15-07-2025
To Afford Montauk, He Went on ‘Jeopardy'
Stevie Ruiz lives in the sunny, beachy eastern tip of Long Island in the hamlet of Montauk. He works as a server in a restaurant and, like many who make a living in the seasonal enclave, he earns most of his income during the warmer months.
Two years ago, he left a career as a front office manager because he could make more money waiting tables. It takes him just three days in the restaurant to make as much money as he used to make in two weeks at a hotel. But there was a major downside.
'The hotel provided housing,' he said. 'The restaurant doesn't.'
That, he said, is the norm in Montauk.
'A lot of restaurants out here don't provide housing for front of house workers,' he said. 'Housing is pretty limited and expensive and they want to make sure they have their kitchen staff taken care of. You can always find people to pick up server shifts here and there.'
Without housing from his employer, Mr. Ruiz, who is currently staying with a friend, has learned to hop from one living situation to another. For a few weeks during the winter, he stayed at his mother's home in North Carolina, where he spent part of his childhood.
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