It’s a no-brainer that research should be conducted before any decision is made to relocate to another city or state (or country!). The Internet has virtually thousands, if not millions, of websites available to research everything from cost of living to available jobs and housing. This guide is intended to be perhaps a little more in-depth, and even a little comedic. I hope it will be a guide to uncover things one will most likely not find in all of those “why our city is the best city to live in” articles.
My relocation to New York City (from Denver, Colorado) was well thought-out and well planned, but still did not prepare me for the many things I encountered and experienced in my five years of living there. I have since moved to New Jersey, but remain employed in Manhattan.
Initial Study
1. I learned that NYC is home to 8.5 million people – yes, eight and a half million people! Most of us, when we think of New York City, think of Manhattan. This is a misconception. New York City is actually made up of five “boroughs” – Manhattan, Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn and Staten Island. A “borough” is akin to a neighborhood, except on a much larger scale, much like cities themselves.
2. I knew NYC was expensive, and my research confirmed this. For comparison’s sake, the cost of living in Denver is 110% of the national average; NYC is 177% of the national average (source: www.bestplaces.net/col). The widest disparity of course is in housing and utilities. NYC’s housing costs are double that of Denver’s (243% compared to 119%) and utilities are 50% more costly.
Yes, I researched crime and other statistics, but I won’t bore you with the details.
Things I Didn’t Know But Soon Discovered
There are some things you can’t learn from research, and some things you don’t think of at all, for instance, it never occurred to me that I wouldn’t see the moon in the sky on any given night. Depending on exactly where you are in NYC, this may or may not be an issue. I happened to be surrounded by tall buildings, both at work and at home, so my view of the open sky was blocked virtually all of the time.
1. Weather – Yes, I researched the weather before my move and found that the temperatures were slightly warmer in winter, and of course there wasn’t as much snow fall. This did not prepare me for the biting, bone-chilling wind that rushes through your body for most of the winter months. I was never that interested in the “real feel” temperatures that one can find on weather websites such as weather.com, but now I religiously research these before leaving my apartment. NYC, because it is surrounded by water, has a high humidity content, which makes everything that much colder in winter, and that much hotter in summer. In winter, add bone-chilling winds and you have the makings for a miserable existence outdoors. I did not own a long winter coat when I moved (in February) but it was one of the first purchases I made once I experienced how absolutely miserable commuting in winter weather could be. Gloves and scarf are also essential, and most people add a hat as well.
Summer, of course, is the opposite – the weather is so hot and humid, one wonders if they will survive without collapsing from heat stroke, and a shower becomes the first priority once you arrive home.
These sufferings are most felt by people who use public transportation as a way to get around. In winter, waiting at a bus stop twice per day, 250 days per year, while snow and wind blow in your face, can make anyone’s daily commute complete misery. In summer, if one rides the subway, one can look forward to the stench of garbage, body odor, and urine as millions of people pack themselves like sardines into subway cars for the 30-minute, or 60-minute, or sometimes even 90-minute ride.
2. Commute – Yes, I knew most people in NYC relied on the public transportation system to get around, because owning a car is much too expensive (insurance costs) and the term “available parking” is an oxymoron.
A. Available, “free” (no charge) parking spaces are sparse. Many parking spots have meters that are limited to one or two hours, and $0.25 will get you 6 minutes; if you’re lucky, it might buy you 15 minutes. Parking garages charge an average minimum of $8 for the first ½ hour. If you find a deal, you might get a spot in a garage for $30 for the day, but this is not the norm – many garage fees are higher and you have to be out by 6pm so they can charge the higher, evening fees to people coming in for the nightlife of the city. If you own a vehicle and hope to park near your apartment or house, you and dozens of other drivers will spend a minimum of 30 minutes driving around and around, hoping to catch someone vacating a spot. Or, you will finally give up in disgust and park six or seven blocks away and walk home.
B. Getting to know, and master, the public transportation system is a necessity for anyone living in NYC. There are not only subway and bus routes to learn, there are the intricacies to learn like, after 11:30pm, the R train no longer runs, so the E train takes its place. I figured this out after standing at the platform for 45 minutes, only to discover the R train doesn’t run that late and I had to walk two blocks to the E train platform instead. It is imperative to pay attention to signs on every platform – and if you can figure out what the information is trying to convey, you can save yourself a lot of heartache. There are also plenty of *notes to be read on the subway system map and bus maps, and signs throughout the subway stations. Also, subways require a “Metrocard” to pay for entrance, and buses require exact change (no bills) or the Metrocard for payment. Most subway stations have Metrocard machines available, but some entrances require the card to gain entrance to the station.
