Man Who Let Everyone Think He Lived in New York Reveals He Actually Spent a Year in a Newark Luxury Studio Paying $2,120 a Month

For a whole year, his followers assumed he was living the New York City dream. Now @certifiedjio is coming clean. In a video he billed as “full transparency,” he revealed that he never lived in New York at all. He spent that year alone in a luxury studio across the river in Newark, New Jersey, and he finally shared exactly what it cost him: $2,120 a month.

“Y’all always asked me, but I never told y’all,” he begins, explaining that he kept the details private because it was his business. Now he wants to help others who are dreaming of moving out on their own. “I know a lot of people want to move out on their own and they want to figure it out,” he says, calling himself “Big Bro” to his audience.

Then came the twist. “Yup, y’all heard it, I lived in Jersey for a whole year,” he says. He admits he kept telling people he lived in New York, joking that he did it to throw off people who seemed a little too interested in his whereabouts.

What $2,120 a Month Bought Him

His reasoning for choosing New Jersey was simple. “Rent in New York is very expensive, but rent in Jersey, it’s expensive, but it’s not that expensive like New York,” he explains. So he chose a studio, which he says felt more like a one-bedroom and came with its own washer and dryer inside the unit.

The building’s list of amenities sounds like a hotel brochure. He describes a 24-hour gym, a social lounge, a game room, a nice lobby with a package portal for deliveries, an outdoor courtyard, a rooftop, and a coworking space where residents could work and hold meetings.

There was also a parking garage, but that came at an extra monthly charge, and he decided not to pay it. Instead, he parked on the street. “I know that sounds crazy,” he admits.

He compared his rent to what he believes a similar studio would cost in the city. In his estimate, a New York studio would run about $3,500 to $4,000 a month. Location mattered to him too. His friends and social life were all in New York, so he wanted a place close enough to get back and forth easily. He signed a 13-month lease.

@certifiedjio

At $2,120 a month, twelve months of rent alone comes to $25,440, before utilities, groceries or transportation. Over a 13-month lease, the rent adds up to $27,560.

The Lessons From a Year on His Own

What he says he will miss most is the 24-hour gym. He explains that he does not like public gyms and prefers to get in, do his workout and leave without being seen.

But the bigger takeaway was personal. “I also enjoyed living by myself for a whole year,” he says. “I feel like it made me more mature. It taught me how to like budget money. It also taught me how to be more of a man. Living by myself, cooking, paying my bills, having that peace of mind.”

And the final reveal: he is now back living with his mom. He promised to share in a future video why he moved back home and what he learned.

Advice for Young Adults Ready to Move Out

Plenty of parents and grandparents have a young person in the family itching to get a place of their own. His story offers some useful talking points.

Know the income rules before you apply. Many landlords in big metro areas want a tenant’s yearly income to equal about 40 times the monthly rent. For a $2,120 apartment, that means around $84,800 a year. Some accept a guarantor, often a parent, who earns far more.

Look just outside the expensive city. Like this creator, many renters save hundreds of dollars a month by living in a nearby town or across a state line with good transit into the city. Factor in commuting time and fares before deciding.

Count the add-ons. Parking, amenity fees, pet rent, utilities, internet and renters insurance can add hundreds of dollars a month. Ask for a full list of monthly charges in writing before signing.

Use the 30 percent guideline. Try to keep housing costs to about 30 percent of gross income, leaving room for food, savings and emergencies.

Build an emergency fund first. Moving out often costs more than the rent. Expect a security deposit, first month’s rent, application fees, furniture, and moving costs.

Read the lease length carefully. A 13-month lease, like the one he signed, is common when a building offers a free month or wants leases to end at a certain time of year. Know your end date and notice rules.

Moving back home is not failure. Living alone teaches budgeting, cooking and responsibility, as he described. Coming back home to save money is a smart, practical choice that many families welcome.

In the end, his year in a Newark studio gave him exactly what he says he was looking for: a taste of independence, a lesson in managing money, and a story he was finally ready to tell.

Willow and Hearth