NYC Guitarist Confronts Unaffordable Housing Crisis After Breakup
Unprecedented Price Increases For One NYC Musician May Force Move Back To Rochester
NEW YORK—After what he describes as a “sudden economic downturn,” 35-year-old guitarist Kyle Moore, has become recently unhoused and is navigating New York City’s housing market for the first time in years. It follows an abrupt breakup that ended what he now calls, an excellent relationship.
“For a long time, things just… worked,” Kyle said. “We had a big apartment in Brooklyn, food in the fridge, I could focus on my music and binge watch shows during the day when Jenny was at work. New York seemed like a very affordable city a few weeks ago, now I don’t know what’s happening, prices have skyrocketed, almost overnight.
"New York seemed like a very affordable city a few weeks ago... prices have skyrocketed, almost overnight." --Kyle Moore
Friends say, “how it was happening,” had a lot to do with his girlfriend’s well-paying job that supported Kyle’s musician lifestyle. That arrangement ended last month.
Kyle admits he’s still struggling to process both the breakup and its implications. “I honestly don’t get it,” he said. “She left me for this guy who’s losing his hair and works downtown, somewhere on Wall Street. He seems dull, I don’t know what she sees in him.”
Adding to the shock, Kyle says he hadn’t really been paying attention to inflation until recently. “I’m between bands right now, so I haven’t made any purchases lately. I kept hearing people talk about prices going up, but I never really noticed,” he said. “Now suddenly everything costs, like, a lot?”
"I kept hearing people talk about prices going up, but I never really noticed” --Kyle Moore
The shift has forced Kyle into what he calls a “full lifestyle downgrade.” In addition to losing the apartment, “Jenny also sold her other car,” making it significantly harder to attend auditions. “I had a couple auditions lined up, but now it’s like—how do I even get there?” he said. “Hauling gear on the subway— It’s not happening.”
Currently rotating between the living rooms of a few musician friends and a drummer’s basement couch, Kyle has begun confronting potential expenses he previously described as “background noise,” including rent, utilities, and something called renter’s insurance.
Despite the instability, he remains hopeful. “I mean, I won’t have to move back to my parents or anything… Rochester is so boring. I’ve landed on my feet before,” Kyle said. “Worst case, I’ll pick up something part-time, or… you know, meet someone else.”
“For a long time, things just… worked,” Kyle said. “We had a big apartment in Brooklyn, food in the fridge, I could focus on my music and binge watch shows during the day when Jenny was at work. New York seemed like a very affordable city a few weeks ago, now I don’t know what’s happening, prices have skyrocketed, almost overnight.
"New York seemed like a very affordable city a few weeks ago... prices have skyrocketed, almost overnight." --Kyle Moore
Friends say, “how it was happening,” had a lot to do with his girlfriend’s well-paying job that supported Kyle’s musician lifestyle. That arrangement ended last month.
Kyle admits he’s still struggling to process both the breakup and its implications. “I honestly don’t get it,” he said. “She left me for this guy who’s losing his hair and works downtown, somewhere on Wall Street. He seems dull, I don’t know what she sees in him.”
Adding to the shock, Kyle says he hadn’t really been paying attention to inflation until recently. “I’m between bands right now, so I haven’t made any purchases lately. I kept hearing people talk about prices going up, but I never really noticed,” he said. “Now suddenly everything costs, like, a lot?”
"I kept hearing people talk about prices going up, but I never really noticed” --Kyle Moore
The shift has forced Kyle into what he calls a “full lifestyle downgrade.” In addition to losing the apartment, “Jenny also sold her other car,” making it significantly harder to attend auditions. “I had a couple auditions lined up, but now it’s like—how do I even get there?” he said. “Hauling gear on the subway— It’s not happening.”
Currently rotating between the living rooms of a few musician friends and a drummer’s basement couch, Kyle has begun confronting potential expenses he previously described as “background noise,” including rent, utilities, and something called renter’s insurance.
Despite the instability, he remains hopeful. “I mean, I won’t have to move back to my parents or anything… Rochester is so boring. I’ve landed on my feet before,” Kyle said. “Worst case, I’ll pick up something part-time, or… you know, meet someone else.”
