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I am seeking advice from the crowd on relocating to NYC from Atlanta, GA. My employment situation is great, I am no stranger to NYC as I have been doing business in the city for the last 10 years. I truly welcome any advice and appreciate your feedback.
I currently live in Atlanta.
I am in software sales and currently travel / work in NYC and the east coast region. I make great money ( $300-$500K annually)
I have always been torn between the easy going lifestyle of Atlanta and the Excitement of NYC.
I know NYC well, I love the people there - it seems that everyone in NYC is smarter, more driven and amazing.
I know Atlanta well, life here is nice, it is a city that is improving, having a good living space, good weather and a flexible lifestyle it is productive and healthy. I have been successful here.
I am very much torn between the two locations. The Pro's and Con's of NYC are extreme.
I work out of my house, which is very different than many people in NYC, business is very virtual now. I think it would be difficult to live/work out of a small apartment in NYC.
I am 35 years old and single.
Money at this point is not a huge factor in my decision, the increase in rent would be marginal.My current rent in ATL is $2,700 monthly.
I would move to NYC to change my personal life, as I sometimes feel Atlanta is not fulfilling me 100%
Question for the crowd:
Should I move to NYC, and why? If you were in the same situation, great money good life work balance, what would I gain by moving to NYC?
You will be trading weather for networking. If you want 4 seasons and more things to do on a daily basis move to NYC. If you want to enjoy open spaces and nice weather year round stay in ATL.
It sounds as if the move won't impact your business life very much--if I read your post correctly, you're saying that basically you'll be able maintain your current job and salary even if you move, correct?
I used to live in Atlanta (metro-area), and went to school at UGA, so I have some perspective to share with you. Also, we happen to be the same age. Now, I'm sure that Atl has changed a lot in the almost 15 years that've passed since I lived there, but I can say that I've never once regretted leaving to come to NYC. To me, Atlanta always seemed like, as capital of the "New South", a place that desperately wanted to be New York (while at the same time rejecting some of New York's central values). You could see this at the time in lots of places--even down to the structure of the High Museum!--but some of that may have changed. Anyway, my thinking was, why not be in the real thing?
Housing-wise, if you maintain your current salary, you should be able to find a very decent luxury apartment that'll afford you quite a bit of space. You may have to pay 3x as much if you go that sort of housing route, but again, if you maintain your currently salary that shouldn't break the bank. If you decide to go non-luxury, but just find a nice apartment in a good neighborhood, you could definitely get a 3 bedroom with lots of space for under $6k.
Also, if you're willing to live outside of Manhattan you could possibly rent an entire brownstone or house in certain areas. Undoubtedly, you will sacrifice space, but it doesn't have to be that severe. If you're not familiar with it, check www.brownstoner.com--it's a real estate-centric blog dedicated to Brooklyn. They have housing and rental picks every day, many times for whole homes in areas like Prospect Heights, etc (landmarked areas). That could give a little perspective on a non-Manhattan, non modern/luxury, high end rental. Another good resource, that's actually a search engine for housing, would be streeteasy.com.
As a newcomer to the city, I would definitely recommend working with a broker to find housing--you can afford it, and generally the brokers have access to better apartments. Work with several, just find some apartment listings and start calling.
As a single 35 year old in the city--you should have plenty of disposable income, so if you're interested in meeting someone that shouldn't be a problem either.
I've gone on too long, but if you have any specific questions, I'd be happy to answer them.
I am seeking advice from the crowd on relocating to NYC from Atlanta, GA. My employment situation is great, I am no stranger to NYC as I have been doing business in the city for the last 10 years. I truly welcome any advice and appreciate your feedback.
I currently live in Atlanta.
I am in software sales and currently travel / work in NYC and the east coast region. I make great money ( $300-$500K annually)
I have always been torn between the easy going lifestyle of Atlanta and the Excitement of NYC.
I know NYC well, I love the people there - it seems that everyone in NYC is smarter, more driven and amazing.
I know Atlanta well, life here is nice, it is a city that is improving, having a good living space, good weather and a flexible lifestyle it is productive and healthy. I have been successful here.
I am very much torn between the two locations. The Pro's and Con's of NYC are extreme.
I work out of my house, which is very different than many people in NYC, business is very virtual now. I think it would be difficult to live/work out of a small apartment in NYC.
I am 35 years old and single.
Money at this point is not a huge factor in my decisioun, the increase in rent would be marginal.My current rent in ATL is $2,700 monthly.
I would move to NYC to change my personal life, as I sometimes feel Atlanta is not fulfilling me 100%
Question for the crowd:
Should I move to NYC, and why? If you were in the same situation, great money good life work balance, what would I gain by moving to NYC?
Well, first things first, you are fortunate to have the income to make a move to NYC work w/o a great drop in lifestyle. Though, your are incorrect to think that your monthly costs, including rent, will be marginal.
To maintain an equivalent living condition, in NYC, you will likely need to double your monthly rental, in addition to other increased costs. IF, you choose to life "the life", your entertainment costs will BALOON!!
