New York City is one of the costliest cities in the world, and many renters are forced to rent apartments smaller than 100 square feet just to have a roof over their heads.
According to a 2026 report, the median rent in Manhattan, the most expensive of the five boroughs, reached an all-time high of $5,295 per month in June.
Amid these bleak rental market circumstances, one New Yorker shared a video of his “tiny, micro-apartment” with his 50,000 TikTok followers, sparking a wave of concerned comments.
Highlights
- An aspiring artist recently shared what the inside of his 90-square-foot New York City apartment looks like.
- Several netizens were deeply concerned about his living condition, with many comparing his apartment to a “jail cell.”
- According to a report, New York City rents rose 8% in 2026, with studio apartments renting for over $4,000.
“My cat’s litter box room is bigger than this grown adult's urban prison cell,” one person said.
The aspiring theater artist’s 90-square-foot apartment doesn’t even have its own bathroom
In August 2026, James Densley, a New York City-based aspiring musical theater writer, offered an inside look at his apartment in Manhattan’s Theater District near Hell’s Kitchen that costs him $1,700 per month.
The video begins with him entering his 90-square-foot rental and giving a brief tour of the apartment, which has a bunk bed setup on the right, with the lower berth replaced by a two-seater couch and a storage shelf with cubbies.
This area also doubles as James’ workstation, where he keeps his recording gear and works on his composition projects.
On the left is his kitchen, which comes with a one-burner induction cooktop, a mini fridge, a sink, and a cabinet with a microwave. Next to the kitchen stands the wardrobe with his clothes hanging from the holder.
The apartment is also equipped with a storage loft and a remote-controlled air-conditioner, and an LED strip light for “mood lighting,” James said. A mirror stands directly opposite the doorway.
The view from the apartment’s window opens to its fire escape and the facade of the adjacent building, which James jokingly labeled as his “favorite thing” about his home.
However, the one vital thing missing from the apartment is a bathroom, and James explained the situation halfway through the video: “Every floor has three bathrooms, and all the apartments share them. Fun!”
In a follow-up video addressing netizens’ concerns, he explained that he has a bathroom four steps from his door, the building’s management company handles cleaning and maintenance, and he has never had to use a “gross or dirty” bathroom so far.
James’ wife and kids live a short flight away as a “sacrifice” for his dreams
Despite his cramped living conditions, James clarified that he was more than glad to be where he was.
“I want to be clear: I am very grateful for this,” he said. “So many people believed in me, helped me, pushed me, and financially supported me so I could get to New York City, and now I’m here. What more could I want as an aspiring musical theater writer?”
To prove his point, James said that the day he moved into this apartment, he met Grammy-winning artist Christopher Jackson, who played George Washington in the blockbuster Broadway musical Hamilton, on the stoop of his apartment.
He also mentioned that he was married with two kids, and his family was living in the same time zone as him, but he refused to reveal further details to preserve their privacy.
“They’re living in a place where flights are short and cheap, and I’m going to be flying back and forth as frequently as I can,” he said.
“We couldn’t afford to find a place to fit our family of four. So, this is a sacrifice that our whole family is making.”
He added that his wife and children are “very supportive” of his goals.
James ended the video saying he was excited to start working and his classes at Berklee NYC, the New York campus of the historic Berklee College of Music, which is 10 minutes away from his residence.
Netizens compared James’ apartment to a “glorified prison cell”
The comment section was divided over the size and the amenities of James’ New York City apartment. While some outright blasted him for even calling it an “apartment,” others showed understanding and support.
“I’m convinced NYC is a humiliation ritual,” one said. Another wrote, “I'm literally getting claustrophobic watching this.”
“This literally should be illegal. Shame on New York for allowing this to happen, shame on the United States,” said a third.
Many people compared the apartment to a “jail cell,” and James responded to some of them.
“It’s actually not jail at all. What a weird comparison,” he said to one. “Except it’s not though,” he wrote back to another user who called it “depressing.”
“Living the dream kid. You have an apartment in NYC. The real work starts now,” read one of the more positive comments.
“Awesome to see you’re chasing your dreams and doing what you want,” said a second.
Another one said, “I'm rooting for this guy to make it. He has a great attitude pursuing his dreams.”
Mayor Zohran Mamdani recently announced policies aimed at making living conditions in NYC more affordable
According to Mercer’s 2024 cost-of-living data, New York City is the most expensive place to live in North America, and stands at No. 7 in global rankings of costliest cities.
A June 2026 NYC Residential Rental Market Report by the Corcoran Group stated that New York City rent prices rose 8% annually this year, with studio and one-bedroom apartments reaching $4,014 and $5,408, respectively.
Two- and three-bedroom rents have also continued to rise, with both categories posting annual spikes of 10%.
Surveys have shown that the amount of floor space renters can afford at a given price keeps shrinking each year.
In 2024, a reel by social media realtor Omer Labock of Douglas Elliman went viral for showing the “tiniest” apartment in NYC. The one-room rental, where Labock could stand in the middle and touch both walls with his arms spread out, rented for $1,200 at the time.
In 2025, Mayor Zohran Mamdani ran his campaign centrally on making NYC more affordable, and has delivered a rent freeze for roughly 1 million rent-stabilized apartments since taking office in January 2026.
In May, he announced a $22 billion Block by Block project, aiming to build 200,000 new affordable homes and preserve 200,000 more, according to the official release.
In July, his administration released the Rental Ripoff Report, a package of 23 rental policy actions shaped by testimony from thousands of New Yorkers.
"$1,700 for a closet is crazy." Netizens were shocked over aspiring artist's 90-square-foot NYC apartment
