The Basics
Located in the Park Slope section of Brooklyn—about 15 minutes and a few subway stops from Manhattan—NYC Sober Living is well-situated for residents to get to work, to classes or to 12-step meetings. This supremely luxurious facility consists of two structures: the Townhouse, which is referred to as “Townhouse on Sixth” (because it’s on Sixth Avenue) and the Penthouse, both of which have been gutted and meticulously renovated by NYC Sober Living’s owners and transformed into a safe, serene environment for men in recovery. In furnishings and decor, it doesn’t get more high-end than this.
Accommodations and Amenities
The number of residents is only 10 (in both houses together) so each man can get an ample amount of personalized attention in the early stages of living drug- or alcohol-free.
No credit checks are performed on future residents. Instead, the owners assess each man for their desire to live a clean life. If they express the desire to be clean and make amends for hurting others, they will be accepted into NYC Sober Living if a room is available. Potential residents must have at least one previous rehab experience.
The Townhouse on Sixth accommodates five men in double-occupancy rooms and one man in the single suite. There are three full bathrooms, one on each floor. Though residents are expected to keep their rooms clean, a housekeeper provides full maid service. An outdoor courtyard provides a serene space for relaxation and reflection.
A chef prepares three healthy meals a day, which are served family-style. Residents are expected to dine together with the owners of the house. Weekends are filled with numerous activities such as bowling and going to the movies, and seasonal activities include whitewater rafting and ski trips.
Working is encouraged and, toward this end, residents get help with resume writing and job searches.
The Penthouse serves as the step-down residence, offering independent living to men who are more secure in their sobriety. It accommodates five men in four bedrooms (one is double-occupancy) with five bathrooms. Each room has a balcony and residents can enjoy the Jacuzzi tubs in addition to spectacular views of the New York skyline. As with the Townhouse, there’s a fully-equipped kitchen and a chef on-site three days a week. Residents are expected to come together for dinner family-style.
Rules and Regulations
Though residents aren’t required to sign in or out, they are supposed to give 24 hours notice before they leave the house, whether for a family visit, job interview or date with friends. Men living in the Penthouse must have a job or be going to school.
Guests are welcome, but they must be sober or in recovery and can only spend time in the main areas of the house, like the living room and kitchen, and not in a resident’s room.
Each resident is expected to attend and participate in three to four 12-step meetings a week, and residents who are in an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) are required to attend additional meetings as well as group therapy. All residents must have a sponsor.
The staff, who are all in recovery themselves, include spiritual advisers, an intervention specialist and a sober “companion,” whose job is to provide emotional support and help residents avoid relapse triggers.
Anyone who breaks the house rules has to live with the consequences, which range from warnings to expulsion for a pattern of noncompliance.
From Sunday through Thursday, the curfew is 11 pm. On Friday and Saturday, residents get until 12 midnight (1 am, if they’re with other sober men). Any man with a date must introduce her to the owners and provide her phone number.
Random drug tests are administered, especially if someone is showing signs of alcohol or drug use. The owners have several years of sobriety and are therefore very familiar with the signs of drug use or intoxication. Any resident who tests positive will be taken to a hospital for detox. He may return to the house when he is sober again.
Extras
Physical fitness is highly recommended and all residents get a free gym membership at a nearby fitness center.
In Summary
NYC Sober Living gives its clients the opportunity to resume and rebuild their lives within the luxury of the Penthouse or Townhouse. Because the owners have personal experience with addiction, they understand the toll it takes on someone’s life and the struggle to rebuild. But they also recognize the emotional fragility of residents and so encourage them to stay at NYC Sober Living for as long as they need to achieve sobriety.
NYC Sober Living
Sixth Avenue, Park Slope
Brooklyn, NY 11215
NYC Sober Living Cost: $7,500 (30 days). Reach NYC Sober Living by phone at (646) 549-1845. Find NYC Sober Living on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn
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