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If you and your husband are making 85,000 and have two kids, I would think twice before moving from Milwaukee to New York City. You'd be VERY tight with that salary for a family of four here. Of course there are plenty of folks who make less than that and still live (or survive) in NYC. But, your possibilities of entertainment would be pretty limited (half of that salary would be spent in private schools, the other half in rent or mortgage).
Dear Augusti15 I was born and raised in NYC. The New York City of today is quite a dicotomy to what was back in 1970-1980. I was born and raised in the South Bronx, and then moved to the gated community of Parkchester in the Northern Bronx.
I worked in NYC for almost 30 years before moving to PA. I must say I miss NY very much. NYC becomes home to many people, even the natives that "grow up" and move away, NYC is always in their heart and soul, just like it is in mind. NYC is in your blood ad once it is there, it is very hard to shake it.
NYC is not the place where a cop was killed every two weeks, where at the end of the l980's, the murder rate was over 2,000. Prostitution reigned on Times Square and the surrounding areas of 42nd St. They have a saying that "if you stand on the corner of Times Square long enough, you will meet everyone you every met". I don't know how true that is or is it just legend, because it never happened to me.
Mayor Guiliani cleaned up NYC and is credited for making it the respectable and most visiable and most visited city, in regard to tourisn, in the union, but you can never let your guard down. It's the same all over. The small towns and villages, and hamlets, and other pockets of small communities are just as likely to have crime more today than they ever have.
I learned one thing: We used to own a house in Bethlehem Township, PA. A very quiet, safe (or so I thought) area, but it did not take me long to find out that there was a drug den up the street about 2 blocks up. I used to leave my dogs outside and leave the patio, deck, windows and garage and front door opened all day long. I was very fortunate.
As in the anals of crime in Ohio, I think it was there was a woman who lived in a similar environment that I came from, she left her patio doors opened. A perp got in and she was murdered. The children she was taking care of were left alone for most of the day, before they found her. Thank God the children weren't harmed. This was in a very, quiet suburban area in Ohio, I believe, so it can happen anyway.
Things to keep in mind: Travel in pairs, don't be by yourself in either the Bronx, or the city (Manhattan). If at work and leaving late, take a cab home, not the subway. Get mace and keep it on you all the time. If you are driving and come to an intersection that is desolate and quiet and there is a red light there, it is OK to go through, because the police have stated that if you feel you may be in danger, as long as no cars are moving through adjacent intersections, you may go through the light. Don't sit in your car, doing your checkbook, or making calls on cell phone. As soon as you exit a store, get in your car and be on your way. Always check the backseat before you get in the car. If you feel you are being followed in your car, drive to the nearest police or gas station. Always stay in well-lit areas. Don't run or jog by yourself, even if you feel there will be alot of people there. Places can become quiet and desolate very fast, always go with a friend. Never go into a stairwell to ascend to a higher floor in a building, as you are much safer in the elevator. If coming home late at night, and you are in a cab, ask the cab driver to wait until you get up to your apt or into your home. I have done this many times. If you are by yourself by chance, let's say getting off a bus stop at night, walk right down the middle of the street. It is safer walking in the way.
I don't won't to frighten you. I just want to give you a head's up, because NYC, is no different from any other major city in the U.S. In regards to the above tips, you would use them in kansas, as well as NYC.
Best of luck to you and your family.
I think you will have much joy and excitement in your move here. Your children should love it. I send hugs and all the best, peace, love and prosperity to you all the days of your life. Have a wonderful life.
That's great advice. But this woman from Milwaukee needs to know if she can survive in the city with the salary she makes. Anything else (cabs, safety, places) is rather secondary. You need the money first.
info on the apartment application requirements would really be helpful info to newcomers. don't think it's like any other part of the country. lol. general broker fees, if considering using.
Last edited by margarets1; 01-16-2008 at 08:21 PM..
