New real estate concept: "A social experience"

Pure House is a new real estate concept in Brooklyn.

Ryan Fix, the founder of the community, calls it a “social experience” and offers residents a dorm-room style atmosphere with an instant community.  The Kitchen is a two floor clubhouse for residents.

“A big part of the mission is about helping our members to bring more harmony between their mind, their body, and their spirit,” Fix stated.

Members get a bedroom in a fully furnished apartment.  The apartment comes with a fully stocked kitchen, a weekly maid service, and access to events and fitness classes. 

The apartments are scattered across Williamsburg, with bedrooms renting from $1,600 to as much as $4,000 a month. 

The catch? Roommates must apply for a slot, filling out an online application and interviewing with the founder.

"A lot of times we will get applications with one-word responses and they haven't put a lot of time and energy into them," Fix said, "So, we will send them a very kind rejection letter telling them we don't think it's a right fit and thanking them for applying.  We get between 20 and 50 applications a day and we have 50 bedrooms total."

Members said they like the networking that the community offers. They relate it to the co-living arrangements on the West Coast, where employees of various startup companies live together and freely exchange ideas.

"I feel like I've grown massively in the five months," said Pure House member Sam Epstein, "This is a great gateway into New York where you can easily find yourself in a one-bedroom apartment and feel trapped all alone."

Meanwhile, critics say co-living can drive up housing costs because of the premium on the rent.

Also, some say it could potentially violate some housing laws, where the maximum amount of roommates allowed in a space can be limited to two who are not family members.