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I enjoy reading the posts from the young people hoping to move to NYC. I wish you all the best and I enjoy sharing what I know to assist.
As a native NYer, I never considered living here a big deal, though ...
I left NYC at age 22 because I hated living with my folks but couldn't afford my own place, didn't want roommates (been there, did that in college), couldn't move in with a boyfriend to share costs (conservative parents) and there were plenty of job opportunities out of state, where the cost of living was nice and cheap. I established myself in a career and returned at age 26 and have lived here ever since in some nice but neither "hipster" nor "trendy" neighborhoods, no more than 30 minutes from some hot part of town if I wanted to hang out.
Given all of the financial obstacles to be able to live in a safe, trendy/hipster neighborhood with good amenities (cafes, restaurants, shops, and a subway station), how can you afford it if you're 22 and starting out, and don't have parents with money?
Not judging anyone. I am just really very curious.
Also, if you're unable to "make it here" what's your second choice?
I enjoy reading the posts from the young people hoping to move to NYC. I wish you all the best and I enjoy sharing what I know to assist.
As a native NYer, I never considered living here a big deal, though ...
I left NYC at age 22 because I hated living with my folks but couldn't afford my own place, didn't want roommates (been there, did that in college), couldn't move in with a boyfriend to share costs (conservative parents) and there were plenty of job opportunities out of state, where the cost of living was nice and cheap. I established myself in a career and returned at age 26 and have lived here ever since in some nice but neither "hipster" nor "trendy" neighborhoods, no more than 30 minutes from some hot part of town if I wanted to hang out.
Given all of the financial obstacles to be able to live in a safe, trendy/hipster neighborhood with good amenities (cafes, restaurants, shops, and a subway station), how can you afford it if you're 22 and starting out, and don't have parents with money?
Not judging anyone. I am just really very curious.
Also, if you're unable to "make it here" what's your second choice?
This is a very good question. It is hard but some people get lucky enough to land a decent paying job and may move to the outer areas. I think it is possible to have all that if you now how to budget.
Well, I moved here at 24 and already had an MA and some excellent work experience, so I'm probably not quite the demographic you're looking for, but here were my two main reasons:
1) I work in theater and the career opportunities here are endless. I'd have to move here at some point as my career grows, so why not start out here and get a jump on things?
2) The love of my life lives here and his job is anchored here, so he's not leaving any time soon. He's very comfortable financially and that has helped make up for the pitiful sum I call my income (we live together and he insists on taking on the bulk of the financial burden).
By the time I moved here, I'd already lived in LA, London and Manchester, so I understood city living and had time to save up a bit before moving. There's no way I would have moved here fresh out of college with no job, savings or experience.
The love of my life lives here and his job is anchored here, so he's not leaving any time soon. He's very comfortable financially and that has helped make up for the pitiful sum I call my income (we live together and he insists on taking on the bulk of the financial burden).
I see many people who live with boyfriends/girlfriends and you're all very fortunate to have this option to share costs. But if that had not been an option, would it have been possible for you to move to NYC?
I've moved here to start a job. When I started looking for jobs I was interested in nyc because i am in a design field and there are jobs here, but I also applied for jobs in tons of other cities.
I am glad I found a job in new york though. I'm not making much (35K) and I dont have parents with money (although my mother was kind enough to write me a small check to tide me over before I get my first pay check), but I am confident that I can budget myself comfortably.
I would not have moved here if I didn't have a job and 10K saved up.
I wanted to move back to NYC right after college, especially since there are 3 top business schools there where I could have gone for my MBA. But as stated, it is too expensive and I was just turning 21 at the time. The grad schools are expensive on their own and when you add the cost of living it's not feasible. I stayed in FL and started my career here. Now I have an MBA and a great resume and am trying to move to NYC. Much more feasible when you have a lot of money in the bank and a well-paying career. My husband and I are still young- I'm 25 and he's 27, but we have our ducks in a row now.
Well if you can't afford it here, you probably won't be able to stick around for long. But I know a lot of 20-somethings who don't have any help, and they work as many hours a week as possible, likely not breaking 24k a year before taxes, they pay as little in rent as possible, have usually 2 other roommates, pay usually between $500-800, live an hour's commute from work, usually in Queens or remote and/or undesirable parts of Brooklyn, and, well, you just have to scrape by if you want to live here. You get food as cheap as possible, you only go out for drinks rarely, don't buy stuff at all, sort of just work and live, and have fun for free! Moving here from other parts of the country is a dream because NYC is such a fantasy for everyone and is the land of "opportunity." Some people move here without having spent a significant amount of time here, or even any time here, and maybe they come to realize it ain't The Devil Wears Prada!
I see many people who live with boyfriends/girlfriends and you're all very fortunate to have this option to share costs. But if that had not been an option, would it have been possible for you to move to NYC?
Well, I waited a year before moving in with him (moving in together after 8 months of long distance was too much for both of us) and I lived the starving artist lifestyle- crappy apartment, crappy food, only going out if we went on a date, and I wouldn't have done that if I hadn't known something better was coming along. So to answer your question, I did move knowing I'd be on my own financially for the first year and still moved, but I'd moved to England from LA under similar circumstances so I knew how to deal with the situation. If not for him, I would have stayed in England and moved once I had more professional clout and more savings.
It's an interesting question, and I'm curious to read everyone's responses.
As for me, I'm in my 20s and am moving because of grad school. NY was a huge draw for me, and the program in NYC was still cheaper than any of my other options, even with the outrageous cost of living.
That said, I'm not having to put myself into debt in order to do it, and am also blessed enough to have a family who can afford for me to live alone in Manhattan without any undue burden on them.
That said, I'm not having to put myself into debt in order to do it, and am also blessed enough to have a family who can afford for me to live alone in Manhattan without any undue burden on them.
That is always a good reason. I was lucky to have a mother who put me through college, and she was able to easily afford it because I went to state school and had some decent scholarships. I had wanted to come to New York for college, but now that I have spent 4 years at a school and town I loved and do kinda miss, Im glad I didn't, since it meant being able to move here with no student loans or debt of any sort.
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