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A lot of young people seem to want to move to NYC without any job offer. I think that they are being naive, but I do admire their zest.
One thing that is offered to these young people very rarely on this forum is to move somewhere near NYC, like for example, suburb in NJ. It's only a train ride away, and they can look for a job without spending NYC cost of living while supporting themselves with a fast food job. If they find something sort of good, they can move closer, like Jersey City. If they find even better, then they can move to Manhattan.
I think it's safer and wiser to do this step by step. But most young people seem to want to make this happen NOW. Why are they so impatient? They have 60 more years to live!!
By the way, this seems to be what I've been doing in the last couple of years although unintentionally (I live in Jersey City, but the circumstance with my girlfriend seems to be pushing us toward NYC).
One of the problems with this advice is that a huge number of young people who want to move to NYC and other large cities are doing so because they are trying to escape the suburban lives they grew up in. It represents a major change in sentiment that almost rivals the exodus from cities TO the suburbs in the 1960's and 1970's.The last thing a lot of them want to hear is that they should move to another suburb when their total rejection of the suburban lifestyle has led them to a point where they would rather live in a windowless room in a very iffy inner city neighborhood.They don't even want to consider the "suburban like" neighborhoods of the city that are on subway lines and only 30 or 40 minutes from midtown.
And it's not just job seeking young people.More and more married couples with families are deciding to stay in the city rather than follow the traditional route to the suburbs once the kids appear and more and more empty nesters are selling their houses in the suburbs and moving back into cities.
All of this is why NYC continues to gain population and rents have continued to escalate despite the economic times.
I second that bluedog. Can you imagine someone dreaming of moving to NYC from middle America/suburban hell and you recommend they move to Morristown, NJ instead! Yikes! And then if you find something "good" you move to Jersey City. Double Yikes! Talk about bad advice...geez.
And for the record, why poopoo on a kids desire to move to NYC, with or without a job offer? Life isn't all about the money..it's about the experiences you have, good and bad. Moving to NYC is a dream for many, especially the youth.
There are a billion reasons to move to NYC...and $$$ is just one of them. It is only naive to move to NYC without a job when you believe it will take you 1 week to get your dream job, you'll be earning $150,000 and living in a 2,000 sf Tribeca Loft. Otherwise if you are grounded and realistic, moving to NYC without a job is scary, exciting, nerve-racking, and will provide you experiences (good and bad) which I believe will not only make you a better person, it will help you to realize what is really important in your life and provide you with clearer direction.
I second that bluedog. Can you imagine someone dreaming of moving to NYC from middle America/suburban hell and you recommend they move to Morristown, NJ instead! Yikes! And then if you find something "good" you move to Jersey City. Double Yikes! Talk about bad advice...geez.
And for the record, why poopoo on a kids desire to move to NYC, with or without a job offer? Life isn't all about the money..it's about the experiences you have, good and bad. Moving to NYC is a dream for many, especially the youth.
There are a billion reasons to move to NYC...and $$$ is just one of them. It is only naive to move to NYC without a job when you believe it will take you 1 week to get your dream job, you'll be earning $150,000 and living in a 2,000 sf Tribeca Loft. Otherwise if you are grounded and realistic, moving to NYC without a job is scary, exciting, nerve-racking, and will provide you experiences (good and bad) which I believe will not only make you a better person, it will help you to realize what is really important in your life and provide you with clearer direction.
Jersey City wouldn't be such bad advice, although parts of it have become quite absurdly expensive. It's very urban and has easy subway access via PATH to some of the hippest parts of NYC. Not that different from living in the lower LES, really.
Morristown is of course the sort of advice that someone is going to tune out.
I second that bluedog. Can you imagine someone dreaming of moving to NYC from middle America/suburban hell and you recommend they move to Morristown, NJ
morristown lol - that's not a gateway to nyc, that's a gateway to suburban hell
A lot of young people seem to want to move to NYC without any job offer. I think that they are being naive, but I do admire their zest.
One thing that is offered to these young people very rarely on this forum is to move somewhere near NYC, like for example, suburb in NJ. It's only a train ride away, and they can look for a job without spending NYC cost of living while supporting themselves with a fast food job. If they find something sort of good, they can move closer, like Jersey City. If they find even better, then they can move to Manhattan.
I think it's safer and wiser to do this step by step. But most young people seem to want to make this happen NOW. Why are they so impatient? They have 60 more years to live!!
