Mark Normand moved to New York a decade ago, rooming primarily with “Craigslist people and weirdos,” he said. 

For the last two and half years, he lived in a dusty two-bedroom with two others, paying $800 a month for his tiny room.  The West Village location was prime, but Mr. Normand grew weary of his substandard living conditions. “ I knew I deserved better and needed better,” he said. 

He could afford better, too. 

Mr. Normand, 33, originally from New Orleans, found his career as a stand-up comic blossoming.  He opens for Amy Schumer.  His one-hour special, “Mark Normand: Don’t Be Yourself,” is scheduled for May 12 on Comedy Central. 

“I saved up all my money, and have such low self-esteem and insecurity that I never spent my money on myself,” he said.