If you can make it in New York City, you really can make it anywhere. NYC is not for the faint of heart and tests even the strongest people. Living here is a grind, but it teaches you so much and gives you resilience. So, if you want to make NYC your new home, make a plan, consider your job options, and learn to live a minimalist lifestyle to succeed in the Big Apple.
Make a Plan
If you want to move to NYC, begin planning for the move at least one year in advance. Save between $3000 to $5000 so that you can put down a deposit for an apartment and have money leftover until you find a job. So, $3,000 is the minimum amount you would need to bring here. Yes, rent is high! But you have to put down about $2,000 or more just to move in to an apartment, even with roommates.
Do you want to live in Manhattan, Queens, the Bronx, or Brooklyn? Research the neigbhorhoods in those boroughs. In NYC, people dicuss neighborhoods instead of street names, so you want to famaliarize yourself with the different neighborhoods. Also, brainstorm the types of jobs that you want to apply for once you move here. If you want to work at a restaurant here, YOU MUST HAVE PRIOR EXPERIENCE.
Best Neigborhoods in Brooklyn: https://www.prevu.com/blog/best-neighborhoods-in-brooklyn
Consider Your Job Options
NYC employers are not going to hire people living in another state unless it is a work transfer. When you move here, use your handy dandy new NYC address to book interviews quickly. NYC may have high rent, but people are always hiring and you can find a job.
If you discover that your job isn’t paying enough, get another job that works with your current work schedule. The are so many high profile jobs in NYC. You could work in customer service for the Metropolitan Opera, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Lincoln Center, Broadway Theaters, and the Apollo Theatre to name a few.
Live A Minimalist Lifestyle
Are you used to doing laundry at home? Say goodbye. Used to having central heating and air? Adios amigos. Dishwasher? lol, you are now the dishwasher. Big closets? no no, you will be lucky to get a closet at all. The more luxuries you want in your apartment the higher your rent will be. My most expensive rent was $910 a month. This apartment had laundry in the unit, a virtual doorman, and a dishwasher.
If you want affordable rent, you will probably have to live with roommates. If you live alone, your rent will run you about $1500 to $2500 or more a month in Brooklyn. Manhattan apartments are twice this price and have significantly less space than the Brooklyn, Queens, and Bronx apartments. With roommates your rent would be about $800 to $1,200 in Brooklyn. You will rarely ever see your roommates more than likely so it is really not a bad deal.
Best place to find apartments in NYC: Facebook marketplace: https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/
Hope this helps.
Dominique Duarte
https://www.bydominiqueduarte.com/
Would you ever move to NYC? Why or why not?
Comment below!