By the way, this seems to be what I've been doing in the last couple of years although unintentionally (I live in Jersey City, but the circumstance with my girlfriend seems to be pushing us toward NYC).
Atsushi
You think you can afford to live in the most expensive state in the country by working at a fast food joint? Stop in on the NJ forum sometime and see all the poor souls who think they'll be able to move to NJ and find a one-bedroom apartment for less than $1000.
Just for fun and since someone mentioned Morristown, I did a search on Realtor for rentals in Morristown, one bedrooms for $1000. No properties found. $1100 -- No properties found. $1200 - One property found. $1300 - 3 properties found.
On a fast-food salary you could probably rent a room in Paterson or the slummy section of Hackensack. The upside is those cities have soup kitchens and food pantries.
Morristown is of course the sort of advice that someone is going to tune out.
I can imagine the and on people's faces as a friend or family member tried to explain their rationale for moving to Morristown, NJ. Saying you're moving to New York City is kind of self explanatory though, and people are usually either intrigued or offended, but the underlying message it sends is pretty clear I think.
The other thing to factor is cost of commute, especially if it's not a PATH train. Buses/commuter rail to subway/etc. can be expensive, especially if one is working in Manhttan at a low-wage job.
__________________
All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.
~William Shakespeare (As You Like It Act II, Scene VII)
One of the problems with this advice is that a huge number of young people who want to move to NYC and other large cities are doing so because they are trying to escape the suburban lives they grew up in. It represents a major change in sentiment that almost rivals the exodus from cities TO the suburbs in the 1960's and 1970's.The last thing a lot of them want to hear is that they should move to another suburb when their total rejection of the suburban lifestyle has led them to a point where they would rather live in a windowless room in a very iffy inner city neighborhood.They don't even want to consider the "suburban like" neighborhoods of the city that are on subway lines and only 30 or 40 minutes from midtown.
And it's not just job seeking young people.More and more married couples with families are deciding to stay in the city rather than follow the traditional route to the suburbs once the kids appear and more and more empty nesters are selling their houses in the suburbs and moving back into cities.
All of this is why NYC continues to gain population and rents have continued to escalate despite the economic times.
Maybe the elite and snippy people in Manhattan or Brooklyn. Go into Queens and it's turning into Asian country along with Russians. Some of these people have been in this country for years and they still cannot speak a word of English.
Go into the Hudson Valley and ask where people came from - most of the time its from NYC or Long Island. It's a reason why development has been booming here along with Metro-North ridership.
Young people for generations on end have been drawn to NYC mainly because what they see on TV/Movies/Media etc etc. This is really nothing new..They come here and either the city eats them up and they go home or they live here for few years while paying $1,000 a month for a closet.
If you actually want to have a life and not want to rent your whole life you don't live the city. Even the suburbs the houses are expensive with taxes, but at least you get more property for your money.
The problem, as has been said, is not the move to NYC in and of itself... the problem is young people's unrealistic expectations.
I myself moved to NYC with literally almost nothing, because I wanted to live in NYC more than anything. BUT... that having been said... before I even set foot in NYC for my move, I knew that I would want to rent a ROOM, and that it would likely be no bigger than a closet. And having said THAT... I knew also that living in Manhattan actual was not at all realistic, so I knew going in, that I would look for someplace in the outer boroughs, like Brooklyn or Queens. My only requirement was that I live in NYC... not specifically Manhattan, though I did want easy access to Manhattan. I also live on a strict budget... a McDonalds budget.
But the problem is that a lot of people only see the NYC on TV... the WB shows where a bunch of trendy hipster kids who look like they're out of an Abercrombie & Fitch ad all live together in the same apartment building, which has unrealistically large rooms, and do nothing but hang out at Starbucks all day. They think it's all Sex and the City or Seinfeld. It's not.
The harsh truth is that yes, you CAN be happy in NYC, but you need to go into it knowing what the reality is. I don't mind at all living outside of Manhattan, as long as I am close enough to go there for a day or so on the weekend, and enjoy it a bit. That's totally enough for me. If you DO want to live in Manhattan actual... you'd better know what to expect, and what you can afford. Otherwise, it'll be a rude awakening.
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and 
on people's faces as a friend or family member tried to explain their rationale for moving to Morristown, NJ. Saying you're moving to New York City is kind of self explanatory though, and people are usually either intrigued or offended, but the underlying message it sends is pretty clear I think.
