Alone among others: The trials of solitude for residents of a London co-living space

Based on an ethnographic study carried out in a London co-living space, this article explores the ambivalence of solitude in the context of individualized life trajectories and transnational mobility. It highlights the “trials of solitude” associated with moving away from loved ones and adapting to a new environment, reflecting the tensions between the quest for autonomy and relational vulnerability. Co-living presents itself as a commercial response to these issues, combining communal spaces with private refuges. However, it remains marked by the contradictions of a neoliberal condition, valuing individual performance while instrumentalizing interpersonal relationships. Solitude emerges as a dynamic condition—neither entirely imposed nor fully chosen—continually reshaped as residents negotiate (both spatially and socially) having a place of their own while cohabiting with others.