Member interview - Leonardo & his Gravity Story
Our first Member interview blog post. We had the pleasure to virtually sit down with Leonardo during lockdown and talk about his first 7 months at Gravity. In this chat we ask him several questions ranging from: Why he likes Gravity; how its benefited him personally; who co-living is best suited for; his advice for people interested in joining and the advantages of living in a co-living space during COVID-19. Read on to find out more!
MEMBER INTERVIEW – LEONARDO & HIS GRAVITY STORY
Yelp, Amazon, TripAdvisor, Google, Facebook, Expedia, Uber, Deliveroo.
It doesn’t matter if it’s new sneakers, dinner plans, a taxi ride home or next year’s holiday destination, in today’s modern world, we check the reviews left by strangers for near enough everything we buy!
And to be honest on average, the reviews are usually spot on!
So rather than Gravity tell you how amazing living at Gravity is, we left it to one of our members to do the talking for us…Drum roll please….
Welcome Leonardo
Age: 29
Nationality: Italian
Profession: Software engineer
Years abroad: 3 years
Your London goal: Create and launch my business!
Leonardo moved to Gravity a month after we opened our doors. He, like so many others, had moved to London after accepting a new job offer! 7 months later, still living at Gravity and having successfully started his own business, we sat down with Leo and asked how his time at Gravity has been so far:
What’s your favourite aspect about living at Gravity?
“In terms of life it’s all about finding a good balance. I really like Gravity because I have my own space when I want and have the chance to meet other people, have fun and be in a social environment. I think Gravity is a great balance between these things.”
Who do you think co-living is best suited for?
“I think that co-living is best suited for young professionals or ‘startuppers’. With an environment and network of like-minded people you can build and improve yourself in various ways.
Of course, it’s also suited to people who have moved to a new city and don’t know many people when they arrive, especially big cities like London. Gravity’s environment helps you make connections very quickly and get to know the city and local area.
Also, more broadly, it’s suited for people who have a strong sense of community because in the end co-living is all about sharing so if you have this mindset, I think it’s great for you.”
From your own personal standpoint, how do you feel like Gravity has benefitted you as a person?
“I moved to Gravity in October 2019. When I moved here, I was mostly looking for a place where I could have my own space while being able to meet other like-minded people.
I got a lot of benefits and help in achieving my personal goals. Being surrounded by other ‘startupers’ is very helpful, I’ve had so many interesting conversations with other members that have given me very valuable inputs, so from the professional side it’s a very good environment. Also, another member I met living at Gravity is designing the website for my start-up, I have found some great collaborators here.”
What advice would you give someone who was thinking about co-living as an option for them?
“My advice would be for them to give it a try. At least in Gravity, contracts are very flexible so it’s worth trying for a couple months without the need of a long-term commitment.”
What do you think the advantages are of living in a co-living such as Gravity during the current pandemic?
“Currently we need to stay home 24/7 and it can be very psychologically frustrating for many people stuck in their own apartments not interacting with anyone. The key advantage here is that you can spend some time with others, and you have a lot of space. I have access to big gardens and large communal areas, but the most important is having a big community, so it doesn’t feel like a heavy lockdown. You can always have conversation with other members around Gravity and some time to relax in the garden. Lately, we had members who are talented musicians play music outside for everyone which was amazing and there are still a range of events available that you wouldn’t have staying in other types of accommodation.”
Final word from us:
At Gravity, we really do care about our members and do everything we can to make their lives in London as rewarding as possible. Feedback from our members is an important stage in our development. We listen to our community, we adapt to their needs, we create new ways to empower each member and together as a community we grow. If you would like to hear more about Gravity or Leonardo’s new business, drop us an email and we will always do our best to help!
