Why did you move to NYC and did it meet your expectations? (New York: buy, theater)
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Location: Concrete jungle where dreams are made of.
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I lived in the city as a little kid, then moved to Long Island. It's much easier for someone from the suburbs just outside the city to move into the city. The cost of livings are the same. Anyway, I moved back to Queens because of my job. Just bought a house on Long Island, so i'll be moving back in 1-2 months.
I moved to NYC 9yrs ago on the account of my Job....Born, Raised and went to School in Pittsburgh.....
When i first moved to NYC i was a part of the MTV crowd, Carson was a fresh face on TRL - Sex and City was in its Prime run - Everything just screamed NYC is the place to be in your 20's....
What blew me away when I first moved here-
How Open NY is to lifestyles and is not conservative in any way, really i love this best about the city.
When I got here I was just in AWE about how the city just pulsates 24/7 even @ 4am -- Pittsburgh has some neighborhood like this but not the whole city like NY.
I love how NYC has so much culture and things are very unique to this city, again Pittsburgh has this but not on the scale of NYC....
The Transit system is AMAZINGLY Robust. but the MTA is as Corrupt as they come. And the Convenience of the city is like no other, whatever you want when you want it, and you dont need a CAR!
What I dislike about NYC:
- RENT: Its out of control here, anywhere I would be living in Posh-ness compare to where I live now.
- CROWDED: At times it's sooo Suffercating...People dont know how to walk...Too many tourist...The Need to walk in the street...Needing to let 3 trains go by before you can get on one.
- FAKE PRETENTIOUS PEOPLE: I must admit I wasnt prepared for this at all...I really thought it was an LA thing being hollywood and all, and when I found out its in NYC too...UGH!....I'm sorry being born in Pittsburgh you can't stand to be around this allday everyday...I try to avoid 7th Ave altogether (Fashionista Heaven).....I like people who are Real, with real struggles and live in the REAL WORLD....Not the Valley Girl's and the Paris Hiltons of the world.
- TAXES: NYC Taxes will kill a paycheck, I cant pay attention to how much is Raped out of my check everytime or I will pass out.
Like others Said NYC is definantly not for everyone, it can be memorablely fun or it can be a brutal exprience you will never forget.
NYC aint all that imo. I was born and raised in North Jersey and I dont see a diffrence culture wise. The only thing is Manhattan has big buildings..big whoops. Ive been living in Brooklyn for 3 years and I YEARN to get back to NJ. The loudness,unecessary attitudes,lazy NYPD,lazy landlords ,unruly disrespectful teenagers is CRAZY...I cant tell you how many times Ive seen fights,stabbings, gun pulled out since I moved to this place and I cant wait to pack my kids up and raise them decently OUT of NYC .....It's no wonder people are flocking in droves out of here and moving down south. Im not the least bit surprised...FYI if you have kids DONT move to NYC .
Relenteless and limitless enthusiasm for NYC. It has been the most rewarding experience of my life. You can't possibly understand the deep influence until you come, and JUMP IN.
Anybody saying nyc isnt all that is kidding themselves. NYC is the zenith of all cities. The highest of greatness when it comes to cities. Funny thing is, you got people strugling under these manhattan conditions RENT a freaking apartment in the bronx brooklyn queens whatever, you dont have to be right there in manhattan to get the full experiance. I can get to midtown in 11 minutes from where im at, its not that serious.
Also north jersey does not contain the same culture as new york
I don't think it is a pedastel in the sense you think - at least that isn't how I took it. I'm big on the fact that there is NY and then every where else in the world. Not better, not worse, just a whole different place. IMHO, there is not a place in this country and only a few in other countries that compare to NY. You know the saying "you've seen one small town, you've seen them all", I don't think that anyone will say that oh you lived in that city, you should be just fine in NYC. I think that is what the statement "you've made it" was leaning toward. Of course, I could be wrong, but that is how I perceived it.
I don't buy into that one bit. Sure there are things unique to NYC. But that can be said about alot of cities. Would you consider the setting of any west coast cities, more scenic than NYC? I know I would, as would many others. I hope you don't think the natuarl setting of San Fransico or Seattle is somehow inferior looking to NYC's natural setting.
And the term "making it" in NYC is thrown around way too much. Just "getting by" is alot different than actually "making it". I'd go as far to say, that in NYC, alot of people would considered that they've "made it", after achieving what most of Americans would consider to be an 'average' middle class lifestyle.
NYC looks and feels different than any other American city (I'm saying over all), but so does San Fransisco or Seattle or many other cities. I don't like New Orleans, but to say it doesn't have a unique look or feel to it, would be a lie.
No doubt that there are 'some' in NYC who live fabulous lifestyles that the movies protray. But the masses there? They eek a 'living out' like the rest of America. They get up, go to work, pay their bills, and have a little fun in between. I've met and hung out with enough NY'ers (ain't talking about the upper class) to know that they ain't no different than any other city dweller's across America. Sure some of them, 'if' they had the money, they might frequent the Broadway plays or top ranked restaurants on a regular basis. But most of the ones I ever met, could really care less about any of that stuff.
When you take Mannhattan out of the equation, how much different is NYC from alot of other cities? I'm taking in terms of things to do or see. Of course Mannhattan does exist, so it's always going to be in the equation. But not really for alot of NY'ers who don't live or work there. Some hardly ever make the trip into Mannhattan.
