Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Do you think her options for employment are better in NYC since you said there is one new position for ever 7 people? Obviously NYC is avery ccompetitive depending on the industry and position there is probably 1 position being sought after by a dozen persons or more!
I can see how you would think that, but overall NYC actually has about twice as many job openings per applicant. It is still one of the worst rates in the nation, though.http://www.theatlantic.com/business/...-grads/276463/
The allure of the big, powerful, most sophisticated businesses in finance, banking, media, advertising, real estate, law firms, accounting, consulting, arts, etc. -- these are huge draws for the ambitious.
The allure of also living in the largest, most famous city in the world, probably the most influential as well -- these are big psychological draws as well.
No wonder rents are going up.
About kids -- for many parents, just like myself, city offers great things for kids. I get to see many kids -- most are good, grounded, well-educated, and ambitious kids. They do have problems, not unlike their suburban peers. But, contrary to many, I do think the city provides the best environment for growing up.
For example, I often bring up freedom of movement for kids -- when your kids are 12, suburban mothers will be driving them around like cabdrivers. OTOH, city kids ride the subways on their own to go to soccer practice, acting class, ballet, dancing, etc. with some of the best instructors in the world.
Another friend of mine -- he lives in CT. His 14 year old daughter gets on the train at 2 pm everyday in Norwalk comes to NYC, because she goes to a ballet class (semi-pro). Everyday, 5 days a week, this little girl travels almost 3 hours so she can go to a 1-hour class. She did it last school year, she is about to do it again this year as well. And they pay thousands of dollars for these classes. Why? Because she loves dancing, and she is driven to become a professional dancer / ballerina.
Another kid - wants to become a doctor, this summer she volunteers at the NY Presbyterian. She also does a couple of small jobs up and around NY, like babysitting, dog-walking, and waters the plants for another family. Takes the subway, bus and walks all on her own.
A 6-year old wants to become an actress -- she is already under contract with a child talent Management company. She is coached by some of the best instructors in acting, singing, dancing, etc. She goes to auditions and jobs. She couldn't really do that as much if she was in the boons.
Many families make sacrificies for their kids to grow up in the City. These people are not stupid, and that life is not for many obviously, since most elect the "peace and quiet" of the suburbs.
Finance, banking, media, real estate, law, accounting (used to be 7+ big firms) and consulting are shrinking fields in NYC. That is why NYC is making a push towards other sectors. Allure and ambition are not always aligned with reality. But in fairness, those fields shrinking in NYC are also shrinking everywhere else.
Rents and real estate are high really because of a factor that Sobroguy pointed to sometime ago - rich foreigners looking for a place to park/hide their wealth. It does not mean that the job market is robust in and of itself.
Also one does not have to live in the city to enjoy the most important things it has to offer. If a kid can commute by MNR everyday from Norwalk then it actually says something good about the suburbs being well-connected to the city. Our own kid commutes to the city for private school and piano lessons, no issues with that. Sara Chang commuted from the NJ suburbs to Juilliard; her school in NJ provided her with a better and more well rounded education than what she could have gotten in the city. And not all kids are driven around like taxis. There are suburbs where kids can walk to the town and train station to do whatever. Living in the suburbs does not constrain them by and large. More importantly public schools are among the best in the country yet do not contain the pressure and uncertainty of being able to get and stay in.
Last edited by Forest_Hills_Daddy; 07-30-2013 at 05:02 AM..
I applied for a job and later found out that there were hundrd and hundreds of applicants. Useless. What happened to the goodol days when you put a little letter in the mail and the next day.the phone rang?
People are here because WORK is here. They would be in Allentown, Bethlehem, Akron, or Detroit if the work was THERE but it isn't. Yes, it is easier to live on less money where there is no work.
But those without work cannot afford the cheaper place.
The $60,000 you readily earn in NYC is not transferrable to Detroit. You cannot be a Wall Street secretary and live in a sprawling mansion in South Dakota, even though you might be able to afford it.
Things are expensive in NYC because the pay structure is high. Things are cheap in Bumfuque, Arkansas because there are no jobs.
Why else would people pay a fortune to live in such a dismal city as Washington, DC?
Last edited by Kefir King; 07-30-2013 at 05:36 AM..
Things are cheap in Bumfuque, Arkansas because there are no jobs.
Point of order, there are lots of jobs in Arkansas, though you are correct that they are not in Bumfuque. Bumfuque dried up years ago.
Northwest Arkansas is booming and has been for the last couple of decades. Wal-Mart, JB Hunt, and Tyson are all headquartered there and they are all constantly hiring for full-time+benefits positions. Those companies are attracting a lot of smaller companies to the area. I think the unemployment rate in NWA is around 5%. Little Rock is around 6.5%. The state itself is around 7%.
More and more people around the state and from out of state are relocating to NWA, which is just fueling more job growth in the area. Small towns in the Delta which used to have manufacturing are now pretty much dead or dying--it's all agriculture and a little construction, and then jobs to support the small population that remains.
NWA is still very cheap. Average rent in the region is around $570. Average home price is around $150,000 I think?
Communities in NWA are consistently featured at the top of rankings for places to live by publications like Forbes, Kiplinger, CNN Money, etc, because it is so affordable and because the local economy is so good.
Okay, CAN you make it like that? Yeah I guess, if quite literally the only thing you have is a roof over your head. Not being able to have a television, phone, etc is certainly not middle class. $150/month on groceries? $5 per day? Anyone can come up with these crazy scenarios, but that's not a life many people would be interested in leading.
Maybe you should reread what I wrote. I didn't say anything about NOT having a TV or phone. I said you don't have to have cable TV (I do not and everyone would call us middle class) or a smart phone. (This I do have but I'm not crying about being forced to live with my mom.) There is more to life than having a data plan and cable TV. You can leave your house and get out and actually do things.
You demonstrated how awful people are at budgeting. $150/month on groceries for a single person is NOT difficult. My monthly budget for two people and two cats is $300---that $300 includes plenty of food, beer/wine, food for my cats and household items like soap and paper towels.
I must live such a horrible life saving my money in these areas of my life so I could purchase a coop and have a car in this impossible-to-live-in-as-middle-class city.
Thank God for Mississippi--Arkansas will never be last in anything.
Don't forget about West Virginia.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
