New York City can be one of the most exciting places for people and one of the most difficult places to live for most people. NYC is full of beauty and excitement, but can also be filled with high anxiety and difficulty. This article highlights the pros and cons of living in New York City. Let’s explore the pros and cons about existing in the Big Apple long term.

Pro: Accessible Public Transit Options

The NYC subway runs 24/7. Most ferries and busses also run all day everyday as well. You will not find these many public transit options anywhere in the country. In fact, owning a car is actually more of liability in this super expensive city. The good news is you never have to drive again. New Yorkers can get to New Jersey or Connecticut with ease using the PATH or Metro North trains. So pop in your headphones, pull out your kindle, or ipad, and relax on your daily commutes on the various forms of public transit in NYC.

Con: Long Commutes/ Transit Delays

The downside of public transit is there are delays, emergencies, flooding issues, and multiple factors than can interrupt your commute anytime. You can get to the subway station and find out that your train is not running at all. There have been times where we all get kicked off the subway train for an emergency. In order to combat these possible delays, please give yourself at least an hour and a half to get to your destination.

Pro: City is Convenient for Walking and Biking

This is an amazing city for walking and biking. You can easily hit your step goals here and get a free workout on your way to work. Furthermore, everyday is leg day in NYC since there are several sets of stairs to climb daily. Several New Yorkers choose to bike to work as an alternative to taking public transit. This saves so much money in the long run. On a gorgeous day, there is no better joy than riding your bike or taking a stroll down the street or in one of the beautiful parks.

Con: Lack of Community

If you want to find a community, it is going to be quite a task in this city. The average New Yorker has at least two jobs, and at most five jobs. EVERYONE is hustling constantly. This means that trying to schedule plans with people is a nightmare. If you have friends that live in a different borough, you may only see them a few times a year. It takes me an hour and fifteen minutes to get to my friend’s place in the Bronx and takes even longer to get to my other friend’s home in Queens. People are pretty disconnected and it can be quite lonely at times.

Pro: High Hourly Wages

NYC is intimdidating for people from other states because the wages are so low in other parts of the country. People assume they would have to live in NYC on their current state wages. You can make a living here. It is not impossible. Yes, New York is expensive and the rent is very high. However, the minimum wage in NYC is $15 an hour compared to $7.25 an hour in most other states. Fortunately, most NYC employers pay way more than $15 an hour here. Since you have higher wages, you can make a living in NYC. A two-income household can have a pretty comfortable life here.

Con: Dishonest and Unethical Employers

You do run into a significant issue in New York with dishonesty in the workplace from management. You could say that this goes on everywhere, but it is on a larger scale in NYC. Regulations are super strict in here, so employers often cut corners to beat the system. This is usually to the detriment of their employees and customers. It is not uncommon for a business to be open one day and the next day, there will be a sign saying it was closed by of the NYC Department of Health, or the Department of Buildings.

Conclusion

These are just a few of the pros and cons of living in NYC permanently. People either love or hate NYC and there is rarely an in-between. Truthfully, I do not hate it here, but the love is starting to wane. There are an infintie amount of opportunities here. However, living in NYC sometimes feels like a full-time job with the constant grind. In conclusion, NYC living is not for the faint of heart. For some people, living here may only be for a season, but will be a forever home for many for a multitude of reasons.

https://bydominiqueduarte.com/what-do-you-love-or-hate-about-living-in-nyc/

Book Suggestion: https://www.amazon.com/Love-ish-New-York-City/dp/1797216554

Hope this helps,

Dominique Duarte

What pros and cons do you have about your home city?

After living in NYC, I have learned that people either love it or hate it here. There is rarely ever a neutral take from native New Yorkers or transplants from other states or countries. There are always plenty of jobs, tons of walking for exercise, and you can travel anywhere, anytime of day or night. The down side is New Yorkers are always working, which can lead to loneliness at times, the food is tempting and cancels out the walking, and rent is very high.

Pro: Jobs Are Abundant

Jobs are abundant in NYC! You can do jobs that you never knew existed. You can work at the Waldorf, Disney Store, Yankee Stadium, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Javits Center, Lincoln Center, Barclays Center, Madison Square Garden, Apollo Theatre, Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. The list never ends! You want a job or career, you can find it within a matter of weeks, just use Indeed.com. Whatever your career or job of choice, you can and will find it here.