But not really for alot of NY'ers who don't live or work there. Some hardly ever make the trip into Mannhattan.
That's an excellent point, but not solely a NYC phenomenon. Exploring has always been in my blood, so I tend to venture out into the world around me. However, in NYC, there are people who do not take advantage of much of what makes the city unique, something that parallels LA in some respects where you have people who live 8 or 9 miles inland who have been to the beach once in their lives. In some respects, the gulf is caused by a lack of interest, but in others, it's a phenomenon of an expensive metro area that creates a financial divide that encapsulates entire neighborhoods with an invisible perimeter.
I do think that some institutions in NYC do bridge the gap with free admissions for school students, scaled admissions for pay-at-will for basic entrance fees, and the level of free services offered through the parks department. However, it's a reality that some eke out an existence in expensive metro areas on salaries that would afford a middle class lifestyle in many other cities.
In such respects, the behavior of the major metro is strikingly similar, despite the attractions to the contrary that offer a great lifestyle if you can afford it. And, not all of it is monetary, since there are free events, but if it takes two hours on the bus, subway, train, or driving to get to the free event, and another two hours back, it's just not worth it for some to set out to take advantage of such events/institutions.
For myself, as a native I guess being born into the city is why I "moved" and it has met my expectations, but I do not for one moment think that my lifestyle growing up and as an adult has been "typical," when compared to many issues faced by those who are first moving to the city. I did, however, experience the reactions of a former fiancee who moved to NYC and initially loved it, but then it just wore her out, over time, not financially; rather, a host of reasons convered to drive home the point that this was not the city for her long-term happiness. Her experience could be summed up in the old addage, "It's a great place to visit, but..."
That's an excellent point, but not solely a NYC phenomenon. Exploring has always been in my blood, so I tend to venture out into the world around me. However, in NYC, there are people who do not take advantage of much of what makes the city unique, something that parallels LA in some respects where you have people who live 8 or 9 miles inland who have been to the beach once in their lives. In some respects, the gulf is caused by a lack of interest, but in others, it's a phenomenon of an expensive metro area that creates a financial divide that encapsulates entire neighborhoods with an invisible perimeter.
I do think that some institutions in NYC do bridge the gap with free admissions for school students, scaled admissions for pay-at-will for basic entrance fees, and the level of free services offered through the parks department. However, it's a reality that some eke out an existence in expensive metro areas on salaries that would afford a middle class lifestyle in many other cities.
In such respects, the behavior of the major metro is strikingly similar, despite the attractions to the contrary that offer a great lifestyle if you can afford it. And, not all of it is monetary, since there are free events, but if it takes two hours on the bus, subway, train, or driving to get to the free event, and another two hours back, it's just not worth it for some to set out to take advantage of such events/institutions.
For myself, as a native I guess being born into the city is why I "moved" and it has met my expectations, but I do not for one moment think that my lifestyle growing up and as an adult has been "typical," when compared to many issues faced by those who are first moving to the city. I did, however, experience the reactions of a former fiancee who moved to NYC and initially loved it, but then it just wore her out, over time, not financially; rather, a host of reasons convered to drive home the point that this was not the city for her long-term happiness. Her experience could be summed up in the old addage, "It's a great place to visit, but..."
Good post. And your right, it's not a "NYC phenomenon". That's my point though. Not everyone cares about alot of the stuff that NYC is praised for. And those are the people who will grow tired on NYC. And that's not saying they won't cherish the time they spent there.
I'll give you an example from my point of view, Andy Warhol is one of the most famous Pittsburgh'ers to ever live in NYC. I knew men who actually grew up with him in Pittsburgh. You know what they said about him? He was a weirdo! Now I know he loved NYC, and that alot of NYC socialite's were impressed with his art and what have you. But the kinda stuff he was into, wouldn't interest alot of the 'average' Pittsburgh'ers or NY'ers. Ya they have an Andy Warhol musuem on the Northside of Pittsburgh displaying his art. So the people who are into culture enjoy seeing his work, but the 'average' Pittsburgh'er?
The same is true across the entire country. Alot of people could simply enjoy the bars and restaurants in Mannhattan and could care less about any of the culture that it has to offer. I personally tried the culture stuff myself. A fist full of percocets is the ONLY way I would try any of that again! I just was bored out of my gorge, it just ain't me.
So when people go on an on about how "There's NYC, then there's everywhere else", it kinda irritates me. Like they somehow can't believe that someone could actually want to live somewhere else, or that NYC is only "OK" in their minds, or whatever.
P.S. Gene Kelly was also a Pittsurgh native. I'm sure that more people in NYC enjoyed his dancing than in Pittsburgh. I'm saying as in a Broadway play or something similiar. I think everyone enjoyed him on the silver-screen during that era.
P.S.S. I left out an important point. I concede the fact, as I'm sure most do, that people who are trying to make a living in theatre, arts, dancing etc... there's definitely no better place to live than NYC. My only point is that alot of NY'ers could care less about ever seeing any of that stuff.
Last edited by pittsteelerfan; 03-10-2009 at 08:05 PM..
No, Manhattan is not as great as the Manhattan-controlled media makes it out to be.
The people who say NYC is "the greatest city in the world!" are usually the ones who haven't accomplished anything before moving to Manhattan, believe moving to NYC is an accomplishment in and of itself, and will never set foot in 95% of NYC's neighborhoods.
I agree.
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I just was bored out of my gorge, it just ain't me.
