Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Misc
Living the Starving Artist Life
By
Christina Piluso
Published Jan 12, 2007
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Christina Piluso
Published Jan 12, 2007
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
I'm writing on behalf of a special friend I met who is wanting to become a photographer in NYC. Well I have worked with her much and have landed her a few jobs, but how in the heck do you find a decent place to live on a "starving artist budget?" What if any links, resources, and/or advice would you be willing to share to help us find some low budget housing that is safe and friendly and will allow my friend to get on her feet with her new career.
Not only is that a struggle that every starving artist is facing, but also those who are just trying to pay the average housing cost in a city where rents are skyrocketing. As many of our friends and colleagues have had to do - get a day job and work on your art at night so you can pay the rent.
However, we did come across the Artist Help Network, which lists organizations in several cities that provide studio and housing space for artists. They also have a listing of books that may provide more suggestions. Because NYC is such a thriving artist city, we'd imagine that there would be a lot of competition for whatever low-cost artist housing would be out there. Fractured Atlas is a site dedicated to artists and arts organizations, and we were able to find some more suggestions there. However, the information in that particular thread had not been updated in two years. Their suggestion was to look for "80/20" buildings, which provide 20% of apartments in new luxury buildings available to low income tenants. This offers tax exemptions and certain zoning restrictions for the developers as an incentive.
As a starving artist, she would probably qualify for low-income housing. Information on NYC affordable housing can be found at the New York City Housing Authority. A lot of questions about NYC housing can also be found at the New York City Rent Guidelines Board. Another resource in general for artists in New York is the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA).
Our other suggestion? Move farther outside of Manhattan with a lot of roommates and your rent will get cheaper. Just be wary of the Craigslist scams. Anyone else have suggestions for surviving the city on a starving artist salary?
Photo by Terrance Fell
Tagged
advice
affordable housing
art
arts
As
ask gothamist
blogs
books
city
craigslist
friends
housing
housing authority
jobs
manhattan
new york
new york city
new york city housing authority
nyc
rent
rent guidelines board
salary
the city
Well I
Christina Piluso
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE miscellaneous
We visited 8 laundromats to talk about voting and elections. Here's what people had to say.
As we inch closer to Election Day in November, WNYC is turning some laundromats in the New York metro area into hubs of civic dialogue.
By
Jodi Malarbe
and
George Bodarky
Published Jun 23, 2024
Aging with Pride: LGBTQ+ older adults share their personal journeys
As we mark Pride month, LGBTQ+ older adults share their struggles, triumphs and advice for today’s generations.
By
George Bodarky
Misc
Aging with Pride: LGBTQ+ older adults share their personal journeys
As we mark Pride month, LGBTQ+ older adults share their struggles, triumphs and advice for today’s generations.
By
George Bodarky
Hands in the dirt: Meet some of NYC's community gardeners
By
Enrico Denard
and
George Bodarky
'In the very, very beginning, it was about 3 feet of garbage': How NYC’s first community garden got started
By
George Bodarky
Serving up BBQ ribs and a deep sense of community in the South Bronx since 1954
By
George Bodarky
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .