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Hello everyone,
I'm new to this forum and I think you're all great.
Well, as the title says, I'm single mother living in Europe now and planning to move to NYC. I have 2 kids, 12 and 15. We'll planning to move sometime on winter-spring 2011 but I think it's time to check all our possibilities. By the time we move, kids will be 13 and 16, meaning they'll go to high school (public).
I was thinking to get a job in business administration (PA, EA, AA or something similar - I have 10+ years experience but only a high school diploma) and as far as I could see the salaries vary from 40,000 to 180,000 (WOW!!!). I can also work part time as yoga instructor or nail technician.
I need help in choosing right schools (districts), safe neighborhoods (Manhattan). How much should I make a year in order to have decent life? Is finding a 100k job realistic goal or not? Is this even possible or am I dreaming?
Any advice is welcome and any kind of help is highly desirable.
Thanks in advance.
Are you moving with a green card? If not, you're going to have a very hard time, because you can't legally work here without one if you're not a US citizen.
If you're asking if you can make $100k+ with 1) teachig yoga, 2) doing manicures, or 3) getting a "business" job with only a high school diploma, the resoundig answer is NO. You could maybe cobble together $45-50k with a business position and yoga/nails, but that will not provide a good standard of living for you and your kids.
Furthermore, if you are not a US Citizen, you will need a company to sponsor your work visa. Companies that do sponsor visas are hiring recent Oxford/ Cambridge graduates or highly specialized managers in their field.
Not trying to he harsh- just realistic. The unemployment rate in NYC is hovering around 10%, and in many industries (ie, finance) is significantly higher. There are finance managers with 20 years experience and MBAs from Ivy League schools that are currently unemployed in NYC.
PS- To meet your requirements of a safe neighborhood with good schools in Manhattan and a "decent" standard of living (ie, each child has his/her own bedroom), you would need to make $200-400k per year. Seriously.
I am not US citizen but I will have a green card by then. I checked monster and careerbuilder jobs and I believe I can get a decent Executive Assistant job with my experience and languages spoken. Salaries are around 100k. Can I provide decent life with that much? I also checked apartments and it seems that I can find 2 to 3 bdr for less than 3,000 (midtown and lower manhattan - craiglist). Is that true?
Come on guys, I don't need to be discouraged. I need some good info and support, I've had it enough trouble by being a single mother, doesn't it say enough?
Thanks :-)
I am not US citizen but I will have a green card by then. I checked monster and careerbuilder jobs and I believe I can get a decent Executive Assistant job with my experience and languages spoken. Salaries are around 100k. Can I provide decent life with that much? I also checked apartments and it seems that I can find 2 to 3 bdr for less than 3,000 (midtown and lower manhattan - craiglist). Is that true?
Come on guys, I don't need to be discouraged. I need some good info and support, I've had it enough trouble by being a single mother, doesn't it say enough?
Thanks :-)
I pay 2200 dollars for a studio...that should tell you something...an i know thats a little pricey but the cheapest rent i can think of is 1500 for a STUDIO. ie. no bed room...
Also monster and careerbuilder are probibly the worst websites for job hunting since most of those jobs aren't real and for everyone 1 jobs 10,000 people apply it seems. A company won't spend the extra money to "send away" for someone when there are plenty of people here.
I believe there are 3 ways to get a job in NYC
1. Be from the ivy league
2. Go to an NYC school and take advantage of career services
3. Know a lot of people.
I chose option 2.
As for being a single mom and needing support...maybe you should look to your family and not an online forum. You won't find much sympathy here...
Thanks. Anyway I was looking for some information only, not support or sympathy.
As for the job goes and a company spending the extra money to "send away" for someone when there are plenty of people there, I won't need that either. I'll be there and I'll pay for all the expenses. What are you saying, people with high school diploma cannot live in Manhattan?
I contacted some real estate companies and they've sent me a list with 3 bdr properties for 3,000 or less.
I wanted to know if I can provide a good life with 100k and if you can recommend a neighborhood and high schools, that's all.
So if anyone has any valuable information and doesn't intend to put me down, please let me know.
Come on people, where's the optimism?
And by the way, I've managed to have more than decent life so far, on my own, living in Asia and Europe.
If nothing else, keep your fingers crossed and wish me luck!
Thanks. Anyway I was looking for some information only, not support or sympathy.
As for the job goes and a company spending the extra money to "send away" for someone when there are plenty of people there, I won't need that either. I'll be there and I'll pay for all the expenses. What are you saying, people with high school diploma cannot live in Manhattan?
I contacted some real estate companies and they've sent me a list with 3 bdr properties for 3,000 or less.
I wanted to know if I can provide a good life with 100k and if you can recommend a neighborhood and high schools, that's all.
