There are many reasons why people love New York City and are glad they live here. Living in New York means you can meet any nationality you can only imagine. NYC attracts everyone from hotel owners and restaurateurs to nails masters and dancers. Living in NY means the best food from food trucks to expensive restaurants. It means the opportunity to visit ncredible museums like MOMA, Natural History, the Met, Whitney… , you could never see it all. Together with wonderful small galleries, theatres, opera, symphony, dance and of course, Broadway. Libraries are some architectural gems as well as storehouses of knowledge. There is SO much to do when living in NY, and the city is always buzzing that staying home is not an option. And this is the positive side! But don’t ever forget the expensive part. It’s best to have a job in hand when you come to live in New York, and expect to work hard. If you are moving to NY we propose you to read the following statements carefully to understand the risks and see the dark side of living in NY:
- It’s not the number one city to be in to earn a lot unless perhaps for those in investment banking or anything stock related. Average salaries for many white collar jobs are higher in SF, sometimes by $20k more. Even Seattle averages higher for some, particularly in tech, and they do not have an income tax on top of that.
- You will feel dirty as the city looks every day you are out walking around. Even worse if it’s raining, during winter, or when it’s hot and humid.
- There are simply too many people in Manhattan during daylight hours and it gets tiresome. Take a weekday off to do some shopping to avoid crowds? You and a ton of other people had the same idea or they don’t work during the day or at all. The only way to avoid crowds is to shop further out in the boroughs, but the city is designed where almost everything that matters is in Manhattan.
- No matter how hard you try, or how important you thought you were in your hometown, odds are you will feel like a drop in the ocean in New York. A few people excel. It takes talent, dedication, excellent social skills, confidence, often significant financial help at some point in the process, and a ton of luck. Two people arriving at the same time of nearly equal talent can end up with entirely different outcomes based simply on who had better luck getting their foot in the door with the right position or company. It’s important to remember survivorship bias whenever someone talks about how everything went well for them and anyone else can do it too. The implication being you are a failure in some way if you don’t manage what they did when the truth is they most likely lucked out. No one hears or wants to hear about the many more who didn’t have such a positive experience.
- The income inequality is irritating. Most retail workers, which there are a ton of, earn near the same hourly wage as workers in far less expensive cities while those in higher paying white collar jobs earn more on average, sometimes significantly more.
- You get very little living space and privacy for the amount paid. SF may be a bit more expensive, but the living spaces are a bit larger. In most other (US) cities you can get quite a bit more for what you pay in either city.
- Tons of single people living in NY, yet everyone is too busy, stressed out, and overwhelmed with dating options to make anything work for more than a few dates most of the time. Some do manage to pull it off, but it’s not easy.
- People often aren’t rude just to be rude (though certainly some are), but due to the stress and being overwhelmed with the crowds and noise, end up coming off that way. It gets tiring because sometimes you just want people to not seem so cold, uncaring, rushed, and on edge.
- There is almost always an issue with a major subway line or several, especially during rush hours when people need them the most.
- Unless you drive everywhere or are wealthy and taxi all over, you have to get used to dealing with all of the lousy weather New York has to offer with only a few months in spring and fall that feel pleasant to be outside.
- Not enough nature in the city. The small parks here and there aren’t enough and even central park is often overcrowded and worn down looking during the months it’s enjoyable to be outside. Of course there is a lot of nature outside of the main city, but you will most likely need a car to get to those without it being a major hassle. Not to mention that the region of the US has the highest concentration of Lyme disease carrying ticks, so you will always have to be especially mindful of that when outdoors.
- Way too many chains. It feels more and more like a giant outdoor big chain shopping mall except in business areas. On top of that, more and more spots are sitting empty because those that own the property are asking for outrageous prices hoping another chain takes it. It’s just not a city for finding a lot of mom & pop/independent shops like many might think. There are still some here and there, but you have to know where to look and they continue to get priced out.
- Constant noise from 7am until 10pm on weekdays, then you have loud neighbors to make sure the noise continues until 1am on weeknights. Those making the noise are either a large group having a party and aren’t going to chill because one neighbor tells them or those that seem to know how much everyone hates the noise they’re making and take pleasure in the power it gives them (that they are so tough/threatening that no one will dare say anything to them). Filing a noise complaint does nothing.
- Living in New York, people don’t care about recycling or even turning off lights. Immigrants typically have an even lesser concern than Americans.
There is a lot to appreciate and like about living in New York as well, but this question is asking about some of the more significant negatives. If your decision is firm our moving helpers are ready to assist your moving to NY. Our team of professionals is ready to provide you with all the necessary moving service according to your needs and budget. Please, contact us immediately if you have any questions as we are happy to be of use.
