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You can get by on $50k and even less yearly here in NYC, but why would you want to? Unless you already have a job here that will pay more over time, living on approx. $50k will leave you house poor. Even with roommates, you will find most of your income will go towards rent. After that there is the cost of commuting to work, food, clothes and laundry, etc. There won't be much money left to enjoy all the fun in NYC, like restaurants and bars, music and movies, not to mention dating. The worst part of living in NYC is being so close to so many cultural, food, and entertainment venues, but not being able to afford to partake in them.
NYC doesn't have just one lifestyle. Not all cultural, food, and entertainment venues are expensive, the trendy ones sure, all of them? No. Just look around Queens, different cultures and food everywhere. Most of it is affordable. If you're idea of NYC are the bars in Williamsburg, living the in the village, shopping in Chelsea, etc., you're going to hate living here on 50K a year. But not everyone cares about that. And with a 50K salary, you don't have to always rent. Co-Ops can be fairly cheap, it's not hard to save up a 20/30% downpayment to buy one after a couple of years on a 50K salary.
It's like living anywhere else. You live where you can afford. There are areas of every town which suit every socio-economic group. You budget, save, spend and with luck skill and desire can reach what you want
My last post for this thread is that make sure you have solid game plan lined up if you want to make the transition to NYC. I met so many who didn't and fared very poorly in the meat grinder known as NYC.
I also met many who had solid game plan and did very well for themselves. One of my buddy saved up much money as possible working and quit his job so he can work at Jean George restaurant. He now makes $300 a week but he is working at Jean George in the kitchen!
He is basically in the red every month but he knew that so he had cash buffer ready. He lives in 2 bedroom apartment in Queens and shares it with 3 people. He is going to do this for 2-5 years and after that, dude is going to be pretty set. To clarify, my buddy has been saving for 5 years to make this move to work at Jean George.
Am going to say this once to address the multitude of "how do New Yorkers......" and so forth survive posts.
In a word get over yourselves!
Real New Yorkers survive because we are tough and know how to hustle and or run game if needed to get where we need to go. This is New York City baby, not "We Grow Corn, Iowa" or similar backwater. We move with the dollar baby and if you cannot keep up step aside........
New Yorkers going back years know what their monthly nut is versus what they've got and learn how to make the two meet some how and some way.
I don't care where you go in this great City and who you meet; white, black, Latino/Hispanic, Italian, Irish, German, etc... if they are real New Yorkers they know how to bust a move and get their hustle on. Defeat is admitted only when *ALL* other options and angles have been cut off. Even then until the blade comes down looking for a last minute reprieve.
One of the reasons am beginning to warm up to the vast numbers of illegal immigrants in the City is because by and large they GET IT! You see our Latino/Hispanic brothers and sisters out there busting they behinds working one, two or three jobs, digging for bottles out of rubbish bin liners, offering to take work that many native NYers of all races won't touch to put meat on the table and keep a roof over their heads.
Problem with NYC today is many natives or whatever have gone soft. Too much depending upon others has weakened their survival instincts. Folks sit around waiting for something to happen rather than making it happen. All these "hipsters" and "transplants" that came here at one time and either found a good gig or that is what brought them in the first place now find that is gone. When they cannot slip easily into another they sit around wailing "no one is helping me", again step aside.....
Am going to say this once to address the multitude of "how do New Yorkers......" and so forth survive posts.
In a word get over yourselves!
Real New Yorkers survive because we are tough and know how to hustle and or run game if needed to get where we need to go. This is New York City baby, not "We Grow Corn, Iowa" or similar backwater. We move with the dollar baby and if you cannot keep up step aside........
New Yorkers going back years know what their monthly nut is versus what they've got and learn how to make the two meet some how and some way.
I don't care where you go in this great City and who you meet; white, black, Latino/Hispanic, Italian, Irish, German, etc... if they are real New Yorkers they know how to bust a move and get their hustle on. Defeat is admitted only when *ALL* other options and angles have been cut off. Even then until the blade comes down looking for a last minute reprieve.
One of the reasons am beginning to warm up to the vast numbers of illegal immigrants in the City is because by and large they GET IT! You see our Latino/Hispanic brothers and sisters out there busting they behinds working one, two or three jobs, digging for bottles out of rubbish bin liners, offering to take work that many native NYers of all races won't touch to put meat on the table and keep a roof over their heads.
Problem with NYC today is many natives or whatever have gone soft. Too much depending upon others has weakened their survival instincts. Folks sit around waiting for something to happen rather than making it happen. All these "hipsters" and "transplants" that came here at one time and either found a good gig or that is what brought them in the first place now find that is gone. When they cannot slip easily into another they sit around wailing "no one is helping me", again step aside.....
Great to see how passionate you are about the city and it's daily grind. Kudos to you.
My last post for this thread is that make sure you have solid game plan lined up if you want to make the transition to NYC. I met so many who didn't and fared very poorly in the meat grinder known as NYC.
I also met many who had solid game plan and did very well for themselves. One of my buddy saved up much money as possible working and quit his job so he can work at Jean George restaurant. He now makes $300 a week but he is working at Jean George in the kitchen!
He is basically in the red every month but he knew that so he had cash buffer ready. He lives in 2 bedroom apartment in Queens and shares it with 3 people. He is going to do this for 2-5 years and after that, dude is going to be pretty set. To clarify, my buddy has been saving for 5 years to make this move to work at Jean George.
Interesting. I have been told that a newcomer must come with money saved up just incase. I can make that happen no problem. I see so many stories of people who just jump ship and move there, then start job hunting. I would hope that once I have my degree I can have a job lined up before I went, if I did at all. I do hear that jobs are very competitive in NYC, but nothing comes easy.
I moved here from ca. Many years ago, worked hard made a comfortable living and was very happy. Moved away to Dallas and thought it would yield a much better lifestyle with a lower cost of living. I was so very wrong. Although everything was much cheaper the cut in pay did not make up for the cost of living difference. Mostly everyone worked two jobs and had little to no social life at all. They have a good club scene if you're young and into that but not much else good I have to say about it. I came back to NY and don't plan on asking that mistake again. To all you whiny NYers complaining about it here take your own advice and leave. Long story short, this city is what you make of it. It's a microcosm of the entire country and offers just about every lifestyle within the tri-state area. Don't listen to CD and follow what you desire in life.
I moved here from ca. Many years ago, worked hard made a comfortable living and was very happy. Moved away to Dallas and thought it would yield a much better lifestyle with a lower cost of living. I was so very wrong. Although everything was much cheaper the cut in pay did not make up for the cost of living difference. Mostly everyone worked two jobs and had little to no social life at all. They have a good club scene if you're young and into that but not much else good I have to say about it. I came back to NY and don't plan on asking that mistake again. To all you whiny NYers complaining about it here take your own advice and leave. Long story short, this city is what you make of it. It's a microcosm of the entire country and offers just about every lifestyle within the tri-state area. Don't listen to CD and follow what you desire in life.
I love that about NYC. So many choices, full of people on a constant grind with a different lifestyle. Love it.
The pay is slightly higher out here. It's also easier to find randoms side or seasonal jobs to supplement income. Many people live with roommates well into their 30's (just a reality out here). Saving money on car insurance, parking tickets, gas, car payment, car repairs can also do wonders. In LA I was paying around $600-700 a month just for car-related expenses.
Otherwise -- you learn to adjust.
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