You also wondered if it would work, doing business in a small NYC apartment. Simple solution, get a BIG NYC apartment, you have the income, unlike many NYers.
Depending upon just how much you want to spend, location, and amenities, a 1200 to 2000 square foot apartment is within your income realm, $5K to $6K per month in Manhattan, of course you can easily spend more. One thing I suggest is to go with a truly FULL SERVICE building, helps a lot when working from home. Doorman (2 are better than one), porters, repairman, trained certified superintendant, and especially a Concierge, which can be a great aid if doing w/o an assistant.
If you need to go about the tri State visiting clients and potential clients, then you'll need a vehicle (of course, you could rent), and a place to keep the vehicle. So a building with a garage (and staff).
The point being a $2700 apartment really isn't going to cut it in Manhattan, but you can consider Queens (Hunters Point or Forest Hills) or Brooklyn (Brooklyn Heights, Park Slope, etc.) In either you will get much of the above at a lower cost. You could also consider Hoboken or Newport (especially if you do significant business in NJ.)
Of course, there is the option of purchasing, Coop, Condo, or house. NYC real estate continues to appreciate.
*****
Whether to choose NYC or not, is too personal a choice. Your post does not convey what you are seeking in your "personal life" in order to provide worthwhile advice.
NYC is very different from Atlanta, in many ways it is comparing night and day. Are you white, black, gay? Those are factors which make a difference. Are you politically and/or socially Liberal, Conservative or otherwise. What do you enjoy most? Outdoor or indoor activities, boats, watersports, hunting and fishing? Are you into fashion, seeing and being seen, clubs, restaurants, lounges, bars, several tiimes per week, perhaps daily?
for the conversation.... A typical day in ATL, I wake up, fix breakfast in a nice kitchen, hit the gym once or twice in a day, and then work from home. I think that the accessibility and ease of life contribute to my success.
I know that the while the experiences in NYC will be richer, it may be difficult for me to live and work out of a smaller space in NYC.
I'm truly on the fence about living in NYC, it's difficult to be on the fence when it comes to life decisions.
I wish I had a compelling reason other than 'fear of missing out' - EG: a relationship, that was pulling me there.
I am white, single, straight, and one of the most compelling reason to move to NYC is the accessibility to social fun and finding a partner ( girlfriend ) Dating in NYC seems to be much more active and accessible.
juanus_superbus, what are some top things that you enjoy in NYC that you cannot get in Atlanta?
Well, the nice thing about NYC is that whatever you're into, it's LITERALLY available almost 24/7 here--as long as you can pay for it
Personally, there are two things that really make New York for me: cultural offerings and street life (or personality...in Spain we would call this "ambiente", but I don't really know if there's a good English translation for that exactly).
Culturally speaking, it's not that you can't find some of the same offerings in Atlanta, it's just that NYC offers a much huger variety, and a constant supply of it. I'm a big music fan--Athens is obviously a big music town, and Atlanta has its own scene to be proud of--but neither place can compare to the music that you can see every day of the week in NYC if you're so inclined. I remember being astounded by that when I first moved here...in Athens you'd get a good national act that you might want to see once or twice or month. New York is such an important market on the touring map that you literally have multiple choices every night of the week.
Of course, it doesn't end with music--visual art, theater, etc, everything is here in a greater quantity and more frequent availability than it is in the south.
As for my second point--I grew up in cities, and I enjoy living in them. But a lot of American cities don't have a good "street life" feeling...it's hard to explain exactly what I mean, but let me try. In NYC, if you want to leave your apartment at 3am for a cup of coffee, you'll find you're not alone. There'll still be folks out on the street, in fewer numbers sure, but there's life. That feeling of energy and life on the street, even in the wee hours of the night, I think is very hard to replicate. Atlanta's changed a lot since I left, I know, but when I was there about the only place that had a comparable downtown scene was maybe Buckhead. Now I know that Virginia Highlands and Five Points have a scene now, too, but they only had the barest hints of it when I left.
Lastly, to address your most recent post--unless you live in a fairly unique situation in Atlanta, I'm pretty sure you'll find most things in NYC more convenient than your current life. It's true that New York can be a huge pain in the ass sometimes, but the one thing it does right is convenience if you have the cash. I'm mainly thinking about driving--Atlanta is a driving city, MARTA sucks (or at least did), and you pretty much need a car to get anywhere. Not so in NYC. Your gym most likely will be within a 5 minute walk from your house. If you go out drinking until late, no need to risk driving home drunk, and no problem getting a cab.
Overall, I'm obviously a fan of NYC living; I'm painting a fairly rosy picture, which I wouldn't for everyone, but the truth is that your situation is different. You seem to have a good situation that would let you move here with little financial impact; I say do it, even if you want to look at it as short term at first.
Like someone said. Move to NYC for a year at least. If you don't like it go back to Atlanta. I will move in an area where there are more bars/more young people. So Somewhere Downtown, the East Village, Williamsburg, etc.
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