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(the Long story short
- Move to NYC for breath of fresh air in the form of culture, a city my speed, and women who are more my type
- Give up a massive promotion and take a pay cut in the process.
I got a big decision about relocating to New York, but have a lot of huge factors to consider. Yes i'm sure this has been posted a thousand times.
Back story:
I'm from NY, but not NYC. Post college, I was afraid to move to NYC because of how expensive it was, and that I had about 50 grand in student loans to pay off. Moved elsewhere instead, turned out to be the smartest financial decision of all time. Got promoted twice within 4 years, paid off all my loans, and built a very sizable bankroll in the process. Now making six figures.
I am on the cusp of another 30k a year raise/promotion in Colorado, and about to turn 30. There is potential for a very fast career path here. I got a job here that I most likely wouldn't have gotten in NY because of the competition.
I have 4 major/minor reasons for moving to NYC, and they revolve around the same theme:
1.) Colorado is very outdoorsy. The outdoors ins't my thing, and that is the culture here. Because of this the dating scene is tough. I have no problem meeting woman but they all do the same things. Camping is fun, once or twice a year, not every weekend. I find the skyline of NYC a thousand times better than the view on top of a mountain. I get to the top, take two pictures, I'm like cool I've seen it lets get out of here.
2.) In my experience, most of the women I've met in Denver/Colorado work to live. Great lifestyle, completely opposite of me. This sounds judgmental on my part, and it totally is, but I don't want to really date someone who is waiting tables to save up money to go snow boarding all winter long. You might be thinking, why haven't you gone to a young professionals group, but Oh I have, and it's 30 guys to 1 girl.
3.) The food/ culture in Colorado is non existent. The food sucks, a decent slice of pizza is the other side of Denver, I eat out everyday and everything is either some farm to table spinoff or a burger. The culture is a mix of hippie stuff (Think salt caves to heal your soul) and granola stuff like columbia jacket sales for hiking a 14er.
4.) It's really dry here. Yes it's a desert, I get that, but the dryness brings about this brownish muted color to everything. Oh and half the state is on fire right now, burning up plumes of smoke throughout.
Cons of Moving to NYC:
1.) I indeed have a job lined up, but with taxes, and the line of work I do (heavy on commissions), it's a pay cut. I estimate the cut to be around 20%. I foresee a drop from 100k to 80k a year for factors completely out of my hands. If I were to be promoted in Colorado, which I feel I would be, that drop might be closer to 50k a year, as this is a lateral move and not a promotion.
2.) I hate NY Winters. Colorado is dry cold, so it's really like an extension of fall. The snow melts in a day, and it's not unusual for 65 degree days in mid January. I threw a BBQ in mid February of last year, was wearing shorts and a tee shirt.
3.) I would have to have a car in NY. This needs no elaboration.
I can offset costs of living with a roommate in a place like queens, no issue there, but undeniably it will be more expensive and it will be a payout for sure.
All of this is going to sound pretty dumb for anyone reading this, but what should I do? I don't want to be 65 one day and say I should have done that, but I also don't want to move and it be a grave mistake for career trajectory.
Life is short do what makes you happy. Don't let money control that. No one can decide but you.
IF you do leave current job, keep an open communication line with them. Express you want to try out NYC but may not want to be there forever and see if it would be possible if a job opens up down the line they would consider you going back.
And don't let people tell you you need 6 figures to survive in the city and have fun. I'm in a field that is not financially smart or brings me a lot of income. However I love my life. More money would be great, a better neighborhood would be wonderful but as I am I'm living a damn good life.
I wouldn't say just to find a woman but a big part of that is true I'm inching to 30 (it's kind that time), but more or less people to relate to, and culture. I just feel it's harder to relate to people here as the culture is around the outdoors/weed and people are defined by that. The city is 78% white. Legalization has brought about a huge boom, and the economy is excellent here. We are having a construction boom of the century and it's all modern luxury apartments that are pushing out any resemblance of culture, and bringing in people who are all about "Namaste", "Triathlon people" or "Stoners". That's not even really a generalization.
The locals for the most part dislike transplants, and have "Native" bumper stickers, as the change described above has changed what they were used to.
So I fall somewhere in the middle as a transplant (I do some things outdoors), I've met a lot of hostile locals, I've met some who they are nice to your face but kind of passive aggressive because you're not from here, and I've met some who are cool but even they admit they hate "Californians" "Texans" etc and their sole reasoning is that those states have moved here in droves.
The culture of Denver is beer, which is some of the best in the world, and the outdoors.
The transplants who blend in are about hiking a 14er every weekend. I workout 5 days a week, but hiking a 14er is a serious challenge. When you get above 12,000 feet it feels like you are hiking with a plastic bag over your head. It's not something I get excited to do every weekend. Frankly I don't want to hyperventilate up a mountain to stare at a bunch of brown grass and trees.
I would much rather try a new restaurant than go run a 10k. But how can I? When Anthony Bourdain said Denver's food scene was garbage, he is absolutely correct. Coloradans are proud of Tokyo Joe's, consider Chipotle genuine Mexican Cuisine.
So it's like move to the most competitive city in the country, take a massive pay cut with my company, and there is potential for a career downward spiral but be around friends/family nearby, culture and things I like, or stick it out here, take a massive pay raise, and eat non GMO food and pretend like I like yoga (It's not as grim as that).
