“NYC is a place where you can have a heart attack and the only person who will stop …will stop to take your purse or the people who record you on their smart phone to post it on line.”
So not true. I tripped and fell once in NYC while wheeling a handcart with several boxes of binders and folders. I was fine, but a whole group of people helped me, determined I was okay, and chased down my folders and paperwork that had spilled out of my boxes and were blowing into the icy slush piles on the side of the road. I really couldn’t believe how wonderful the people were.
@zobroward That’s a cliche. It’s not true that people don’t help you in NYC. People help all of the time. And the crime is exaggerated too. NYC is among the top 10 safest cities in the WORLD along with Tokyo and Stockholm. Please go and see. NY will welcome you.
But to understand NYC really you will need to get out of Times Square/ Midtown. That area is filled with tourists looking at other tourists, and no NYC resident will go there unless dragged (or if they have Hamilton tickets . . .)
The reason rents are high and space valuable is because of demand. People want to be there. Rents are low elsewhere for the opposite reason: people want to be there not as much.
People live in shared space as they start out in NYC. It’s a toe hold. First they sense opportunity. Then there’s the excitement of things actually happening. You are a part of it. You can’t be bored in NYC for more than a New York minute. It’s not just random activity, either, it’s new ideas, innovation, strategy, energy.
If you want to work in music, well your neighbor probably won three grammies and doesn’t know where to store the trophies. If you want to do publishing or journalism or finance or fashion, the person next to you on the subway may work at Vogue, Penguin Random House, Godlman Sacks, the NY Times. Everyone’s doing whatever they do at the top of the game–or like you they’re working their way up. If you want a good meal–like a really good meal and not Olive Garden or Cracker Barrel–then find the cool new place tucked between two bodegas. It’s about being alive and thriving, and testing your mettle.
If you want to change the world NYC welcomes you and your dreams. There’s a tiny toehold there just for you.
My friends kids and my son’s friends from college pretty much only move to a handful of cities - Boston, NYC, DC, SF and Seattle - all of which are expensive to live in. They get jobs and seem to manage just fine. Plus, there are a lot of alums from their colleges living in those cities - which helps a lot in terms of networking.
I was going to quote Louis Armstrong, but @oldfort paraphrased him perfectly before I could.
For the same reasons it is among the top tourist destinations in the world. It’s crazy fun! Haven’t you ever gone somewhere on vacation and said “it would be great to live here”. Manhattan has it all, 24-7. Not for everyone, for sure, but for those it is for, there is no substitute.
Additionally, if you want to work on Broadway, Wall Street, Madison Avenue, the Fashion District, those careers are named after places in Manhattan for a reason. You have to be there.
I lived in Manhattan for over a decade – yes, right up until it was time to start a family – and loved (nearly) every minute of it. There is always something to do, usually within walking distance and always within a quick subway ride. Not saying that doesn’t happen elsewhere, but it is the very recipe of NYC.
And, as Francis Albert sang, “If I can… make it there…”
As someone that was born in NYC (the LES of Manhattan BEFORE it got trendy) and lived there until age 35, the old adage “It’s a great place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there” holds true – or, at least it does in my case…
With all due respect, @Dustyfeathers and others can keep their toeholds – I’m loving life in sunny So Cal!
In truth, I think NYC’s an exciting place to spend a few years, either grad school or just starting a career. It’s a lousy place to grow up in, grow old in, and raise a family in. And it really sucks to be disabled in.
Just my 2 cents (and, as we used to say - “that and a token will get you on the subway.”)
@Nrdsb4 - D1 is a VP at her firm now (I can’t believe how time has flown). She can usually get home by 8 and have weekends free now, unless there is a deal. With her next promotion, she will have even more flexibility. Her boss (Managing Director) works from a lot when he is not traveling. They are a lot of technologies available to enable people working remotely.
My kid has lived in NYC since age 16 when she started college. She is 28 now. The first two years, she lived in a dorm. But since then, she has lived in apartments where she has always had her own room, never shared, and still had a living room as well. She has opted to live in Brooklyn, but so do so many of her friends. The rents are lower. She has always lived in nice sized apartments, though without elevators. For the past 2.5 years, she has shared a two bedroom apartment with her BF who is now her husband. The second bedroom is a music studio for her work. There is full size kitchen and large living room. She has hosted about 25 people there. The rent is not high. Depending where in Manhattan they need to go, it takes about 30 minutes, which is not too bad. Even if you live in Manhattan, it may take you 30 minutes to get to a job, etc. Also, my D’s life is in the theater and NYC is the center of that universe.
