Rising Cost Of Rehearsal Space Finally Gives New York Hipsters Opportunity To Complain About Something

The New York Times has finally discovered the human cost of the recession we’re totally not in right now: “Steadily rising real estate prices are taking a toll on all but the best-financed music groups and institutions” and the cost of their coke habit MetroCard means they can’t afford the “$10 to $50 an hour” for a rehearsal studio, which sometimes leads to them disturbing their roommates or having to go tall instead of venti. Maybe they should divert the monthly cost of parking their waaaahmbulance?

In other cities, some groups in the hunt for affordable rehearsal space might begin as “garage bands.” But few people in New York City have their own garages, and musicians say that finding an affordable place to practice is as much of a challenge for performers who make a living in music as it is for part-timers and amateurs.

“I would love to have a space just for my band,” said Kara Suzanne, a singer and a songwriter who lives in Park Slope, Brooklyn. “It’s just too expensive.” She pays $60 a month for a four-times-a-month share in a rehearsal room near the Smith-Ninth Street stop on the F line in Brooklyn.

That may not seem like much in an increasingly pricey city, but many musicians say they are feeling pressure to make ends meet. NYC Performing Arts Spaces says that 44 percent of the musicians in New York make less than $50,000 a year.

Well, who can be expected to live on less than $50,000 a year except hundreds of millions of people around the world? For those looking to save a little cash, here’s our simple solution: leave New York or quit making music. Both are probably advisable.

Seeking Room To Rock When Cost Of Space Just Keeps Rising [New York Times]