Reason: overlooked info in previous post
Things to keep in mind: Travel in pairs, don't be by yourself in either the Bronx, or the city (Manhattan). If at work and leaving late, take a cab home, not the subway. Get mace and keep it on you all the time. If you are driving and come to an intersection that is desolate and quiet and there is a red light there, it is OK to go through, because the police have stated that if you feel you may be in danger, as long as no cars are moving through adjacent intersections, you may go through the light. Don't sit in your car, doing your checkbook, or making calls on cell phone. As soon as you exit a store, get in your car and be on your way. Always check the backseat before you get in the car. If you feel you are being followed in your car, drive to the nearest police or gas station. Always stay in well-lit areas. Don't run or jog by yourself, even if you feel there will be alot of people there. Places can become quiet and desolate very fast, always go with a friend. Never go into a stairwell to ascend to a higher floor in a building, as you are much safer in the elevator. If coming home late at night, and you are in a cab, ask the cab driver to wait until you get up to your apt or into your home. I have done this many times. If you are by yourself by chance, let's say getting off a bus stop at night, walk right down the middle of the street. It is safer walking in the way.
I don't won't to frighten you. I just want to give you a head's up, because NYC, is no different from any other major city in the U.S. In regards to the above tips, you would use them in kansas, as well as NYC.
I found the above 'tips' to be very alarmist. "Don't ever be by yourself in Manhattan"???? What? "Never use the stairs to go up in a building"?
Wow. I have been breaking every rule in here and never think twice about it. yes, I am more cautious when I come home alone at 2am on the subway and I keep my wits about me, but I really don't think it is helpful to give such alarmist advice.
And much of the advice is about driving. Do you really think this family of 4 will even be able to afford to keep a car here on a salary of $85K? I suppose it's possible but it seems strange to focus on that. And, I have to say, I think she has a MUCH bigger chance of getting killed (by being run over) using your last bit of advice which is to walk right down the middle of the street if she happens to get off a bus last.
Of course it is countered at the end by the sentence about this being good advice whether you are in NYC or Kansas, but you are on a NYC board and giving advice to someone who is trying to move here. Would you also tell her: "Never be by yourself in Kansas"?
I agree that basic common sense and keeping your wits about you would be good advice, but much of the above is over the top.
Anyone who reads this thread needs to disregard everything kimkelly said. It is, as henna pointed out, disgustingly alarmist and downright ignorant. It doesn't sound like kimkelly has even been to NY in the last 20+ years let alone lived here. The fact is that this is one of the safest large cities in the US and you are perfectly safe living and enjoying life here in most areas of Manhattan or the boroughs.
You are fine taking the subway by yourself at virtually anytime of the day or night, although your walk home if you live in or have to walk through a questionable area is something to consider. Her list of guidelines is utterly absurd and should be ignored at all costs unless you want to live your life in a state of crippling paranoia.
"Use common sense" should be your only mantra and the same applies in every city. Nobody here is out to get you and most of us would go out of our way to help someone who is in any sort of danger. If you are a woman walking by yourself late at night in a questionable neighborhood (you will know when you are in one and they are easy to avoid) just try to stay with the crowd, take a cab, or keep alert.
Almost all neighborhoods below 96th street in Manhattan, prime areas of Brooklyn, and huge swaths of Queens are no more dangerous than an inner ring suburb in any US city.
Nobody should pay any mind to kimkelly's post as it is suburban xenophobia at it's worst. If anyone would like to talk specifics I recommend starting a thread since this sticky does not need to turn into a debate.
Apparently, and according to kimkelly, all of us New Yorkers should travel in pairs, wear mace and ask the cabbie to wait until we make it inside the house. Beautiful! It sounds so... 1970's?? Not even.
Kimkelly is also afraid of people of color. But- she loves New York. Go figure.
OMG - I've been travelling alone for decades in NYC!!! How'd I ever manage?
I don't remember the last time I took a taxi - give me the subway, day or night, because I like getting to my destination in the same week that I started out.
Is that woman talking about the same city I've lived in for over 50 years?
I agree with you, Viralmd, give me a subway (or a street to walk in!) rather than a taxi. But there are some times when a cab is quite handy.
Say I want to go from the Met museum to my house in Midtown West. Taking the crosstown and then downtown buses would take a while, and doing the 6 line downtown and E crosstown would take forever and a day. So I hop on a cab on 79th and go home and make it faster than anything else (not that I will actually do it- it'll cost me 13 bucks!).
As for the crime, this woman is nuts indeed, but her extreme advice would not be totally out of whack in, say, 1978, when NY was plunging into financial and urban death or, say, 1990, when crime was out of control and people were getting mugged and/or assaulted and/or murdered left and right.
Whatcha think...
Last edited by Manhattan-ite; 01-20-2008 at 08:28 PM..
Reason: more info
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