On a drizzly Monday morning in Morningside Heights, 73-year-old Judith Klein wheels a suitcase past clusters of undergraduates hauling laundry. Her new address: a suite inside Columbia University’s recently launched intergenerational living program. She’s not a professor, nor a student, but one of a growing number of New Yorkers over 65 choosing to live side-by-side with college students, forging a community where age is a resource, not a barrier.

This fall, several city campuses—including NYU and Hunter College—have expanded pilot projects that welcome older adults into student residence halls. For Klein, who spent decades as a public librarian in Queens, the allure isn’t just affordable rent (her single room with a shared kitchen runs $1,550 a month, utilities included), but the daily, spontaneous conversations: a senior’s perspective on the 1970s punk scene, advice on cooking for one, or a crash course in TikTok slang.

The model is spreading beyond universities. In Brooklyn’s Boerum Hill, a new apartment tower designed by the nonprofit Generations NY has filled its first two floors with retirees and the upper stories with recent Pratt Institute graduates. Residents share a communal garden and a calendar packed with cross-generational events, from poetry slams to dumpling workshops. The goal, according to program manager Tasha Diaz, is “deliberate, everyday mixing—no one’s isolated by age.”

With the city’s older population projected to top 1.6 million by the end of the decade, these experiments are drawing attention from urban planners and housing advocates. The question is not just how to house aging New Yorkers, but how to keep them woven into the life of the city. As Klein puts it, “I didn’t want to be warehoused. I wanted to be somewhere I could make a difference—maybe even get challenged.”

As autumn settles in and campus move-ins give way to midterm study sessions, the city’s intergenerational living projects will be quietly tested: Will the conversations over Monday breakfast stretch into real friendships? For now, in hallways from Greenwich Village to the Upper West Side, the experiment is underway.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are intergenerational living programs in New York City?

Intergenerational living programs in New York City are initiatives where older adults live alongside college students on campuses or in mixed-age apartment buildings to foster community and reduce age-based isolation.

Which New York colleges have intergenerational residence hall programs?

Columbia University, NYU, and Hunter College have launched or expanded intergenerational residence hall programs for older adults and students.

How much does it cost for an older adult to live in Columbia University’s intergenerational program?

At Columbia University’s program, a single room with a shared kitchen costs $1,550 per month, including utilities.

What is the Generations NY Boerum Hill apartment tower?

The Generations NY Boerum Hill apartment tower is a building where retirees live on the lower floors and recent Pratt Institute graduates live above, with shared communal spaces and cross-generational events.

Why are intergenerational living programs gaining attention in New York City?

These programs are gaining attention because New York City’s older population is projected to exceed 1.6 million by the end of the decade, raising questions about how to house and integrate aging residents into city life.

Editorial Transparency. A first draft of this story was produced with AI-assisted writing tools, then reviewed for accuracy and tone by the named editor before publication. More on our process: Editorial Policy.