In September 2022, I moved to New York.
Ever since I was young, I had dreams to live in that city, the city of fashion, tech, food, art and culture; the city that “never sleeps”. And here I was finishing grad school, getting a job in NY and signing a lease in the heart of New York. I was super excited for this move and to start building my day-to-day life. My twin brother also lived there, I felt extremely happy!!
Four months in and although not a long time, I can finally claim that I experienced living in New York! Having traveled and lived in so many places, this city is definitely like no other place in the world. Dynamic. Fun. Crazy. Weird. Stressful – not enough words can describe it.
So, if you are thinking about living in New York, permanently or for a short-time and would like to know more; here are some goods and bads of New York from my experience. This view will definitely evolve as I live more in the city, so make sure to check my follow up article in a couple of months.
The GOOD; actually, VERY good
There is SO much to do … so LITTLE time
I always heard that New York has a lot, but experiencing it was something else. The city is full of people, activities and places of all kinds. You like art? You’ll find plenty of art galleries; music? There are concerts, shows, bars and clubs more than you can ever count; food? You’ll definitely gain a few kilos after living there; culture? I am still unsure if I’ll be able to see half of the museums in a few years… and the list goes on. The city is made of and for every single taste, allowing any person, no matter the style to perfectly fit in. You just need to seek your lifestyle and trust me once you find it , you will have no time to discover it all.
It has La crème de la crème
Aside from the fact that New York has it all, it also has the best of everything. The top best ‘anything’ in the world always exist in New York. Shows, concerts, museums, restaurants, bars, shopping stores even the best pizza or bagels… you name it. Make sure you have that list and reservations booked before you head there. And send it to me please … I’m still compiling mine.
People are very friendly, network your way around!
Although the city is filled with people, generally, everyone is very kind. The service is great in most of the places, and everyone is in the spirit of making new bonds and living a new adventure. You can easily start your night with a friend and end up making countless more. That’s what I love about New York, everything and everyone is SO spontaneous. People are also very diverse, cool and interesting. It is the perfect place to network around and broaden your circle in exciting ways.
New York = FREEDOM!!!
I don’t know how to explain this but every time I land in New York, a feeling of freedom invades my heart. It feels like the land of opportunities where you can explore yourself and your interests, be whoever and however you want, all while having people celebrate your uniqueness. New York is the city of free-thinking people and the newcomers always arrive with this mentality. This has resulted in the flourishing of communities and cultural spaces that help support and empower each other, further reinforcing this sense of freedom. It is truly satisfying.
The BAD; but NOT so bad
NO break … say hello to exhaustion
I am one of the most energetic and outgoing people and I still believe that New York can be exhausting if you don’t pace your life properly. Over the past few months, I noticed that people are WORKAHOLICS and are all about gaining power and making more more and more money. It definitely can be exhausting to always feel like people are hustling and you need to do the same.
On weekends, this does not stop. People are always on the go to head to the next event or discover new spots around their neighborhoods. As a matter of fact, the city is definitely overpopulated and has so much to offer; everyone wants to try it all. No break.
So, you will constantly feel like people are running around chasing their careers and interests. On top of that, New Yorkers are actually always physically running. New York is the most walkable city in the US and people walk quickly to stay warm during winter times or to catch a certain subway, date or appointment. So, get ready to experience some “get out of my way” attitude.
If you get dragged by what New York has to offer, you will feel like you’re in a constant race. Take a break!
And hello to your new companions: the RATS
One thing you need to know about New York is that it is DIRTY, very dirty. Although it doesn’t really bother me as I feel like this is truly part of its charm, it still is annoying to see garbage and dirt everywhere. But that’s not the worst part. The most stressful thing are the rats everywhere. Walking on the streets, I often find myself screaming from fear, escaping these creatures. Specially in the subways, you will definitely spot a dozen. Get ready to have new daily companions.
Most painfully, hello to an empty wallet
OKAY, this is one of the most frustrating things about New York, people warned me, but I did not believe them. It is expensive and trust me when I say EXPENSIVE. First off, except to see half your salary gone at each paycheck due to high taxes. Then you have the rent … another significant cut from your paycheck, specially if you want to live in a good spot in Manhattan. And finally, prices of everything seem to be super inflated, I find myself paying 20$ for a glass of wine or 2 bags on chips sometimes. Not only that, but the tipping culture is very prominent. You are supposed to tip at least 18% on any kind of service you get. If you don’t watch out your spending, you can definitely live with an empty wallet, hurray!
And tiny apartments small, with no stairs or laundry machines
Okay, we talked about apartments before, but aside from the fact that rent is expensive, spaces are usually super small and old. You probably won’t have an elevator so hopefully you are not on the 5th+ floor. Not to mention that there are no washing machines in the apartments, so if you are lucky you would have the amenity provided for the whole building, or a laundromat nearby … it is a pain. You definitely can’t be pampered in the city.
Honestly, no matter the bad aspects of this city, I still LOVED living New York. The good definitely outweighs the ugly. But this city is for sure not made for everyone, so if you are considering living in it, visit for a short period of time to assess it. I hope you end up liking it as much as I do!
