that it’s the quality, not the quantity of social interactions that best predicts loneliness.” 

So if you’re barely home, busy or introverted, it doesn’t mean you have to be lonely. Whether you hang out in one of our communal areas, cook a potluck dinner with your roommates in the kitchen or simply catch your roommate before you both go to sleep, the opportunity to get talking in coliving is always there if you want it. With coliving there’s always someone to come home to, have a beer or a pizza with, and moan about your day.