What do you need to know before moving to New York?

Moving to a new city is a challenge. New York is a city of extremes. Being here for a while makes you realize that it is magical and exhausting at the same time. It is home to a huge number of rich people. However, more than 60,000 people sleep on the streets every night. Living here might feel overwhelming. There are a lot of stuff you should know before moving to NYC.

Visit the city before move in

You can walk around and try to live like a local. You can ask people around what it’s like to be a New Yorker. They may share some tips for you when it comes to living or moving there. Visiting city for the first time, you can explore all the different neighborhoods. There are five boroughs in New York City. Picking a neighborhood is an individual decision. Most people choose to live in Brooklyn, Manhattan or Queens. Living in Manhattan is very expensive in comparison to other neighborhoods. Downtown Manhattan is a popular area among young people. The Upper East Side or the Upper West Side are some of the safest and most secure areas. Midtown is a popular tourist spot. There are also a lot of office buildings. If living in Manhattan is too much expensive for you, take a look at Brooklyn. Crown Heights or Bay Ridge are quite budget options. We are sure that you will find the best place to live in.

Cost of living

The monthly expenses in New York are considerably higher than most of the cities in the world. Living here means eating out a lot. Be prepared to spend at least $300 a week on food. Housing is the largest chunk of your expenses. There are different areas in the city where you can find budget options. You don’t need a car living in NYC. Most people use public transportation. MetroCard costs $127 for an unlimited monthly plan. The base cost of riding a Select Bus Service bus is $2.75. There is also a transportation option as CitiBike. If you want to take a one single ride, it will cost you about $5. Each mode of transportation has its pros and cons, pick the one that suits you best. Some people may tell you a lot of things to make you change your mind about moving here. But depending on your lifestyle, we are sure you can make it work.

Apartment renting

Finding an apartment to rent in NYC is a bit of a challenge. The cost of living here is amongst the highest in the country. To rent the desired place you’ll need to meet the income requirements for the building. Landlords like to see that you are making an annual income of 40 times the monthly rent. Typically, when you sing a lease the things that you pay up front is first month rent, security deposit and the broker fee. If you want to rent a $3000 apartment you need to have at least $9000 in your bank account. If an apartment has been on the market for a couple of months or it’s too expensive you should be mindful of how long an apartment listed for. This is extremely helpful when picking the dream place to live in. If it has your desired rent and it just hit the market you might want to make a move on that. You can be sure it’s going to go really fast.

Forget about cars

Being here for the first time is overwhelming. To get from point A to point B might be a challenge. But if you learn up the basic makeup of the city it actually gets really easy to understand. The city is really well connected between the five boroughs. There are three basic modes of transportation in NYC. The subway system runs 24/7. It has 27 different lines and 427 stations. The current New York subway system was built by three independent subway companies. They built tracks and tunnels independent from one another. That’s why you can see that stations don’t all look the same. The bus system has 234 local routes, 71 express routes, and 20 Select Bus Service routes. It’s quite reliable system but there is an important thing you should know. The buses stop about every two blocks on average which makes it very slow mode of transportation. The last one is the ferry system. It’s quite an affordable way to travel between waterfront communities throughout the city. There are two main ferry system (on the East River and on the Hudson River). There is also one free ferry that is city funded (the Staten Island Ferry).

Hard to form relationships

Making friends as an adult is tough. Living in NYC is even harder. But it doesn’t mean you can’t make new friends at all. It probably takes more effort to form strong bonds with new people but as long as you are prepared to be a little vulnerable and take on a positive attitude, you won’t be alone. Whenever you’re in a social group you have find your way of adding value. Some people can bring humor, others bring great conversation. Just focus on what helps you channel positive energy. You can use social media and apps to connect with people. We guarantee you’re going to feel the wight of your move lifting off your shoulders. You can join a group. Something you’re interesting on. Maybe you’re into running or cycling. Maybe you love water color painting or crochet. How about a book club? These groups are very welcoming to new faces. Volunteering is also a good way to meet new people. You can find a project you’d like to be part of and sign up for it on the website for volunteering. The easiest way to make friends in NYC is through other friends. They could introduce you to a new group of people. It’s not going to work for everybody, but you can give it a try anyways.

Food

When it comes to food NYC is one of the best places to try different cousins. With its mix of cultures, the city is full of amazing places to try delicious food. Whether you want to try pizza, burgers, Italian ice cream this city has you covered. One of the most famous burger restaurants is called J.G. Melon. It is known for its juicy hamburgers, bloody marys and epic cottage fries. If you are looking for a quiet and vibey place with friendly staff, you should visit Village Square Pizza. It offers a huge selection of slices and pies including the white and pepperoni squares. If you can’t say no to cookies there is no better place than Levain Bakery. Chocolate Chip Walnut is the most popular cookie. We also recommend try Oatmeal Raisin Cookie and Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookie. Russ and Daughters is a very iconic New York City restaurant. It is a fourth-generation family-owned business which was opened in 1914. Here you can try some of the best Bagels in the city.

