What are some valid reasons on wanting to live in NYC? (person)

[OrangeHudson]

The best part about NYC is the job opportunities (Manhattan) otherwise personality I find NYC to be a great place to visit and take day trips, but I would never move back to NYC (Queens). It's expensive, way too much traffic, congestion and stressful.

[brooklynborndad]

My DD who will be entering RPI this fall in architecture, may consider moving to NYC.

Her reasons if she does so will include

A. the market in her field. salaries are somewhat higher in Arch in NYC, but not enough AFAIK to offset the COL. But right now its one of the few markets with significant hiring activity. I do not know what it will be like when she graduates, but it may well still be a stronger market than elsewhere.

B. The Jewish community. I mean my kid would like to find a community of observant, but not Orthodox, traditional, but feminist, eco-focused, Jews. When you are that specific, and indeed when the jewish community is that important, your choices are basically greater NY and Israel (which latter she may also consider) Also if you are considering keeping kosher, its one of the few places outside Israel where you have a truely wide range of restaurants available. Not that a newly minted archie is gonna be able to afford to eat out much.

C. Family - she has a bunch of aunts, uncles and cousins there

D. all the usual "kewl" factors - the museums, the buildings, the nabes, the street life, etc, etc.

That said, she will consider other areas as well.

[muman]

Originally Posted by Rudbeckia

who are you or who am i to decide what is a valid reason for someone to move to a city??

not sure how you put a measurement on that

I agree...exactly what I thought when I saw this thread.

[toujoursdan]

Originally Posted by kingfish22

Still waiting for a real VALID reason for living in this Hell hole.

Anybody?

What makes something "valid"? What's valid for me, may not be valid for you.

I have lived in Ottawa, Canada; Los Angeles, Phoenix and Dallas (and overseas in New Zealand.)

But I chose New York because I'm exposed to world-class culture here in a way I wasn't in other parts of the country. In my neighbourhood alone, there are small opera companies, string quartets, community orchestras, literature/poetry groups, community theatre (which attracts professional actors looking to pad their resumes) and community art galleries with local artists. I don't have to drive 30 miles to a city centre to get to them. They are right there in my face, easy to access and cheap too. People in the neighbourhood go to them and we talk about it. It's not just an elite activity.

I chose New York because I find the people here are more interesting than in a lot of other places. Many have lived abroad. Many, even native born Americans, have studied and are fluent in other languages. Many are eccentric, but in a good way. They have a worldly perspective I find harder to access elsewhere. When I lived in Dallas, most of the people I met had never been outside of Texas, a resort in Mexico or a Disneyesque theme park. We just had different frames of reference.

I chose New York because of the diversity. Nowhere else is there the kind of diverse people living cheek-and-jowl like you find in New York. There may be ethnic neighbourhoods in other parts of the country, but they are spread out and harder to get to. I'm unlikely to walk down the street and come across a Bastille Day celebration or the Romanian Day street fair in Phoenix or Los Angeles, but I have done that in New York so often it's no longer a surprise.

I chose New York because of the history. A Revolutionary War battle was fought a few blocks away from my home. Winston Churchill lived in my neighbourhood. There are interesting old buildings, churches, and other construction that is stimulating. It's not like a Dallas or Phoenix where everything looks about the same: everyone lives in a ranch-style tract home and shops in a sterile strip mall or one of the faux-hip "entertainment" districts every city is trying so hard to create.

I chose New York because it isn't like the rest of America. The chain restaurants, big box stores, shopping malls, faux-hip cafe districts, track housing, strip malls, condo complexes, etc. aren't here like they are in the rest of the country. And the problem in the rest of the country is that they are really all the same. The same stores with the same merchandise, same architecture, same sales staff saying the same greetings, and same pricing scheme all have the same sameness whether you're in Phoenix, Dallas, Los Angeles, Houston, Atlanta and almost everywhere else. It's all the same. And I find that boring and sterile. I like that I have small family-owned Italian butchers, Orthodox Jewish lighting stores, Muslim cafés, Syrian bakers, Turkish restaurants and Russian/Jewish barbers all within a 5 minute walk of my front door. And that these are people I bump into so often we know each other. If I really want to go to WalMart, Costco, Target, Outback, Chili's, Potterybarn or the mall, I can, but it's a schlep.