Best Job Search Website: https://www.indeed.com/

https://www.bydominiqueduarte.com/the-best-ways-to-find-a-job/

Con: New Yorkers are Workaholics/ Loneliness

Since there are some many jobs and the cost of living is high, most people are working mulitple jobs or working overtime at their full-time jobs to sustain a living. Socializing and making friends can be challenging. People are always busy and coordinating schedules is difficult.

Even if you have several friends, you will rarely see them. In order to spend time with friends, you have to be very intentional about making plans with people. You can try joining an organization that interests you to socialize more. You can go out with friends from work, or use meetup.com to find your tribe.

Pro: Built in Excercise Routine: Walking

You will walk all day everyday, run after busses and trains, go up and down several subway steps daily. Even if you have a car, you will be parking extremely far from your home or job. You will need to have comfortable shoes. You will wear down every pair that you own within a matter of weeks.

Walking is my form of daily exercise and if you live here, it becomes a part of you daily routine as well. NYC has nice scenery and can be quiet in most neighborhoods, if you are not in Times Square or certain parts of Manahttan. The sirens can be loud sometimes, but you will hear live music often while walking down the street, which is pretty cool.

Con: FOOD, FOOD, FOOD

This is a bit of a pro/con. There is food on every corner in food trucks, bodegas (local grocery shops), grocery stores, ice cream shops, restaurants with food from all around the world. This a what makes NYC unique, the variety of food choices.

However, overeating and overspending is super easy with so many food choices. The abundance of food may interfere with the built in exercise routine of walking everywhere. Cooking at home will save you money and help your waistline too. So plan your meals accordingly and pack a lunchbox!

Pro: You Don’t Need a Car

NYC is one of the only cities that you can get around 24/7 without having a car. I sold my car almost 7 years ago and I have not driven since. You can get a monthly subway/bus pass for $127 a month and get wherever, whenever you want. You will need to give yourself plenty of travel time to get to your destination because the trains and busses are not very timely. But, you save so much money by not having a car. There will be no more car insurance, car payments, and you will not have to worry about high gas prices anymore.

Con: Affordable Housing is ‘No Bueno’

Get ready to throw the money you saved on not having car to your new NYC apartment. Wooohoo! You have more money to pay the rent now so it all evens out. Manhattan is way more expensive than Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx, so I never looked for housing in Manhattan. I found affordable housing through Facebook markeptlace and Roomster.com.

You can search for rooms and go visit the apartments to see if you like the room. Bring a friend to be safe if you want. Discuss the deposit, broker’s fee, 1st month’s rent with the landlord, give them the money and move in as soon as possible. Be ready to put quite a bit of money down on an apartment. It is usually around $1500-3000 down, but this is about how much money you would put down on a new car anyway. You win some, you lose some.

Conclusion

High Rent and workaholism scares many people from NYC. However, NYC has so much to offer as well. You win some, you lose some! If you want to buy a home and have a family, this would not be the ideal place to live. However, if you are single or a couple with no children who doesn’t mind a minimialist lifestyle, this is the place for you.

You will not have the luxuries of elevators, washers and dryers in your apartment and large closets or even central heating and air, but you learn how to live with less, which can be a blessing in its’ own way.

Rent is high, but the jobs pay well and the opportunties for jobs are out of this world. You will find foods from around the world and you can walk around your neighborhood or a park and see gorgeous scenery. You can find friends here. Native New Yorkers are the most genuine people that I have ever met. Lastly, NYC is not for everyone and for some it is only good for a season in their life, but NYC is my home and currently I love it here, the pros and cons!

Hope this helps!

Dominique Duarte

What do you Love or Hate about NYC? Comment below!

“N.Y.C, just got here this morning, three bucks, two bags one me.”- Annie the Musical.

If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere. I had heard this saying all of my life, but it rings so true. Moving to NYC is no joke. however, if you stick it out, the rewards are abundant. These are the top 5 tips that were beneficial to my almost six year residency in the Big Apple.

