Being a student and living in La Casa, Jessica shares her experience.
After finding her Parisian studio, Jessica realized that living in an apartment by herself was not for her. It was a radical change for her, and she headed to La Casa to live with 13 other roommates. She tells us about her transformation.
Stéphane (La Casa): Hello Jessica, can you introduce yourself?
Jessica (roommate): Hello, my name is Jessica, I'm 24 years old and I'm at La Casa des Chefs in Sartrouville.
Stéphane (La Casa): What do you do for a living?
Jessica (roommate): I'm studying for a Master's degree in wealth management.
Stéphane (La Casa): How did you end up at La Casa?
Jessica (roommate): I arrived in Paris in June 2022 and started looking for a Parisian studio on my own because I had never lived on my own before. After a few months, I realized that I didn't really like living alone, so I started looking for a shared apartment and stumbled upon La Casa's website. I had seen a documentary about it a few years ago on television, so I was familiar with the name.
After doing some research on La Casa, I finally applied!
Stéphane (La Casa): Have you always lived in Paris?
Jessica (roommate): No, I've lived in quite a few different places. I spent a year in the United States, Germany, Malta, and all over France.
Stéphane (La Casa): Why did you choose the coliving lifestyle?
Jessica (roommate): As I mentioned, I stumbled upon La Casa's website somewhat by accident, and I didn't really distinguish between coliving and flat sharing. It was only after I moved in that I saw the differences. Even though I didn't choose it initially, I can't see myself going back to traditional flat sharing now that I've experienced the coliving lifestyle at La Casa.
Stéphane (La Casa): What does living at La Casa bring to you?
Jessica (roommate): Generally, the only opportunity we're going to have to meet new people is during our school years, so, people who are similar to us. The advantage of La Casa is that you get to meet people from all walks of life and different backgrounds. People who don't think like us, and this allows us to open up to new things; it's incredibly enriching. It truly allows us to make new friends.
Stéphane (La Casa): What was the reaction of your relatives when you told them you were going to live in a coliving with 14 people?
Jessica (roommate): All my relatives told me that it suited me quite well, even if I had, I think, like everyone, the famous saying: "But do you know these people? You don't know them and you're going to live with 13 people you've never met in your life."
Stéphane (La Casa): Why did you choose La Casa over another coliving player?
Jessica (roommate): I first looked at all the information available on La Casa's website, the FAQs, or even the roommates' interviews. Then I was assisted by Charlotte, who is one of the community creators. She was able to answer all my questions and help me find the right Casa for me. I also looked at what was included in the rent and I saw that:
La Casa offered a lot of things and that it was much more than just a traditional flat share!
Stéphane (La Casa): Do you ever feel alone even when living with 14 people?
Jessica (roommate): I moved into La Casa in December. With the end-of-year holidays and the fact that it was a new Casa opening, with all of us being new to this way of life, in this house, we all became very close from the beginning. Since the summer holidays, we've already lost a roommate who left to return to his hometown, and it was really sad. And precisely during the summer period, there are a lot fewer people in the house, so it can happen, but it passes very quickly.
Stéphane (La Casa): When did you feel that your roommates were becoming your friends?
Jessica (roommate): One of our roommates has a house in Marseille, so we all went there. We spent the entire weekend at her place, and it was incredible. It was a very special moment because it was the first time we saw each other outside of Paris.
Stéphane (La Casa): If you had to give advice to someone who's hesitant about coming to live at La Casa?
Jessica (roommate): The major difference between coliving and a traditional flat share is that in our Casa, we all have our own bathroom with a toilet in our room to maintain our privacy. We also have large common areas that we all share. We're never all in the house at the same time, so there's plenty of space for everyone to feel comfortable and at home. Everything is designed so that you have the least amount of things to do or worry about.
Stéphane (La Casa): What's next for you?
Jessica (roommate): What I've always said from the beginning, and what all my roommates and I agreed upon, is that the moment we leave La Casa, it will be to live with our boyfriend or girlfriend, or to go abroad.
