The Webster Apartments aspect of the article reminded me that a guy, too, had to find a place to lay his head upon arriving in New York City, and the search was not easy. That's how I ended up at the Sloane House YMCA, a block or so east of the Webster ApartmentsI came from Scandinavia, by way of ship from England (cheap youth fare), as a transfer student to Columbia. I had three immediate needs: to meet a sibling who was coming to New York from New England; to call my father 400 miles west of NYC and arrange some financial assistance for the fall semester (he was “thrilled”...to hear my pleas, and didn’t fail me); and find a place to stay. For three weeks I went from the Sloane House to classes at 116th and Broadway by subway (the ride was a daily baptism by fire in a crumbling system), then to the off-campus housing office at Columbia, and back to W. 34th. Luck was with me, though, I found a share with two grad students several blocks up Broadway in a half-decent building. The apt. was rent controlled, and my share of the $225 rent was $75/month (no typo here). One roommate eventually took over the apt with his partner...and is probably still there years later.

The Webster Apartments aspect of the article reminded me that a guy, too, had to find a place to lay his head upon arriving in New York City, and the search was not easy. That's how I ended up at the Sloane House YMCA, a block or so east of the Webster ApartmentsI came from Scandinavia, by way of ship from England (cheap youth fare), as a transfer student to Columbia. I had three immediate needs: to meet a sibling who was coming to New York from New England; to call my father 400 miles west of NYC and arrange some financial assistance for the fall semester (he was “thrilled”...to hear my pleas, and didn’t fail me); and find a place to stay. For three weeks I went from the Sloane House to classes at 116th and Broadway by subway (the ride was a daily baptism by fire in a crumbling system), then to the off-campus housing office at Columbia, and back to W. 34th. Luck was with me, though, I found a share with two grad students several blocks up Broadway in a half-decent building. The apt. was rent controlled, and my share of the $225 rent was $75/month (no typo here). One roommate eventually took over the apt with his partner...and is probably still there years later.

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