The first thing that people want to know about Jack Leahy's home, a 40-square-foot cubbyhole tucked into the ceiling of a performance space a few blocks from the waterfront in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, is whether it's legal. The second question is how much he pays.

He doesn't know the answer to the first. As for his rent? Tell a New Yorker you pay $450 a month, and he or she becomes very, very jealous.

"But they don't have any idea," Mr. Leahy said. "It's like The Phantom of the Opera' - how much did that guy pay?"

On a recent evening, Mr. Leahy, a 25-year-old musician who moved to New York from Austin, Tex., late last September, pulled up in front of his home address on a skateboard, a Narragansett tall boy in one hand. The sun was setting over the East River, so he suggested a stop in his "living room" - a rock outcropping on the banks - before climbing the ladder to his quarters. Yes, a ladder.

While real estate agents and promoters often describe local hot spots as extensions of one's living space, utilizing the amenities of greater Williamsburg is a necessity for Mr. Leahy. His windowless den measures roughly 9 feet long and 4.5 feet wide. You can stand at the entry, but once inside you mostly stoop - it's only about 5 feet high. A twin-size futon mattress takes up most of the space.

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