If things pan out negatively from a move I don't want to be spending savings I've worked extremely hard to build. I have a lot of friends in NYC, they are afforded luxuries that I do not have. They can switch jobs rather than grind it out for 6 years with one company, as if they have a stint of unemployment they have parents that pay their rent without dipping into any savings. So naturally there is a fear there.
(the Long story short
- Move to NYC for breath of fresh air in the form of culture, a city my speed, and women who are more my type
- Give up a massive promotion and take a pay cut in the process.
I got a big decision about relocating to New York, but have a lot of huge factors to consider. Yes i'm sure this has been posted a thousand times.
Back story:
I'm from NY, but not NYC. Post college, I was afraid to move to NYC because of how expensive it was, and that I had about 50 grand in student loans to pay off. Moved elsewhere instead, turned out to be the smartest financial decision of all time. Got promoted twice within 4 years, paid off all my loans, and built a very sizable bankroll in the process. Now making six figures.
I am on the cusp of another 30k a year raise/promotion in Colorado, and about to turn 30. There is potential for a very fast career path here. I got a job here that I most likely wouldn't have gotten in NY because of the competition.
I have 4 major/minor reasons for moving to NYC, and they revolve around the same theme:
1.) Colorado is very outdoorsy. The outdoors ins't my thing, and that is the culture here. Because of this the dating scene is tough. I have no problem meeting woman but they all do the same things. Camping is fun, once or twice a year, not every weekend. I find the skyline of NYC a thousand times better than the view on top of a mountain. I get to the top, take two pictures, I'm like cool I've seen it lets get out of here.
2.) In my experience, most of the women I've met in Denver/Colorado work to live. Great lifestyle, completely opposite of me. This sounds judgmental on my part, and it totally is, but I don't want to really date someone who is waiting tables to save up money to go snow boarding all winter long. You might be thinking, why haven't you gone to a young professionals group, but Oh I have, and it's 30 guys to 1 girl.
3.) The food/ culture in Colorado is non existent. The food sucks, a decent slice of pizza is the other side of Denver, I eat out everyday and everything is either some farm to table spinoff or a burger. The culture is a mix of hippie stuff (Think salt caves to heal your soul) and granola stuff like columbia jacket sales for hiking a 14er.
4.) It's really dry here. Yes it's a desert, I get that, but the dryness brings about this brownish muted color to everything. Oh and half the state is on fire right now, burning up plumes of smoke throughout.
Cons of Moving to NYC:
1.) I indeed have a job lined up, but with taxes, and the line of work I do (heavy on commissions), it's a pay cut. I estimate the cut to be around 20%. I foresee a drop from 100k to 80k a year for factors completely out of my hands. If I were to be promoted in Colorado, which I feel I would be, that drop might be closer to 50k a year, as this is a lateral move and not a promotion.
2.) I hate NY Winters. Colorado is dry cold, so it's really like an extension of fall. The snow melts in a day, and it's not unusual for 65 degree days in mid January. I threw a BBQ in mid February of last year, was wearing shorts and a tee shirt.
3.) I would have to have a car in NY. This needs no elaboration.
I can offset costs of living with a roommate in a place like queens, no issue there, but undeniably it will be more expensive and it will be a payout for sure.
All of this is going to sound pretty dumb for anyone reading this, but what should I do? I don't want to be 65 one day and say I should have done that, but I also don't want to move and it be a grave mistake for career trajectory.
don't move to nyc for the women. Move for the food. Food does suck in denver. I've been there. The views were breathtaking though.
Weed is legal there, and I'm not sure why the Women you don't like them. I am from Queens and generally Colorado Women are easier to deal with in my experience. Maybe they are not good for a long term relationship if they are working to live like you say. But I think NYC women are the same in that respect to be honest. Many just work a bunch of OT during the week just to go to the hamptons on the weekend during the summer or the Poconos in the Winter. It's really not ANY easier to meet professional Women here either. Just like anywhere else you have sub-groups like the "Bridge and Tunnel" crowd from the various suburbs. When I was dating the Women who generally showed interest were always from some suburb, worked many hours and had limited availability and lived at home with parents to save money. So how is it any different if not worse than Denver?
People are moving from big cities to Colorado right now. I understand you want to experience NYC but frankly it's not worth it based on what you've got going on over there.
You say half the state is on fire - Compared to where? Compared to California I doubt it.
Regarding the car I'm confused on that point - You don't need a car here. Do you not have a car in Denver???
These days I would prioritize career first. You may think you are missing out but look at the other side of the coin. I'm a Native NYer that tried to live elsewhere but really couldn't. I have family outside of NY but not in States with good job prospects. I went to school in Philly to experience something different but couldn't see myself living there despite the lower cost of living. They don't have a lot of high paying jobs in my industry.
If you can make a great lifestyle outside of NYC I would say do it. Stack your $$$$ and fly here on vacation if that's what you really want to do. But I think you have a romantic idea of NYC and it really just isn't that way anymore. You are better off going to Mall of America because that's what this city has become basically.
A $120k in Denver will take you a hell of a lot further than $120k here.
Why would you salary be lower in NYC for the same job?
To tell his friends he live in NYC
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