One Year Living in a Box

Oh the places you'll go...

42nd Street in NYC is one of the busiest streets in the whole city, maybe even in the entire country. Driving down 42nd you’ll pass Port Authority, Grand Central, Bryant Park, and an unassuming glass door between 5th and Madison. This door looks like it leads to an eyelash salon, but it leads to much more. If you enter the door, walk up a flight of stairs, ignore the entrance to the eyelash salon, open a small black door, walk up two more flights of stairs, unlock another door, and walk through the living room, you’ll end up in a box. A box that I called home for the last year. 

You may be asking yourself why I am referring to what’s obviously my bedroom as a box. Well, it has no windows. It’s a 7-foot by 10-foot box with a small closet tucked in the corner. No ventilation, no second exit, a box. 

Now you may be asking yourself why I would choose to live in a room without windows. My parents had that same question when I got the place. Well, honestly, I underestimated the effects of no windows. When looking for an apartment I thought it’d be fine given that many other New Yorkers also live in a box. But as I learned throughout the year, even if others do it, it is definitely not the most enjoyable way to live. 

For the first few months, it didn’t really bother me. I barely took notice that I was living in a box because most of the day I was out roaming the city. But then winter came, the city became cold, and I needed shelter. I found myself spending more time after work in my apartment, and thus without access to a window. During these winter nights, I’d read or watch TV on my couch. But as I sat there, I felt like something was missing. I wanted to be able to see the outside world. To be able to tell what time it was from something other than just my phone. Weirdly enough, I found this human instinct to want sunlight and fresh air. 

So I said screw it, even if it’s cold, I’m going to roam the city as I cannot spend all my evenings in a box. After work, I started traveling across the burrows to find cafes and indoor spaces where I could enjoy my leisure time while having access to a window and shelter from the cold. I remember fondly going to The Bean in East Village, grabbing a nice hot coffee at 6 PM, and sitting down to read in a room that was not a box. Or at least it was a box with windows. 

From winter onwards I continued to spend a limited time in my apartment. Not just because I didn’t want to be in a box during waking hours, but also because I found that I absolutely loved roaming the city. Every day, after work, I could have a new adventure. I would go play volleyball, go to a new restaurant, walk through Central Park, take the ferry to Staten Island, and just do whatever I felt like doing. 

I could have done all of those things if I didn’t live in a box. But the box was a forcing function. If I had a nice apartment where I could snuggle up on the couch with a book, I’d not have adventured as much as I did. I was forced to be active and over time that became my norm. I now feel like doing something every day, even if it’s as small as going to a cafe after work. These adventures have also exposed me to much of the city quickly. Even though I’ve only lived in NYC for one year, I’ve walked a majority of the streets in lower Manhattan and seen more than I could imagine seeing in one year. 

So, I’m renewing my lease. The box was an amazing experience and I don’t see why anyone wouldn’t want to live in a box. Jk. I’m moving to an apartment that has 4 big windows, access to sunlight and doesn’t feel like a box. But if I had to live this past year over again I would choose to live in the box again. While it wasn’t the most pleasant home, it was true character development. In this last year, I’ve learned so much about myself from adventuring and spending time in a box. Learned things like sunlight is important to me, I really like the East Village, sleeping in a room with zero light produces some of the best sleep, and no matter my environment I can and will make choices to ensure my happiness.