I chose New York because I can live a fairly environmentally responsible lifestyle here and environmental issues are important to me. I don't need a car to get to work or shopping. In fact, I haven't driven one in 5 years. My bike and the subway get me everywhere I need to go. I mix with interesting and diverse people in the process.

For me, the valid reasons are lifestyle. I like to be stimulated and challenged. I like to be in a place where I can learn and grow as a person. But that's just me. What's valid for you may be something else.

[BeyondBasic]

with your attitude and view on things i think nyc will be a good place for you. you might get yourself in trouble.

[Lagwagon113]

I think it's funny how people are always complaining about people moving to NYC for what they see as invalid reasons but then everyone jumps on this guy for asking the question. I mean arent there multiple threads about yuppies/hipsters moving here to live out some NYC fantasy while displacing long time residents? Apparently those people's reasons were invalid to some. Now we're all warm fuzzy all the sudden where everyone is welcome. Just an observation.

[chessgeek]

For those with modest incomes NYC would not be the place. Only the most dreadful neighborhoods would be available or perhaps you don't mind a bunch of roommates or an extremely cramped studio. No question the city has amenities, but those can be expensive. Central Park is the only free one.

It is one of about half a dozen major cities for which you can say the same thing. SF, LA, Boston, DC and Seattle are the others...maybe Chicago and Philly, too but not sure about those two.

[jmking]

What are some valid reasons on wanting to live in NYC?

The deli's of course. Why else?

[Wes927]

I'm born and raised in Queens through age 21....lived in Westchester from age 21-29 and didn't like it--moved back to Queens at 29 and so happy to be back home.

Let me tackle this from an "outer borough" perspective since everyone else hit on Manhattan and all the wonderful things it has to offer . What Queens has to offer:

1. down-to-earth, genuine people

2. a neighborhood feel

3. genuine ethnic diversity

4. great ethnic food

5. the ability to satisfy all of your needs (except perhaps your job, depending) just by walking

6. And on a familiar note--no place else "feels" like Queens or one of NYC's outer boroughs. It's an irreplaceable intangible. Unlike most people in "the city" (what NYC natives call Manhattan) we are the true blue New Yorkers. (I love Manhattan and its global image--and I'm glad many love to move there--but not so many born and bred NYers there).

Indeed, I could live in Manhattan too--but I'll do anything I can to continue to live SOMEWHERE in NYC the rest of my life. Anything else just wouldn't feel right....

[NyWriterdude]

Originally Posted by Wes927

I'm born and raised in Queens through age 21....lived in Westchester from age 21-29 and didn't like it--moved back to Queens at 29 and so happy to be back home.

Let me tackle this from an "outer borough" perspective since everyone else hit on Manhattan and all the wonderful things it has to offer . What Queens has to offer:

1. down-to-earth, genuine people

2. a neighborhood feel

3. genuine ethnic diversity

4. great ethnic food

5. the ability to satisfy all of your needs (except perhaps your job, depending) just by walking

6. And on a familiar note--no place else "feels" like Queens or one of NYC's outer boroughs. It's an irreplaceable intangible. Unlike most people in "the city" (what NYC natives call Manhattan) we are the true blue New Yorkers. (I love Manhattan and its global image--and I'm glad many love to move there--but not so many born and bred NYers there).

Indeed, I could live in Manhattan too--but I'll do anything I can to continue to live SOMEWHERE in NYC the rest of my life. Anything else just wouldn't feel right....

A lot of people in the outer boroughs are immigrants or moved here from other states as well.

Of course, since many people from the outer boroughs work or do business in Manhattan, maybe this distinction is all in people's heads. I live in the Bronx. Big deal. When I want to be in any other part of the city, I am. I have friends and family all over the metro area. I have worked in Manhattan, NJ, Nassau, Queens, and Brooklyn. I lived upstate for awhile and went to Cornell (in Ithaca, NY).

Maybe some people just need to get out more, lol