Who knew New Yorkers would dig communal living? Evidently, they do.
Based on previously successful projects in Crown Heights, co-living company Common has announced it will open another communal building this spring — this time in Williamsburg. The Havemeyer is a new development property that will offer 51 bedrooms in 12 suite settings across 20,000 square feet. The location is at 248 South 3rd Street in Brooklyn on the corner of Havemeyer and South 3rd Street. Rents for bedrooms will range from $1,800 to $2,700.
The Havemeyer is the third co-living housing development from Common, which has brought similar projects to Crown Heights with the Albany and Pacific buildings. However, unlike those two homes, the Havemeyer is a completely new building and will be the biggest project from this group — so far. Common partnered with Paul Henry of Henry Development to design this co-living property.
Common said it has 31 “members” living in those first two buildings, so this new home will more than double the units available to renters willing to sacrifice private bathrooms and bedrooms in order to gain a private bedroom at affordable prices. The process for getting qualified takes a lot of the hassle out of renting in NYC, especially for people who can barely afford a studio.
Like the other properties, Common will manage all aspects of the shared spaces at Havemeyer, so that residents are not squabbling — or worse — over dirty dishes or empty toilet paper rolls.
“Since opening our first home in October, our members have taken our initial concept of community and run with it. In addition to our weekly potluck dinners, Common residents have organized a book club, movie nights, and even a hackathon. The Common experience has been extraordinarily well-received, with 100 percent of our 31 members saying that they would recommend us to a friend. With the successes and learnings of our first two homes, we’re doubling down on our vision of building a newer, friendlier way of living,’’ Common said in its release this week.
Common was founded by Brad Hargreaves, who also co-founded General Assembly, an innovative business program that basically condenses and compresses business learnings so eager biz types can skip long hours and high costs of an MBA program and be able to hit the ground running in the tech and digital space. Evidently, Hargreaves is on an innovation tear.
Since opening the first two properties last year, Hargreaves has said the model and expectations for the buildings has evolved to meet the demands of tenants. Tenants are eager to decorate their own spaces and plan their own shared living experiences. More interesting, however, is that tenants are less transient than originally expected. Tenants are looking to stay long-term in these shared homes, suggesting that the experimental nature of the Common living experience is proving comfortable.
Meanwhile, Common says the Havemeyer will feature Casper mattresses, Parachute sheets, weekly cleaning services and shared kitchen and bathroom supplies. The rent prices for the two Crown Heights buildings average about $1,600. The Havemeyer rent will be about $1,800 for a bedroom. Bedrooms for couples will also be featured for the first time at Havemeyer, priced higher.
Common homes are divided into suites, which range from two to five bedrooms. Within a suite, there are shared spaces, including, but not limited to kitchens, bathrooms, couches and coffee tables, breakfast nooks, and storage space.
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