Are you a thrill enthusiast that is willing to try your luck with moving to New York City? Oh, good for you!
You’ve been drawn to that glamorous and exciting big city life, eh? It seems like that time has come, so congratulations and be aware! By now I’m pretty sure that most of your friends and family told you that this is by far your best idea ever, or that you are a complete fool. To be completely honest with you, I understand both parties.
New York City is the best worst city and the worst best city if you don’t know how to handle all that space and pace. A lot of people consider moving to New York City as their biggest success. If you are about to move to the Big Apple for the first time, there are a few key things you need to know.
Moving to New York City Isn’t So Easy
This city will charm you while annoying you at the same time and in a heartbeat. If you want to be a New Yorker then accept that as a new normal. You know that this city is also called a concrete jungle, right? I’ll describe to you the best I can why did it get such a catchy name.
The first piece of advice that I will give you is to never overthink the idea of moving to NYC. Why? Because, after everything you’ll hear or read you will for sure give up after some time. You decided to be bold, so act on it.
The thing you’ll need to get accustomed to and embrace is the fact that you will need to hustle very hard every single day to be able to live a normal life here. Sometimes you just need to skip a night out and do some extra work. When I say normal life, I don’t mean your usual normal, I mean the NYC normal, which you can easily compare with driving in a fast lane while blindfolded! It is hectic and without order.
I must tell you that you have to work on your tolerance and become less vulnerable if you want to live in Big Apple. It is very hard to set your roots here, and sometimes you will feel like you are trying to dig through concrete with a small plastic shovel. From time to time, different situations will make you feel like your only gear for survival are kid’s toys version. But if you work hard, you will eventually make it.
The last thing is to dream big, but don’t get your hopes too high, and try to stay realistic as much as possible. New York is one of the most expensive cities to live in. So spending big money on basic things that you took for granted will be your everyday routine. If that bothers you, then stay where you are.
Now I’m sure that you are either frightened or challenged to prove me wrong. Let’s discuss some other tricky things related to NYC.
Choose your new neighborhood wisely
The choice of neighborhood matters more than you think. There are some people who will tell you that this isn’t accurate, but they are wrong. I’m saying this because your budget will afford you drastically different living arrangements depending on the neighborhood you choose to live in.
Let’s put it like thisgood-lookinge good looking things including apasurroundingsce surrounding will make people happy. Meaning living in a not-nice space and surrounding makes people sad and frustrated (unconsciously).
Here are some hard facts. For a budget of $3700, you can rent a shoe-box-sized apartment in Manhattan. But, on the other hand, for that same money, you can rent a stylish two-bedroom apartment in Astoria. I’m sure you know where you would feel more at home.
Here are some of the top neighborhoods you should consider depending on which borough you choose and your budget. I will sort them out from most expensive to most affordable.
- Manhattan: Upper East Side, Lower East Side, Times Square, East Village, Greenwich Village, Yorkville, Central Harlem, and Hudson Heights.
- Brooklyn: Brooklyn Heights, Park Slope, Dumbo, Fort Greene, Cobble Hill, and Williamsburg.
- The Bronx: South Bronx, Mott Haven, Riverdale, Norwood, Belmont, and Jerome Park.
- Queens: Astoria, Long Island City, Flushing, Ridgewood, and Rockaway Beach.
- Staten Island: Midland Beach, New Drop, St. George, Tompkinsville, New Brighton, West Brighton, and Lighthouse Hill.
Choosing the wrong neighborhood will cost you a lot, of money, time, and nerves. Imagine losing hours each day while commuting to work? Think it through before you make a decision, so you won’t regret it later.
New York City is not all brand new and shiny
We all know that NYC is constantly growing and evolving. But the that is more related to economy and job market. Unfortunately, housing is not all brand new and shiny. In fact, many residential buildings are seriously old.
This fact means you will have limited amenities like old heating and AC units, drafty windows that leak, rusty plumbings (that give away horrible smells and sounds), and smaller square footage per unit. But the unique design of these old buildings is what gives that recognizable NYC charm that draws in most people.
However, I must be fair and tell you that many older buildings have been even better maintained and renovated than some new-age ones.
The subway is your best friend/worst enemy
Public transportation is on an avid level and you have lots of options no matter where you want to go. The NYC subway system is the most impressive one, but this is why it is most expensive one. Common logic. If you know you will use it quite often, purchase a monthly pass.
On the other hand, if you have all the time in this world, you can travel by the bus. I mean it is very affordable and reliable but it takes a lot of time to reach from point A to point B. Sometimes it is better to declare bankruptcy and get a cab than enjoy this long ride.
A bike is a great option if you are in great physical condition, since NYC is gigantic. Uber and cab are acceptable only when you are in a life or death situation, thanks to the prices. As for being optimistic and driving your car, or motor, well take my advice and use it only when you need it. The traffic in NYC is hectic and in most cases, you will only lose a lot of time. Considering the gas prices, huh, you have to be rich to drive in NYC on a daily basis.
Good news – all the best pizzas in the world live in NYC
Well here is one good news! Who doesn’t love pizza. I mean, I’m pretty sure that this culinary masterpiece must be the least hatred meal around the globe.
Did you know that every true New Yorker is proud of their New York-style pizza?
This is hand-tossed, thin-crust, cut in 8 slices pie that will blow your mind. I agree that best place on Earth for eating pizza is Italy, but the second place is NYC. The city is crowded with numerous pizza joints, pizzerias, and pizza restaurants that will serve you different version of the unique NYC-style pizza.
Learn to love rain, or at least tolerate it
If you are a pulviophile then you will adore New York City, but if you hate rain then you’ll get some hard days. The fact is that NYC experiences a lot of rainy days. In fact, average amount or rain in NYC is 47 inches of rain per year. That is nine inches more than the national average! Brace yourself, since this means you will have to withstand 121 rainy days per year.
Take a break from NYC often
No matter where you live if you stay too long in one place you will get bored too soon. NYC is fast and big and after some time you will feel overwhelmed and burdened. However, there is a cure for that – short escape. Taking a quick break from NYC will teach you how to appreciate this city more.
A short timeout, occasionally, will make you fall in love with NYC even more.
Don’t attract danger by making foolish decisions
I’m not saying NYC is not safe, in fact, it is one of the safest big cities in the world. However, this doesn’t mean you can be reckless and act like there are no risks whatsoever. Let’s use common sense, if you don’t want to break a glass you won’t throw a rock on it, right?
So if you don’t want to experience some not-so-pleasant situations don’t attract them by making a target of yourself. If you know that some particular street or district is dangerous, avoid it, don’t do anything there, and you will be safe.
A sense of community is everything in NYC
Moving to New York City is exciting, but it can make a loner out of you. Many people will say you can never be bored and lonely in New York. This isn’t true at all. Yes, NYC is jammed full with people but if you don’t plant roots in your community you will be lonely. Start making friends locally, they won’t magically appear on their own. Get involved with some charity organization, visit a local pub and make friends with a bartender so when you want to go out you know you’ll have someone to talk to.
Note that it is quite normal in NYC for people to appear and disappear, don’t let that fact depress you.
Living In NYC Will Make You Stronger
It is time to embrace the fact that New York and you will have a love-hate relationship forever. However, this one will be for life if you decide to stick through every obstacle this divine city will throw at you.
Are you wondering what you get in return for making so much effort? Well isn’t being a part of the greatest city on earth enough though? If it isn’t, then you should stand proud knowing that if you made it here you will make it anywhere. To me that fact is priceless.
If you are thinking about moving to New York City, give us a call so we can help you start this adventure on the right foot.
