<p>My (very responsible and self-reliant) 17 yo has hatched a scheme to bypass the last half of her senior year to study dance via an organized independent study program in the city. My h and I are lukewarm about the idea because she, pick one… sacrifices high class rank and a variety of graduation honors, would not have a support network, etc., etc. Nevertheless, we would ultimately support her decision. One major sticking point is arranging adequate/safe housing. An ideal solution would be to board with a family or at least with another student who keeps somewhat regular hours (that leaves out her brother’s futon). Do any of you happen to know someone who does this?</p>
<p>I guess this is stating the obvious, but if this an “organized independent study program” I would start by contacting the program for their recs. Do they support a message board for other dancers in the program to find room shares/apts together?<br>
A friend’s D moved to NYC when she was 16 (!) to dance. She shared an apt with several other dancers.</p>
<p>I’m glad you memtioned that. This is probably the major problem my husband and I have with my d’s plan. I don’t find this dance school especially supportive in terms of such logistics.
But, good point, I’ll ask them about a message board.</p>
<p>I found this thread “winter internship housing nyc”, so try typing that into “Search” and then “Posts”, and you should be able to see it, hopefully,
Best of luck with your search!</p>
<p>Here are some of the websites that were recommended on the thread:
<a href=“http://www.studenthousing.org/theresidences.html[/url]”>http://www.studenthousing.org/theresidences.html</a>
[Student</a> Housing in New York - de Hirsch Residence - 92nd Street Y - New York, NY](<a href=“http://www.92y.org/content/de_hirsch_residence.asp]Student”>http://www.92y.org/content/de_hirsch_residence.asp)
[url=<a href=“http://www.parksideresidence.com/]Events[/url”>http://www.parksideresidence.com/]Events[/url</a>]</p>
<p>[url=<a href=“http://www.parksideresidence.com%5DEvents%5B/url”>http://www.parksideresidence.com]Events[/url</a>]</p>
<p>The last accommodation is supposed to say Parkside Residence, but I guess it’s not coming up that way.</p>
<p>jasmom, this comment is not about housing – but encouragement for you. I know it’s scary for you – but it may be one of the great gifts you give your D. My own D spent six months in Buenos Aires in her junior year – she too sacrificed quite a bit in terms of her high school experience (and had to double up on some tough courses as a sophomore/senior, affecting her GPA) – and didn’t have a moment’s regret. The D of a friend of mine also graduated early from high school, went to live overseas for six months, missing graduation, senior prom & a shot at being the valedictorian – and to this day thanks her parents for letting her have that experience. Both girls say, that kind of out-of-the-box opportunity can be life-changing & once in a lifetime. When you figure out the housing thing – send your D off with your blessings. You’ll enrich her life tremendously.</p>
<p>92nd St Y is 18 and older</p>
<p>The Residences is for college enrolled or recent grads</p>
<p>OP’s D is 17 YO HS student.</p>
<p>Craigslist.com, click on New York, click on Manhattan, look at housing (temporary, sublet, or rooms).</p>
<p>Can also make up your own ad and post it for free, but best done after you read a lot of the other ads to see the style. Also if you do this, check your D’s ad so that it’s not an invitation for weird emails to her. (No details necessary that she’s a dancer, or her age, for example). Just say she’s a student looking for housing, and the dates needed, neighborhood desired.</p>
<p>She doesn’t actually give out her email address; it’s filtered through a craigslist system. Still, you want to check her wording before posting (insist on it!) so it only invites serious respondents. When viewing, go with her (stay in the radar) when she looks at the apartments – thinkng about that female Nanny applicant who rang a doorbell and the ad bringing her there was fake. You don’t want to know the outcome. </p>
<p>Just please – at that age – go with her at least to the street address of an apartment even if she actually interviews alone. Ring the bell together, greet, then disappear from the hallway. Don’t actually tour the room with her, but it should be evident that she has adult company with her nearby. Or set up something with cellphones; anything; just don’t let her explore private apartments off of websites alone at that age in NYC. Things run by schools, where she’s meeting a representative of a school, are okay. I’m talking about craigslist…</p>
<p>Or, locate the school on a map, then find some churches or synagogues within walking distance. Phone their offices and ask if any members have apartments with spare bedrooms who might want some rent for a term from a student. Then you know she’s living with an adult and has a network. If she wants to dance enough, she can live with a NYC grandma.</p>
<p>Our experience letting D go away for a year to a ballet residential training program (we were lucky, there was housing) was something I never regretted. She did ultimately return home, deciding to pursure college and a career in athletic training or PT, and yes there was some steps backwards with regards to academics. She had to play catch up upon her return, but she grew in ways that were not possible without the year dancing. THere are other girls out there looking for roomates, and even an occasional parent who moves to the city with their teen, and could have another teen board with them. Consider calling other dance programs to see if they have a housing contact person. Consider a mailing to other dance programs to ask that a flyer be placed on a bulletin board with a parent name and number re: housing/roomate. The Joffrey Ballet progam in NYC has quite a few pre-pro dancers who move there and are always looking for roommates. Also the Jackie Onassis school at ABT has dancers that come to the city from all over and no formal housing. They might have a housing contact. They do have a list of housing options for their summer program, when 400 dancers come for 6-8 weeks. Some of those would be options even outside of summer. You could check out Ballet Talk for Dancers, and post about looking for a roomate or housing option in the city. You can search threads there, but NYC housing threads may be older.</p>
<p>Sometimes young families advertise for live-in part-time nanny or babysitting help after school. It’s not easy finding agreeable hours with her own student schedule, but to consider that, see under craigslist.com in NYC in manhattan under “Childcare”</p>
<p>Thank you for the encouragement – it IS a scary proposition. These are some great suggestions, and I’m following up with each one. I even called one of the 18yo-and-up places and asked if they ever made exceptions, they do (although they didn’t have any anticipated vacancies). Your ideas have left me more hopeful.</p>
<p>I have another suggestion - although I don’t know if anyone has ever done this or if it is even a possibility. Maybe one of the colleges in the city would be willing to let your daughter live in a dorm room for the summer. The dorms may not be full, and if the school is open for summer session, I can’t see why they wouldn’t be willing to rent a dorm room to a student attending another school. I know the school I attended (over 20 years ago) used to allow people to rent rooms overnight during the summer (at very low prices), but I don’t know if that is still an option. Just a thought.</p>
<p>There might also be some creative independent schools in NYC, such as NY
FilmAcademy, the New School of Social Research, or Actors Studio, with physical bulletin boards. My kids tell me, however, that the days of the corkboard are long gone. I don’t know what’s true.</p>
<p>Maybe there is some type of housing through ABT, SAB, Julliard or another similar school.</p>