Two Irish men living in New York: Quick friends who wind up sharing a room
They were relieved to discover a new two-bedroom in Brooklyn, and they were taken aback by the warm welcome they received as the building’s first occupants.
Niall Dennehy had reservations every night as soon as he got to New York. His hometown of Dublin was to blame.
It turned into a form of serial friendship dating as “friends of friends and family members all started saying, ‘You must meet this person,'” he claimed. When you initially move to the city, that can be terrific. Even while you don’t know all of these people well, you do know people who are a part of their circles, which helps you feel connected to them and develop your own groups.
Mark Stokes was unique. He had come in New York six years before Mr. Dennehy, also from Dublin. Even if they technically didn’t know one another back home, it didn’t matter. We all know each other because we’re Irish, Mr. Stokes added. Dublin is so small that everyone knows each other. I get in touch when someone I know who is Irish relocates. Finding your feet and your pals might be challenging.
Soon after Mr. Dennehy’s arrival in January 2022, Mr. Stokes took him on a pub crawl around Hell’s Kitchen. Mr. Stokes remarked, “It was our first time hanging out alone. We can drink at the same rate, which is helpful. However, it’s also critical that we be able to converse openly because we’re both Irish without feeling the need to “explain this context and this background.” Many things are things that you just obtain.
By the time he turned 15, Mr. Stokes knew he would end up in New York. “I had no plan or any idea how to make it happen,” he admitted. “I just knew that’s where I’d like to live.”
After a brief stay in London, his position as a chief executive officer’s advisor at a consulting firm took him to New York in January 2018. Mr. Dennehy arrived on a work visa issued by his tech company. If memories of Dublin made up part of their burgeoning friendship, a shared connection to New York made up the other.
With all the paperwork and hoops to clear for visas, Mr. Dennehy added, “It’s hard getting here and it’s hard staying here. But if you work hard, the city will reward you much more.
Not only does the city have a lot to offer, but Mr. Stokes also values the fact that he frequently feels welcomed. “In London you had to be in the circle to get the invite to the party,” he remarked. “In contrast, in New York, you can simply walk out and meet someone and who knows where it will go. You’ll almost always have fun and come away with a nice narrative from it. We were invited by a friend to a fashion week party. According to Mr. Stokes, those kinds of encounters wouldn’t take place in Dublin.
Mr. Stokes and Mr. Dennehy found themselves spending a lot of time in the West Village; finally, when both of their leases were up for renewal, they began looking for one-bedroom apartments there. They began to question their loyalty to the area after realizing how small the spaces were that were within their individual budgets. Mr. Stokes remarked, “You have the West Village at your doorstep, but you don’t have anything behind the door.”
Realizing that neither of them would be able to achieve their goals on their own, they made the decision to share a two-bedroom apartment and began looking at other areas. They were aware that they desired an apartment that felt like a home, with space for a washing and dryer so they could do their clothes the following morning and enough room to kick their feet up after a long night out. Most significantly, they wanted the arrangement to maintain a sense of privacy for each of them if they were going to share an apartment.
The two friends only had three days to discover the ideal property after a buddy who works in real estate public relations suggested a dozen new developments where they might find the space and amenities they desired.
The military was involved, according to Mr. Dennehy.
Mark Stokes, 32, and Niall Dennehy, 31
Mr. Stokes works as a managing director for an executive advisory firm, while Mr. Dennehy is a global strategy and operational lead for a digital company.
Regarding the atmosphere of Brooklyn Tower, Mr. Dennehy remarked, “There’s something unusual about this skyscraper. It’s not like other high-rises, either. The main entry through the former Dime Savings building is one of his favorites. The bank is fantastic and serves as the neighborhood’s main anchor for this structure.
Regarding design aesthetics, Mr. Stokes describes his taste as colorful, whereas Mr. Dennehy sees his as modern. He remarked, “Mark likes all the colors in the rainbow, so that provided some issues. In response, Mr. Stokes said, “Cream and brown, cream and brown, cream and brown — that’s what he likes.” To find choices they could both agree on, the two pals allegedly visited practically every furniture dealership in the city. The most difficult task of all was finding a sofa, which has since become known as “sofa-gate.” The right navy was eventually discovered, according to Mr. Stokes.
Mr. Stokes and Mr. Dennehy started their search for a two-bedroom apartment with a flurry of viewings, armed with spreadsheets on their iPads and a predetermined ranking system for each prospect.
The Brooklyn Tower house was one of the last residences they saw. They looked at a second layout with two bedrooms on opposite ends of the apartment, each with an en suite bathroom, after feeling uneasy about the first property they visited with two bedrooms stacked right next to one another.
“I remember walking in and thinking, ‘This is it,'” Mr. Stokes recalled, “and looking at Niall, hoping he was having a similar thought process.”
In the present, his acquaintance was difficult to read. The procedure was there, Mr. Dennehy added. “I was trying to keep my poker face because it’s easy to get excited early on.”
However, he did acknowledge that as soon as they left, “We both got a little giddy.”
The two roommates discovered they were the first residents when they arrived with their moving truck in May and saw that the lobby was still being finished. There weren’t any renters there when we got there, Mr. Stokes claimed.
But when they arrived, the entrance greeted them with a friendly lilt. Mr. Dennehy remarked, “The first doorman we met was Irish. “We figured, OK, let’s do this. The world is both enormous and little.
The crew was keen to assist with the transfer as they were just getting used to their new roles in an empty building. According to Mr. Dennehy, “everyone was very excited,” and “it felt like the whole staff was inside our apartment within the first hour.”
Even the maintenance staff offered to carry their boxes to the recycling center. Mr. Stokes reported, “They said simply put them outside the door and we’ll grab them.
Mr. Dennehy continued, “They were excited, which increased our excitement. “You get that feeling when you’re the first to enter. I doubt that I’ll ever go through that again in my lifetime. For us as the first residents, it has been incredibly fascinating. The structure has undergone a genuine metamorphosis and has a genuine sense of energy. We got to experience the building’s journey, which has been great.
Mr. Dennehy always leaves his bedroom window blinds open when he finally puts his head on the pillow at the end of the day. He enjoys dozing off with the Manhattan skyline and the Empire State Building in the background.
“This structure offered an anchor,” he added, “and a sense of, ‘Oh, maybe we are making it here. Perhaps that is feasible.