What's the alternative to living beneath the ground, where Oprah never treads? If you're a dude, the first thing that probably comes to mind is living with all your dude-bros.
Pros
You're not living in a basement. Might be a profound plus if you're unfamiliar with how much a basement can rule.
Cons
You've got dude-bros all over the place. My second unsupervised living situation was one such arrangement. I lived with fellows I'll call Marc, Kip, and Jim, in a $160-a-month studio above a hair salon in downtown Smalltown USA. Fraternal angst, cigarette smoke, Cool Ranch Doritos. It was one in the kitchen, two on couches in the living room, and me on a futon on the floor in the sliding-door closet beneath my hanging clothes. An OK deal when every one of us was in a deep sleep, but at pretty much any other time it was somewhat crowded and effortlessly unhygenic.
So if being "normal" and having "friends" is a high priority for you, sure, buy some earplugs and some sunglasses and move in with your fellow apes. But if you prefer a little more elbow room and 75% less mess, get yourself into a basement of your own, where often the earplugs and sunglasses are built right in.
Next week: What to do about non-human guests.