Book Suggestion: Newcomer’s Handbook for Moving to & Living in New York City by Stewart Lee Allen: https://amzn.to/3QeJMRL

Plan, Plan, Plan

If you want to move to NYC, begin planning for the move at least one year in advance. 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. One of my theatre friends became a server in her hometown before moving to New York to gain experience.

Plan how much you want to spend on rent to help you figure out what jobs will fit your budget. Furthermore, ask yourself: “What borough would I like to live in?” Manhattan, Queens, the Bronx, or Brooklyn. Research the neigbhorhoods in those boroughs. In NYC, people dicuss neighborhoods more than street names so you want to famaliarize yourself with the different neighborhoods. Side note: Staten Island is the fifth borough, but you really need a car to live there.

Best Neigborhoods in Brooklyn: https://www.prevu.com/blog/best-neighborhoods-in-brooklyn

Save $3,000-$5,000

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. Let’s say you can afford $800 a month for a room (with roommates). You will have to pay 1st month’s rent, a deposit, and a broker’s fee.

This adds up to a hefty $2400 to move-in. If you bring $3,000, this leaves you with only $600 in your pocket until you get a job. Apparently, people are not supposed to charge a broker’s fee anymore, but they still do it. I just paid a broker’s fee to move in to my current apartment a couple of months ago. The broker’s fee is worth it to be honest. I have gotten some nice affordable rooms with the help of a broker or real estate agent.

Need Tips to Save Money: https://www.ramseysolutions.com/budgeting/the-secret-to-saving-money

Get a Job, or Two or Three

If your job transferred you to work in NYC, you are already a step ahead of most NYC peeps. I was told not to apply for jobs until I moved here. Why? NYC Employers need people ASAP! These employers are not going to hire people living in another state. There are millions who currently live here available to begin work tomorrow, or even today. You CANNOT apply for jobs here unless you currently live here or if your job has transferred you here. That’s it. When you move here, begin searching for jobs ASAP. Use your handy dandy new NYC address to book interviews quickly. Finding a job has never taken me longer than about two to three weeks.

NYC may have high rent, but they 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 pay here is NICE! Minimum wage is $15.00 an hour and most of my jobs have paid more than this. Also, there are some pretty high profile jobs here. You can usher at Jazz at Lincoln Center or Lincoln Center. You could work in customer service for the Metropolitan Opera, Broadway Theaters, and the Apollo Theatre to name a few.

Best resources for finding jobs: Indeed.com has been my bestie, most of my NYC jobs were found on there. https://www.indeed.com/

Live withOUT Luxuries

Are you used to doing laundry at home? Say goodbye. Used to Central heating and Air, adios amigos. Dishwasher, lol, you got jokes. Big closets, uh no, you will be lucky to get a closet at all. I have seen so many rooms advertised without closets. It’s crazy. I have only had central heating and air for two out of those six years that I have lived here. I had a dishwasher and laundry in my unit for two of those six years.

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 acutally have way less space than the Brooklyn, Queens, and Bronx apartments. With roommates your rent would be about $800 to $1,000 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/

Say Goodbye to Wal-mart & Most Chains

There are no Wal-marts in NYC. You have to go to New Jersey or Upstate New York to find one. This was a big change for me personally since I was used to shopping at Wal-Mart. However, I began shopping at my local grocery store and Trader Joe’s for food and Target for my tolietries. You can also shop locally at $99 cent stores, and bodegas, and mom and pop shops.

There are several places to shop here and I guess this is the way it should be everywhere. Wal-marts have sort of taken over the small businesses in other states and NYC wants to keep people shopping locally. There are some chain stores here and definitely more chain restaurants than I remember seeing even six years ago.

However, most chains are in the times square area due to tourists who are looking for familiarity here. Sidenote: If you live here, don’t go to times square. There are way too many peeps taking pics and walking slowly, please don’t torture yourself. You will be living in NYC, now act like it. Just kidding, but not really, you will feel differently about times square after living here, oh the horror, the horror! No New Year’s Rockin’ Eve for Me!

Local NYC shops and markets https://www.spottedbylocals.com/newyork/category/shopping/

Hope this helps.

Dominique Duarte

https://www.bydominiqueduarte.com/the-pros-and-cons-of-living-in-new-york-city/

Would you ever move to NYC? Why or why not? Comment below!