One of the many unrealistic things about Friends - after the fact they all seemed to be able to afford a bouji lifestyle while spending their entire lives at The Coffee Shop instead of work - was how twenty-something Monica could live in that huge Manhattan apartment.
Well scriptwriters answer this: she couldn’t, of course. The apartment was passed down from her grandmother. Even in 90s New York, no young person would have been able to live like Monica and Rachel. And these days, it’s even less realistic. So much so that flat and house-share website SpareRoom have reimagined what that apartment would look like today.
They paint a grim but realistic picture, with the iconic living room carved up to make room for two uncomfortably small looking bedrooms. Living area? Pha, what living area – this is 2020 we’re talking about. These days, flat-sharers in major cities generally have to put up with a sink above their bed and a toilet in their kitchen – if they’re lucky. An apartment big enough for six you say? Let’s squeeze nine people into it.
Living area? Pha, what living area – this is 2020 we’re talking about.
The depressing truth of the matter is that this is what the housing crisis would do to Monica and Rachel’s apartment. These days, there aren’t enough affordable homes to go around and an acute shortage of housing has led to spiralling rents and house prices. Many young people and families on low to middle incomes struggle to afford to rent or buy a decent home. Somehow, though, this doesn’t make a sexy premise for a sitcom, so it’s a good job Friends wasn’t set today.
The show simply couldn’t have happened without that living room: where would the quiz have taken place where Chandler and Joey win the apartment? Where would Rachel dance around naked singing Naughty Girl? Don’t tell me Thanksgiving episodes would have to take place with everyone balancing plates of meat trifle on their knees in someone’s bedroom.
‘In reality, so many flatshares don’t have the communal space that Monica did. In fact, a quarter of flatsharers (26%) don’t have a living room at all,’ say SpareRoom.
Things You Only Know If..
Things You Only Know If...
1 of 19Things You Only Know If You've Experienced Post-Adoption Grief
When Claire Moruzzi, 39, gave birth to her son, it unlocked unpacked painful feelings about her own adoption.
2 of 19Things You Only Know If You have Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Jessica Evans reflects on the condition that affects one in 10 of us but is rarely talked about.
3 of 19Things You Only Know If You're The Other Mother
If your partner carried your children, what does that make you? Jen Brister tells Grazia about life in a two-mum family.
4 of 19Things You Only Know If Your Marriage Lasts Less Than A Year
The wedding was amazing but a Band-Aid Big Day couldn't save the relationship – and so an embarrassingly short marriage ensued.
5 of 19Things You Only Know If You Walk Away From A Six-Figure Salary Job
As new figures reveal that record numbers are now 'overeducated' for their jobs, Lil Caldwell, 37, explains why swapping the law for floristry was her best decision yet.
6 of 19Things You Only Know If: You're The Only Muslim In The Village
When Ayisha Malik moved to Dorset, she braced herself for reactions to her hijab. And was surprised at what she found.
7 of 19Things You Only Know If: You're Going Through The Menopause At 30
A medical breakthrough now means the menopause could be delayed for 20 years. It's come too late for dancer Lindsay McAllister.
8 of 19Things You Only Know If: You've Finally Conquered Your Alcohol Problem
When Catherine Renton chose to end her damaging relationship with booze, she lost friends, too. She reflects on the decision that changed her life.
9 of 19Things You Only Know If You've Been On 100 First Dates
Charly Lester, 35, challenged herself to go on 30 blind dates before turning 30. Then things snowballed.
10 of 19Things You Only Know If: You've Gone From Committed Singleton To 'Basic Bride'
'Suddenly, I want all the things I used to roll my eyes at: the dress, the flowers, the inexplicably expensive cake. There is a new and very loud voice in my head, it insists that this is my special day, I'm a f**king princess and I should have exactly what I want'
11 of 19Things You Only Know If You Don't Have A Girl Gang
As a child, Amy Jones looked forward to the day she'd find her squad. No 29, she's still wondering where it is.
12 of 19Things You Only Know If Your Babies Arrive 10 Weeks Early
After her twin daughters arrived at 29 weeks, Francesca Segal spent 56 days with them at the neonatal intensive care ward - an experience that changed her forever.
13 of 19Things You Only Know If… You Live With Your Parents At 29
Anna Behrmann, 29, moved back home to save money. It's had its ups and downs.
14 of 19Things You Only Know If You Earn Significantly Less Than Your Friends
After losing her job 31-year-old Olivia Foster found out the uncomfortable truth about what it means to be the broke friend.
15 of 19Things You Only Know If You're Living With M.E.
When Hollie Brooks found herself so weak she couldn't even dress herself, she knew something was desperately wrong. To mark the end of ME Awareness Week, she tells her story.
_1024_Widthjpg.jpg?auto=format&w=1440&q=80)
16 of 19Things You Only Know If You're Plus-Size And Online Dating
From men who think they're doing you a favour, to feeders who fetishise your body.
17 of 19Things You Only Know If You Gave Up Your Job To Follow Your Partner Abroad
'On bad days it could feel a bit 1950s'
18 of 19Things You Only Know If You've Chosen To Have A Baby Alone
Aged 37 and single, Genevieve Roberts decided to become a mum with the help of a sperm donor.
19 of 19Things You Only Know If You're An Adult Orphan
Emily Dean lost her parents and sister in the space of three years - and changed her whole life as a result.
‘With this in mind, we decided to redesign Monica’s apartment to be more realistic today – meaning the living room had to go and two extra bedrooms took its place. A sure way to make the property more affordable for the flatmates – but a layout that would totally change the show itself, and the experience of the people living there.’
Some call flat-sharing a pokey box space with three friends in your twenties a rite of passage, or at the very least character-building. But justifying it shows how accepting we are of our current crappy housing situation. We’ll know we are living in better times when a flat with a living room in New York is not merely a fictional set of a sitcom.
READ MORE: Friends Reunion Set For 'The End Of Summer'