Why coliving is better than college dorms this autumn

So, college is coming up and you’re wondering where you’re going to live. A dorm might be the first option that comes to mind, but in New York City, there are plenty of other ways to live. Coliving is a new way of living that has become extremely popular in New York -- and for good reason. Read on to find out why you should consider co-living this autumn semester.

1. It’s more flexible

With a college dorm, you either sign up for the entire year or not at all. That’s a big commitment and a gamble that you’ll like the neighborhood, your roommates, and dorm life in general. With co-living, life is more flexible. At Outpost, our minimum contract period is only a month, which you can extend once you’re sure you like us. What’s even better is that with our gold membership, you can sign up for the entire semester or year and still have the freedom to move between any of our eleven houses in New York (and even our houses in San Francisco for vacations) at any time, which means you can change neighborhoods or roommates if you’re unhappy or simply want to try something new.

2. It’s more affordable

College dorms can vary in price, but what co-living offers is a completely all inclusive rate, with all the things you didn’t even know you needed provided for you. When you first move into a college dorm, start-up costs can really catch you off guard. Buying hangers, bedding, toiletries and seasonings are all hidden costs that can really add up on a student budget. When you move into Outpost, everything’s included. You kitchen comes filled with everything from cutlery to cooking equipment, paper towels to a coffee maker. Your bathroom will be decked out and regularly re-stocked with soap, shampoo, toilet paper and even a hairdryer. We even have co-working spaces with printers and regularly re-stocked ink.

Your bedroom will be move-in ready, with a memory foam mattress and pillow, extension cords to your bedside, shelving, hooks, hangers and even bed linens and a towel, so all you need to bring is your suitcase. 

3. It’s cleaner 

You may have heard the horror stories about communal floor bathrooms and kitchens in college dorms, particularly Freshman dorms. The rumors are true. Dorm bathrooms are often shared between a large number of people and may not be cleaned regularly--so much so that it’s common practice for students to wear flip-flops in the shower in order to avoid fungal infections. At Outpost, we have plenty of bathrooms and always at least one kitchen located within your private, shared apartment. These are cleaned weekly by our in-house cleaning team, who even re-stock everything from toilet paper to salt, so you’ll never have to worry about waiting in line or trying to find a clean mug again.

4. You’ll meet a wider variety of people 

College dorms are often populated with 18 year olds, running around in togas, studying similar things. There’s nothing wrong with that, but co-living allows you to get out of this bubble. At Outpost, you’ll meet a variety of people from all over the world, of all ages and occupations. Graduate students in particular will find relief from the typical frat house culture of college dorms and almost all students agree it’s nice to have roommates who can connect you back to the real world. Outpost holds regular community events to help you meet people both people in your own house and in other houses, so there’s a wide choice of things to do, from parties, to beach trips, to writing groups.

5. It feels more like home

Most college dorms haven’t been refurbished for several generations and almost all have an industrial, cold feel about them. At Outpost, all of our homes are newly renovated and we’ve worked with interior designers to create the most modern, comfortable spaces possible. There’s heat and air conditioning in every room, as well as state of the art appliances, hardwood floors and advanced security systems in common areas. There’s also more space to hang out than in your average dorm, as most of our houses have backyards or rooftops and every one has dedicated co-working space. We also provide laundry facilities on-site in every house (even if we can’t provide a parent who will do it for you…).