NYC is just a gazillion little neighborhoods. Live in a certain area for a little while and it isn’t impersonal at all. You get to know your neighbors and the shop owners in your area. Just like every other place.
“only move to a handful of cities - Boston, NYC, DC, SF and Seattle - all of which are expensive to live in.”
Philly is a good option and is seeing an increase in young people, chefs, and artists due to its relative affordability vs. other major cities in the Northeast. Vibrant arts, music, and dining scenes.
My D loved the 4 years she lived in NYC. We had a great time visiting her there and we still love to get there when we can. It really is a city of little neighborhoods and I have enjoyed exploring many of them. We stay off the beaten tourist path when we visit now.
Certainly not for my pampered self now. Maybe when I was much younger, but the dirt and grime just got to me there. And the cold - dear lord there is nothing like the wind whipping down those city streets. It just seems everything requires more work and planning. But I wouldn’t want a job working 80 - 100 hours a week for any amount of pay either. So, I guess the city is safe from the likes of me moving there.
“In truth, I think NYC’s an exciting place to spend a few years, either grad school or just starting a career. It’s a lousy place to grow up in, grow old in, and raise a family in. And it really sucks to be disabled in.”
You are right about being disabled in NYC. My mom was in a wheelchair for a while and wow, that was difficult to manage when she visited.
I’ve lived in several places in the US, urban and rural, including SoCal, and I prefer NYC. I do covet your winters, no getting around that! Maybe it makes a difference if you are from here or if you chose to move here. My kids were born and bred here and they love it, especially now that they are teenagers. I’ll admit that it could be difficult when they were little. Getting around the city with two toddlers in a snowstorm when the President is in town is hell on earth. We live close to the park and that was great but I had to keep my eyes on them allllll the time and that can be stifling for a little kid.
Now that they are older, my kids are the arty-farty types and love the access to interesting things to do and see. For example, younger daughter’s friend is reading in a poetry slam tonight, and a group are going out to dinner and then over to support her. (Not that it can’t happen elsewhere.) It’s not for everyone, but it fits and it has shaped my children. They love the independence of getting around on their own even if it gives me grey hairs.
“NYC is a place where you can have a heart attack and the only person who will stop …will stop to take your purse or the people who record you on their smart phone to post it on line.”
Just earlier TODAY, I tripped when crossing the street and a man reached out and grabbed my arm before I landed face first in the pavement. But I’ve also had someone just watch me fall and not say a damn word. People are funny that way.
Has anything bad happened to you in NYC or elsewhere when you needed assistance from strangers? I left my wallet in a restaurant in NYC and the manager of the restaurant had called my home and left a message to let me know he had the wallet and was keeping it in a safe spot before I even realized it was missing. (I can get my landline messages on my iPhone.) My husband left his iPhone in a cab in NYC. The taxi driver did the same thing as the restaurant manager–called the home number on his iPhone–H was able to get his iPhone back. (I got the message on my iPhone–this feature of our phone system has been extremely helpful.)
Sure. But NYC isn’t one of those places. I lived near NYC for 40 years and commuted to work there (from New Jersey) for 6 years, but I’ve never felt comfortable there. I’m a child of the suburbs. NYC makes my nerves jangle.
My brother lives in NYC. He likes that there is lots of things to do but he he says there is one thing NYC isn’t. That’s Quiet. If you are from a small farming town getting used to the noise can be hard.
Brooklyn girl here born and raised. There are great trendy neighborhoods in Brooklyn. And the commute from Brooklyn to Manhattan especially from downtown is less than 30 min by train. Depending on what part of Brooklyn and Manhattan you are traveling to and from it could be 15 mins or less. The only downfall about living in NYC to me is the cost of living. Other than that its a great city and it will always be home to me.
S1 is living in a hacker apartment in Silicon Valley, walking distance to all the cool stuff in his community. Three BR apt, three guys, he has his own bathroom. None of them drink, and they are pretty quiet. We’ve been to the apartment and it’s nice, but not over the top. His rent is more than our mortgage but still VERY reasonable for that area. He’s happy to have a washer and dryer in the apartment, not so happy about schlepping his bicycle up and down from the 3rd floor, but he’s not interested in getting his own place. Still lives like a college student. He’s been able to save a lot of $$ with the idea that if he transfers to another office in a less expensive area in the future, he will have a substantial down payment. Has already decided if he goes to NYC, he will live in Brooklyn, as he has a lot of friends there already. (This is heresy to my born-in-the-Bronx DH.)
