Tiny co-living spaces are popping up across New York. Local communities see them as ‘harbingers of gentrification’

Within five years of Cohabs’ New York debut, they developed 23 houses, each fitted with luxury amenities like a gym and cinema room. Photograph: Evgenia Rigaut

In the heart of Crown Heights, Brooklyn, a property management firm has opened a 19-bed co-living complex with rooms as small as 74 sq ft for rent. For almost $1,900 a month, it is touting “authentic Brooklyn energy” on a block “with real local charm”.

The firm, Cohabs, dubbed the site Crown 120. But for longtime residents, it was the Kingston Lounge, a storied jazz club and bar. Its transformation serves as a tangible reminder of cultural erasure and gentrification.