Also, on Seinfeld, for ages Elaine had roommates – a perfectly normal thing for people in their 30s to have in NYC.
I also liked the apartment in Herman’s Head for realism. (whew, takes you right back, don’t it?). Herman was a fact-checker for some magazine and lived in a moderately realistic studio – with his bed in the living room and an eensy kitchenette.
Although, I have yet to see the NYC-based sitcom in which someone commutes to Manhattan from Brooklyn or Queens. Going by TV you’d hardly guess that several million people do this daily.
I find it hard to believe that a building’s owner or managing agent would be fooled into thinking that a rent controlled apartment was still being occupied by the prior tenant for so many years. For instance, whose name is on the monthly rental check? I could see an owner of dozens of buildings to perhaps overlook it for a year or so, but they would soon figure out that something was wrong when Monica was the one signing the checks. If it was a building owner who had only a few buildings, or just that one building, they would be caught fairly quickly.
If the apartment is rent controlled, the monthly rent may be only a few hundred dollars a month. I seriously doubt a building owner would overlook the Friends’ trick for several years, as it would deprive the owner of thousands of dollars that could be made if the apartment was moved into rent stabilization, and hundreds of thousands of dollars if it was deregulated completely (calculate the difference between a rent controlled $500 and a market value $4000 a month over several years).
BiblioCat: Rent control means that there are laws which restrict the ability of a landlord to raise the rent on an apartment. In New York, there are two types: “rent control” proper, and “rent stablized.”
Genuine rent controlled apartments are fast becoming extinct. They basically require that the apartment be leased at the same rate, period, no increases, no if and or buts. Rent control in this context dates to WWII. It required that the residents live in the apartment continuously – hence Monica’s having to have the building super go along, since the rent would only be frozen as long as her aunt continuously occupied the apartment. Rent controlled aparments are really only held by aging widows at this point (or those who they illegally sublet to).
“Rent stablized” apartments are more common (though still hard to come by). They allow a landlord to increase the rent, but a government agency must approve each increase.
Hello Again: I can think of a couple of examples of commuting.
The Cosby Show – The Cosbys lived in Brooklyn Heights. Although Bill worked in an office attached to their home, Claire was a successful lawyer. I always figured she commuted, since the large law firms are pretty much exclusively located in Manhattan.
All in the Family – Archie’s main job was a warehouse in Queens, but he drove a cab sometimes for extra money. I’d assume he ventured across the river from time to time. (And which college did Michael attend, anyway?)
Maude – located in Tuckahoe, NY (Westchester County); Maude stayed at home, but the breadwinners commuted into the city.
Come to think of it, the Petries lived in New Rochelle, and Rob commuted daily to New York (probably Rockefeller Center) to work with Buddy and Sally for Alan Brady.
I guess this means you’ve never passed one NYC resident on the street… Sarah Jessica Parker.
She dresses as badly as the character.
As for the Friends, I can believe Chandler and Joey’s place; it is implied that Chandler makes a lot of money, so his salary could be way up there. I was under the impression he was, at least by now, a director of IT for a large corporation. Joey always seems to have work, and acting work even at scale pays very well, and he’s had some very big roles.
Basically, a rent controlled apartment is one in a building built before 1947 with the same occupant living there since 1971. The rent is pretty much set and only increases when the owner shows that cost of operation of the building requires such increases. My brother rented a two bedroom apartment in Manhattan’s Gramercy/Murray Hill area for about $2,100 a month (lease ending 1998). His neighbors, an elderly couple in a rent controlled apartment, were paying $300 a month.
A rent stabilized apartment is one in a building with 6 or more apartments built between '47 and '73, and pre-'47 buildings with occupants who moved in after '71 (plus other exceptions, like converted loft buildings). Tenants in rent-stabilized buildings are offered 1 or 2 year leases, with rent increases determined yearly by a Rent Guidelines Board. For instance, the rent increases for a lease renewal made in October 2002 are 2% for a one-year lease and 4% for a two-year lease. Under rent stabilization, an owner can get an additional rent increase when the old tenant moves out and a new tenant moves in (called a vacancy increase); for instance, the rent for my brother’s apartment when he moved out went up to over $2,500 for whoever moved in next.
Then there are apartments that are neither rent controlled nor rent stabilized. These are rented at market value.
It’s Monica’s grandmother. I believe they mentioned that she’d been living there for a very long time. Perhaps before WWII.
I think there was another time when Treeger threatened to either kick them out or make them pay the correct rate and the mentioned how there’s no way they could afford it.
Anybody remember what the Ricardos paid for their 1BR at 623 East 68th Street in New York City? That would have been 1948. IIRC there was at least one show where they decided to sublet, and the issue of rent came up.
Niles and Maris lived in her family’s house while they were married, but then he lived in a rather extravagent apartment when they first separated.
There was a funny episode where Martin got lost and kept calling on the intercom from different rooms (the gift wrapping room, the den, the library, several guest rooms, etc.). Then he lived at the Shangri-La (which was a dump), while he sublet the nice apartment, but now he’s back at the nice place.
IIRC, Frasier’s apartment is in what is supposed to be a real apartment building in Seattle. I can’t remember the name of it, though.
Niles and Maris lived in her family’s house while they were married, but then he lived in a rather extravagent apartment when they first separated.
There was a funny episode where Martin got lost and kept calling on the intercom from different rooms (the gift wrapping room, the den, the library, several guest rooms, etc.). Then he lived at the Shangri-La (which was a dump), while he sublet the nice apartment, but now he’s back at the nice place.
IIRC, Frasier’s apartment is in what is supposed to be a real apartment building in Seattle. I can’t remember the name of it, though.
…and then you mentioned that you’re in suburban Baltimore…you must be talking about Middle River or there abouts. Am I warm? (I’m a resident of Glen Burnie, native of Catonsville)
Just like moi.