I moved from Paris to a house in New York with 15 roommates. The $2,000 a month rent is fair for what I get.

• Elisa moved from Paris into a luxury communal house with 15 other people in New York City.
• For $2,000 a month, she gets a fully furnished room and common spaces in a three-floor townhouse.
• She loves the sense of community with her roommates and doesn't plan to leave anytime soon.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Elisa, a partnership manager and business developer living in New York City who asked to be identified by only her first name to protect her employment. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

I moved from Paris to New York in 2022 when I was headhunted for my job at a French startup. It wasn't planned, and everything happened quickly.