Weather

New York has warm, humid, and wet summers and cold, snowy, and windy winters. Drastic changes in each season seem to happen every year like clockwork. A lot of people think that if they come here for Christmas there is going to snow. But it doesn’t snow every year. January is the coldest month with the daily mean temperature is 32.6 °F. Many people say they could never live in NYC because they don’t know how they would survive the winter. There are a lot of incredible things to do during this time of the year. You can go to the charming Winter Village which is located at Bryant Park. This is the only free admission ice-skating rink in the city. January is the best time to see a Broadway show. The city has the least amount of tourist and the tickets are the cheapest during this time. No matter what season it is, New York is constantly full of fun. We’re sure you’ll find something to do at all times.

Give yourself space

Living in a big city can be exhausting. There is so much to do in NYC. It’s really easy to feel like you should be doing something at all times. Holding space for yourself sometimes is really what you need. Finding balance in social time is tricky, but it is possible. There’s a difference between positive escape and going to mind-numbing places. Scrolling through Instagram feed or watching TV shows non-stop won’t give the necessary space. You should focus more on finding a way of being with yourself and meeting your own needs. Spend more time outside. Meditate. Plan a weekly journal-coffee date with yourself and your dreams. If there’s no room for you in your life, there isn’t really any room for others. Spending time alone will make you more productive and improve your relationships with friends, coworkers, and family.

Cultural life

New York is one of the most dynamic, diverse and creative cities in the world. The ability to go out and support the arts in the city is truly endless. It has rich music history. Hip Hop and Rap originated from the Bronx. Jazz was popularized in Harlem. If your favorite artists are touring the United States you can be sure they’re going to be playing somewhere in the New York City area. One of the most popular sports in America, baseball, was invented here in the 19th century. The city is known as the “Capital of Baseball”. New York has over 100 museums. You can visit the American Museum of Natural History. There are over forty permanent exhibition halls and about four non-permanent exhibits. The Metropolitan Museum of Art is the most-visited museum in the country. It showcases tens of thousands of objects across more than 5000 years of art. Living here you are never going to say that this city is devoid of culture.

Laundry

A lot of people don’t think about laundry when moving to New York. If you have an in-unit washer dryer in your building then you are a lucky one! Many people realize that the nearest laundromat is pretty far away only after they moved in. So, this task requires a little more planning in New York than it does in other places. Laundry traffic has its rush hours. It is less stressful to go to the laundromat on the weekday between 10 am and 3 pm. The cheapest time of day to do laundry varies depending on your location and the time of year. While it’s socially acceptable to leave your laundry as it’s washing or drying, don’t be late for the time it’s finished. If all the machines are full someone will pull out your clothes for you. You can also use door-to-door service if you don’t want to think about doing laundry.

There are beaches

If you are looking for a respite from the city you can set a day or two to just relax in the white sand. The beaches in New York receive less publicity. But it’s worth a trip. Rockaway Beach is quite peaceful place. It’s a very family-friendly beach. Parks, courts and even baseball and football fields are dotted along the beach. You can find great shops affordable food trucks and outdoor bars here. Orchard Beach is popular summer spot. It’s located near beautiful forests with a view of city island. If you want to have a party by the sea, Jacob Riis Park Beach is for you. It offers a lot of entertainment, food and shopping. You can have a wonderful day with walking on Jones Beach. There are 6.5 miles of beautiful white sand where you can set up your chair and blanket. Coney Island is probably the most famous summer destination in all of New York City. There is so much to do. You can walk along the famous boardwalk, ride on amusement rides, enjoy swimming or sunbathing. We are sure you will have a good time whatever place you choose.

Universities

New York offers prospective students access to some world-class educational institutions. It is home to 270 degree-granting universities and colleges. They offer programmes that stem across all fields, from the arts to the business. Columbia University has a central location in the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It ranks among the top 30 universities in the world. Cornell University was founded in 1865. As a Cornell student you will be able to choose from 4000 different courses in 100 departments. Here you can study and research biology, business, agriculture, engineering and much more. If you’re a music lover, New York has one beautiful place for you. The Juilliard School offers bachelor’s degrees in music, dance, and drama and postgraduate degrees in music. New York University focuses on internalization and has many programs. Its worlds ranking is 39. The university is divided into a number of schools and colleges. Its students come from nearly every state and 133 countries.