And then, of course, there is the balancing act between how much rent you can afford and the number of roommates you need and want to have. Durell said he absolutely did not want a railroad or shotgun apartment ― a situation in which you must walk through someone else’s sleeping area to get to your bed. Railroad and shotgun apartments were constructed to meet the needs of New Yorkers in the mid-1880s, when multiple families might have shared rents. Today, shotgun apartments are generally less expensive and are often in desirable neighborhoods, so competition for them can be fierce.
Article source: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/find-nyc-apartment-tips_us_5a20319de4b037b8ea207651?utm_hp_ref=new-york-city