C. In addition to mass transit, many people rely on taxicabs and private car services. Depending on the time of day and weather, it might be easy to get a cab, or it might not. Drivers of private car services will often pull over to ask if you would like to hire them, and they are usually more expensive than taxicabs, but they offer a flat rate fee, whereas taxicabs are paid by time. In heavy traffic, private car services can be more economical. You can also bargain with private car services before you agree to use them, whereas taxicabs run on a meter rate.
3. Available Housing – Possibly another oxymoron, depending on your standards and budget. I quickly discovered that there is nothing “comparable” when comparing rent in NYC to other cities I’ve lived in. For comparison sake, my 2-bedroom duplex with huge back yard in Denver cost $620 per month. A decent studio, in a good neighborhood in Queens runs a minimum of $1,000 per month; a one-bedroom runs a minimum of $1,300. In Manhattan, a decent studio in a decent neighborhood runs a minimum of $1,800 per month, and you don’t even want to know what a one-bedroom will cost.
Unless you are willing to severely compromise on standard of living, it is literally impossible to find an apartment without hiring a real estate agent. I tried, on my own, unsuccessfully to find an apartment that I would be willing to live in. After three weeks, I caved in and hired a broker. Brokers fees typically run 12% – 15% of a year’s rent, so in addition to paying $1,020 per month for a studio apartment, plus a deposit of $1,020, I also had to fork over $1,750 for the broker’s fee.
The fun doesn’t end there – most apartment complexes require a rigorous process to apply for an apartment. This translates to an application, a letter of reference from a previous landlord, a letter of reference and confirmation from your employer, a copy of your last payroll check stub, and a copy of your last tax return. In addition, a normal practice for income requirements is equal to between 50 to 52 times your monthly rent in annual salary. So, far an apartment that costs $1,020 per month, you are required to have an annual salary of at least $51,000. Upon acceptance, I was not only required to sign a one-year lease (standard), but also a statement that I was not affiliated with any gang or criminal activity, and that I would adhere to all apartment complex rules, like mandatory recycling of paper, aluminum, glass, etc. Last, but not least, most apartments require you to schedule your move and coordinate it with the building superintendent, and it must be during the week, Monday through Friday between 9am and 5pm.
4. The People of NYC – There is an underlying feeling of depression that permeates the crowds of people who commute into and around the city. And it’s no wonder – living conditions for the working class people are less than desirable and services available are lacking or extremely difficult to partake in, in addition to the extremely high cost of living. For example, some banks close at 3pm, and the extremely busy Department of Motor Vehicles (at the time that I moved) closed daily at 5pm, making it impossible to visit these establishments outside of normal working hours.
There is, of course, an extremely large arts and entertainment industry, and sometimes deals can be found for people on a budget. It’s also perhaps one of the best places to spot celebrities, but unlike Hollywood, they are not accosted by people wanting an autograph. In my experience and run-ins with celebrities, nobody has ever “bothered” them for an autograph; they are given some kind of privacy that was surprising and unexpected to me.
On the flip side, something I never experienced before moving to NYC were the people hanging out on the streets or sidewalks and using foul language without a care. It’s normal in NYC to hear people cursing as part of their normal way of speaking, whether they are wearing suits, a delivery uniform, chatting on their cell phones, or conversing with business associates or customers, and whether they are in the presence of children or the elderly. It doesn’t seem to occur to anyone that this might be offensive to passersby, they don’t care.
While it’s true that New Yorkers may be seen as some of the rudest people in the U.S., (i.e. they don’t bother to hold doors open for the people behind them, and they’ll run you over if you are in their way), they will also stop to give you directions or advice if you ask for help. Most people walking on the sidewalks don’t make eye contact, and if you smile at a stranger walking by, a look of suspicion or fear crosses their face. It’s amazing that with that many people around, most everyone keeps to themselves.
Lasting Impressions
Finally, you can’t believe everything you see in movies – not every subway station in NYC is a stage of crime waiting to happen, and not every apartment is rat-infested, or conversely, a million-dollar palace. New York City is filled with diversity, both good and bad, and it’s something you can’t truly experience in a one-week vacation. Whether the trials and tribulations of relocating, and actually living there, are worth it depends on each individual’s experience. I hope that documenting my experiences might help someone else make a better, more informed decision, or at least another idea about what can be expected. There’s a saying that I have come to believe is true: New York City – you either love it or hate it.
