'There are no windows in my apartment': how a resident of Brooklyn is quarantined in darkness and loneliness

A Brooklyn man rents a small windowless room. Initially, he found this to be an advantage. But now I realized that the lack of daylight is a clear drawback. Now he only cares about one thing: how soon will he able to go out and see the sunlight. The publication shared the details New york curbed.

For the past year and a half, Trey Taylor from Brooklyn has been living in the dark.

“I have no windows. My room, advertised as a "loft" in a three-room apartment in a former knitwear factory in Bushwick, does not give me the opportunity to look outside, "- said the man.

The dimensions of this room are approximately 2,4 by 2,4 meters. The only light source in it is a lamp with a Chinese paper lampshade to diffuse dim rays, as well as one candle.

“Any New York City housing law prohibits this. My bedroom doesn't even meet the minimum 80 square feet (7,4 sq. M) requirement, ”he said.

In addition, in his apartment there is only one way to evacuate - through the door. Although legally the apartment must have at least two exits - a door and a window.

Initially, a resident of this small room perceived it as temporary housing. Now he wants to move, but you can’t afford it.

Once the author even found the advantages of such a life: for example, when he needed to get enough sleep during the day, and at night the lack of a window saved him from unnecessary noise. He also had no need to start plants and take care of them, which saved time.

Once, when he just moved into this apartment and boasted to his friends how cheaply he got it, they were only surprised: “Are you paying $ 1600 for this ?!” He reassured himself that his housing was located close to the subway.

“New York is expensive, and why pay a lot for an overnight stay if you are almost never at home?” He mused.

Moreover, he led a secular life, working as an editor of the magazine, and often attended various work events. And when he did not want to go home, he could go with friends for dinner.

“Without human interaction, I die”

But everything changed when a quarantine was imposed in New York, obliging citizens to stay home and leave housing only in case of emergency. This greatly influenced the lifestyle of Trey.

“Without human interaction, I die,” he said. And he noted that if he only knew that he would have to spend so much time in this small space without fresh air and natural light, he would not have believed it.

When he returns home from his lonely walks, even if it is still light outside, it is always dark in his room. “I'm starting to think my eyes are adjusting like any good mutating cave dweller,” he joked.

In addition, the walls in this apartment are so thin that privacy in the room is simply impossible, he clearly and distinctly hears the conversations of his neighbors.

To survive in such difficult conditions in these difficult times, Trey in every possible way tries to be distracted. For example, trying to fall asleep to the sounds of nature and singing virtual crickets coming from his mini-column Google Home Mini. Today, Google is its only interlocutor.

"OK Google, do you ever get lonely?" - I asked recently.

“Everyone gets lonely from time to time,” he replied. "I'm here if need be."

Recently, the author is increasingly asking the question: how can such a lifestyle influence him in the long run.

"I am 30 years old. I started googling and came across articles that scared me. Perhaps I am experiencing "neural death" according to Scientific American, "he suggested.

On the subject: 'No corpses and mobile morgues': New York during an epidemic through the eyes of a Russian-speaking immigrant

He also read about how neuroscientists at the University of Pennsylvania kept rats in the dark for six weeks.

“Animals not only displayed depressive behavior, but also suffered from brain damage that is known to be inactive in humans during depression. I am, in fact, a rat living in the dark in a New York prison. Last night on the rooftop in this building, I met another tenant: commercial real estate agent Roberto. We never met, but we watched the sunset together, standing six feet apart. For a moment, I did not feel trapped. It is always darkest before dawn, ”the author noted.

Today, he is very concerned about one question: when will he be able to see sunlight again?

“I would like to have a window; it is at the top of the list of requirements for my next apartment, ”he said and added that he had already started searching for a new home.