So if anyone has any valuable information and doesn't intend to put me down, please let me know.
Come on people, where's the optimism?
And by the way, I've managed to have more than decent life so far, on my own, living in Asia and Europe.
If nothing else, keep your fingers crossed and wish me luck!
Mod cut: not necessary.
As for your questions,
Depending on where your living now, $100K here might not give you the same living style as you have now. If your in London per se, then you will have no problems with the lifestyle here. My suggestion would be to forget about Manhattan and consider moving out to the suburbs like Queens or New Jersey. You won't be able to afford the Manhattan areas with good schools if you want a 3-bedroom in a safe area. But there are very nice areas in Queens that have good schools and you'll be paying less much less than $3K, which will help in your standard of living. Look at places like Forest Hills, Fresh Meadows, Bayside, of Little Neck. The downside would be it's suburbia living and will probably take about 45-60minute commute into Manhattan.
Don't get caught up by what realtors send you. Those 3-bedrooms for under $3K are either very small and in 5-story walk-up buildings, or a 2-bedroom convertible (which is a 2-bedroom apt that turns the living space into a 3rd bedroom). Be specific and ask for a "TRUE" or "REAL" 3-bedroom, and your options will change. Also, most of the good schools in Manhattan are in the Upper East Side, and I don't think you will be able to afford there even with $100K.
Honestly, the lack of a college degree with limit you here. Executive Assts. pay well, but also have a lot of competition. You might have 10+yrs experience, but there are 5,000 other applicants with 10+yrs experience with a college degree. Its good to be confident, but you also have to be realistic too.
Lastly, your asking a little early. NYC can change in 3 months, no less 18 months. If your not moving until middle of 2011, then you should be asking your questions again in December 2010. Real estate markets and job markets will change a lot by next year. So whatever you get now will be irrelevent by next yr.
Thanks all; found a place with a roommate in the east village area, no lease/month to month, so I should be able to pick up and leave when I find an apartment at the right price.
Any suggestions of places I should check out? I'm looking for places I wouldn't be able to open any random tourist flier and find out about
Stay away from any place that is in a touristy areas (like Times Square) and has a line of people waiting. Chances are, they all read about it in their "Visiting NYC" guidebooks. I noticed you said you were also a photography enthusiast. I am one as well. Go to Meetup.com and join some photography groups in the area (there are plenty). Most are free, and it's a great chance for you to see parts of the city, meet new people, and take pictures.
FYI, NYC landlords have a standard income formula to calculate how much rent you can afford. It is your annual income divided by 40. This is followed very strictly with few/no exceptions.
So IF you landed a $100k job, the maximum rent you'd be approved for is $2,500. I can't imagine anywhere (other than parts of Harlem or the really sketchy eastern fringe of the East Villagd & Lower East Side) where you could find a big enough 2-3 bedroom for your family.
Also, do some research online about NY public schools. Most of the high schoools, including many in Manhattan are rough and provide sub-standard education. There are honors/ gifted/ magnet schools that are public & of exceptional quality, but they are extremely competitive to get into.
You asked for advice and we're all giving you realistic advice. If you think your family could have a decent life in London on 50,000 Pounds/ Year, then, yes you could have a decent life in Manhattan. But the public schools are much better in Europe overall, as is access to and affordability of healthcare.
Also, be aware that $100k in NYC is about $60-65k per year after paying federal, state, and city income taxes.
Thank you danameless. This was very helpful. I will take suburbia into consideration as well if nothing else than because of the safety and schools. I guess 60 mins commute won't kill me, it's not better in here either. I don't know, it's maybe me not being New Yorker but Queens doesn't sound so appealing to me. Maybe New Jersey is better, or some other area. We'll see. As you said there is more than enough time and everything can change by then. I am considering other states and cities as well, like LA, San Francisco, Boston, Chicago...
Apartments that I've got form realtors were real 3 bedroom (at least that's what they said) and were on east side between 70 and 90 street, Chelsea, east or west 20 to 30. And yes, some were walkups but some not and there were more than few with doorman as well. They all look fine on the photos that they've sent me. So, I don't know, what do you think, they are not real.
Hmmm, high schools are tricky. I don't know how to check them and I've picked few so far: Millennium High School, School of the Future, Baruch College Campus high School, bard High School, Eleanor Roosevelt. Do you have any suggestions? I found greatschools.net website with ratings but I don't know how reliable is that. Is there any other site for that?
I know that college degree would help in getting better job and I was planning to complete at least some vocational program. I have valuable experience in big multinational companies and great recommendations and I speak 5 languages, so let's hope for the best.
Thank you once again. All the info was very helpful.
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