As you get to know the city better, its quirks and secrets become known—and that makes living here all the better. But before you make up your mind, here are 19 things to know about life in the Big Apple. And that rudeness? Yes, that applies to walking. But you might also find yourself weeping in the middle of the street one day—hey, it happens—and someone will offer you a tissue.
Or you may be struggling to carry a stroller up the subway stairs, and someone will offer to help. And at the end of the day, going back to your apartment in a neighborhood that truly feels like home will vastly improve your quality of life. Change is a constant in New York City, and each of its neighborhoods has lived many lives.
This is particularly true if you end up moving to a gentrifying area. Invest in several pairs of good walking shoes if you plan to make New York City your home.
For most New Yorkers, walking a couple of miles or more is just part of your daily routine. A mile is equal to approximately 20 north-south city blocks , FYI. Bars are legally permitted to open at 7 a. Did you know that the highest natural point on the eastern seaboard south of Maine, anyway is located in Staten Island?
Or that a section of old-growth forest, with trees that are many centuries old, can be found in the Bronx? Or that you can ride a zipline and go bouldering in Queens? The options are myriad, and incredibly varied: You can check out a Broadway show or see experimental theater on the Lower East Side.
There are literally hundreds of museums, from the massive the Met! Carnegie Hall. Snug Harbor Cultural Center. El Museo del Barrio. Lincoln Center. Once you get here, make the time to soak it all in. But New York state also ranks first in income inequality in the United States, and the gap between the richest and poorest residents of New York City is only getting worse.
More New Yorkers than ever before are experiencing homelessness , and nearly half of all households here are rent-burdened , meaning they put more than 30 percent of their annual income toward housing. New York perpetually finds itself near the top of the list of the most expensive cities in the United States typically behind San Francisco , and a recent survey found that the cost of living here is 22 percent higher than the national average.
To make moving to New York City as smooth as possible, I suggest doing extensive research on the different neighborhoods. As with most cities, your life in NYC will greatly depend on the area you call home. You neighborhood determines how how much you pay for rent, how far you need to walk to your favorite spots, how long your commute is, etc. I found reddit to be super helpful. As of , the population of New York City is 8. OK with roommates? NYC just became a lot more affordable! Value your independence?
Theoretically you can live in NYC with a salary of 40k a year. A salary of 70k a year in New York City will afford you a more comfortable social life in the city that never sleeps.
You may still have a roommate and eat out times a week or you might find an apartment without a roommate — bagels all the way! New York City candle: The distinctive scents of spring days in Central Park, fine department stores, and concrete capture the energy of the greatest city on earth.
And there you have it, my friends. These are the honest pros and cons of living in New York City. Always happy to help! Thank you so much for this. Very illuminating and to the point, honest. NY is my dream and trust me, the pros list outweighs the cons.
Thanks again. Best of luck!! HI Antonia What is it like at the moment? Is anything open? Theatres shut I assume but everything else? Has NY lost its vibe? From the UK, thanks! As a native New Yorker, I agree with Rozanne. This list is very illuminating and honest. I enjoyed reading it. I use it every day now haha.
As a local New Yorker, I completely agree with all of these pros and cons. I go back and forth between living here and wanting to go somewhere else, too nervous to bite the bullet!
Thanks for taking the time to comment! There are far better cities to live than New York. Before moving to NYC I would highly encourage people to use their savings to travel the world before moving here so that you have a point of reference.
As a native New Yorker, I completely agree with this list. New Yorkers are Vitamin D efficient to begin with anyways, that therapy lamp is so helpful! Winters are hard enough as it is! I truly in love with city life but I live in the bottom part of Brooklyn now, very close to the ocean.
Maybe during all these quarantines, I will wait in Brooklyn, and then when everything gets back t normal I will be a happy Manhattaner. What exactly is the motivation to live in the city? Your comment about parking cracked me up — so true! No one cares if your shirt is ugly and no has the time or need to tell you. Bluntness is simply a short answer to your question of which way is 34 st.
I left NYC 25 yrs ago because of my job. To this day havent found a pizza, bakery, butcher, as many clothing shops, etc. I go visit with coolers in the car for food supplies. Again, bringing items back in the car! I could go on…New Yorkers are the best too! I wanted to comment about the smells when it gets hot. That observation really gets to me. I need advice. Your insights are right on. Even in a pandemic, you can show your support and support a great org at the same time! I grew up in NYC but left several years ago, and there are things on this list that feel out of date.
The restaurant scene has been declining for years, but has accelerated by lockdowns, which have resulted in the permanent closure of NYC institutions like the 21 Club.
The lockdowns and loss of population have made the city a ghost town, and the city that never sleeps is now comatose. NYC is so full of crime now after the pandemic. Wish my daughter had never moved there. I now live in the Midwest, after a decade in Europe. No other city even comes close to NYC, none. I would give my left kidney to be able to move back to NYC and live a cozy urban lifestyle. Cruz, WOW! What an exciting life you have lived to date. Thank you for sharing your backstory, I hope the new job works out and you find yourself in New York City fingerscrossed for you!
The city Manhattan has never been a desirable place to live for any native born New Yorkers, from high earners to working middle class people. Aside from Madison Square Garden and the Empire State building, Mid-town is typically avoided and merely represents an area of cheap attractions, like a place for tourists to see the other tourists, within the confines some big department stores and billboards.
One constant thing about NYC that will always be special is the iconic buildings and structures such as the bridges, the Empire and Chrysler buildings and although the new trade center building is nice, it will never match the scenic sight of those dearly missed twin towers, always in view while driving along the BQE and other surrounding parkways.
The subways are dilapidated, there are people smoking crack on the subway stairs inside the station along with the mentally ill underground. The city is empty, yes, empty. Few experiences are as humbling as walking down a Manhattan street with skyscrapers towering over you.
From s monuments like the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building to the One World Trade Center aka the Freedom Tower , completed in , these gigantic beauties have to be seen to be believed.
And the chefs are always innovating, whether combining old-school recipes with new ideas for main courses, or creating new desserts that people will line up for hours to try. No two neighborhoods in New York City are the same. Walking from SoHo into Chinatown, you find yourself in a new world.
Opened in three stages between and , the High Line is a narrow public park, 1. Running from Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District to 34th Street, it is a garden, an arts space, a destination for dates and a place to sit and dream. Pick a quiet moment to contemplate the wild flowers, the rusted rails in the northern section and the views of the Hudson River, perhaps as the sun goes down.
There are music gigs in New York every day of the year, many of them performed by some of the most famous artists from around the world. Though most locals abhor Times Square , nobody will ever forget their first time walking through the hectic plaza.
The unbridled energy, the costumed characters and the incessant flashing of neon lights make for an out-of-body experience a bit like that of being a sardine in a tin can. Both parks have zoos, lakes, tens of thousands of trees and glorious meadows. For those who wake up when the sun goes down, NYC provides an eclectic array of nightclubs and both conventional and alternative cabarets. Spanning the East River between Brooklyn and downtown Manhattan, it is a cable-stayed suspension bridge most recognizable by its high limestone and granite Gothic towers.
Give yourself 30 minutes to walk its 1. Still, an image remains of New Yorkers as abrasive, fast-talking, sharp-minded and always in a hurry. Brash and electrifying, NYC marches to its own propulsive beat. Yellow and green cabs stream down Fifth Avenue, showtime performers pull off astonishing acrobatics on subway car poles, steam pours from gratings in the street, horse-drawn carriages clatter round Central Park and sirens wail every few minutes.
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