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Hawkeye_a · 12:41 PM

For the last couple of weeks Ive been thinking about moving to NYC, specifically Manhattan. I enjoyed visiting the city a couple of years ago. Its just a thought bubble at this point. Does anyone here live there? And what sorts of things should i consider before making the decision? Cost of living, work culture, weather, social life, etc...? What are the pros and cons from living there?

Also, i am a software engineer, so im not sure if NYC would be plausible for my profession?

Thoughts?

Cheers

Phileas · Mar 11, 2014, 10:40 AM

Living in Manhattan is fun if you are either:

a: young and don't mind living in poverty
b: older and have the money you need to live a reasonably comfortable life.

I love Manhattan, but I don't think I'd care to live there at this stage of my life.

Hawkeye_a · Mar 11, 2014, 10:58 AM

If you dont mind me asking, what stage is that?

osiris · Mar 11, 2014, 12:06 PM

Originally Posted by Hawkeye_a

Ive been thinking about moving to NYC, specifically Manhattan for a few weeks. I enjoyed visiting the city a couple of years ago. Its just a thought bubble at this point. Does anyone here live there? And what sorts of things should i consider before making the decision? Cost of living, work culture, weather, social life, etc...? What are the pros and cons from living there?

Also, i am a software engineer, so im not sure if NYC would be plausible for my profession?

Thoughts?

Cheers

I live in Manhattan, all my life, love it more than any other place on earth.

So - things to consider: for travel, learn the subways, avoid busses. get an unlimited Metro Card $112 so you can travel freely, 24/7.

Being that you're visiting for a short duration, I'll presume this is pleasure/business, not a move. So bring a lot of money. Wads of it. We also accept credit cards (even for taxis, which are a rip off these days). A half gallon of organic milks costs me $5.50, cigarettes are almost $12 a pack and the irony is you can't smoke anywhere except the street (not parks or hotels). Beer, for Heineken it's around $10 for a six at CVS. Bars are 5 and up for a drink, depending.

Food: a good Japanese meal will run around $300 at a decent place, but on 8th Street in the East Village there are a great cheap though crappy options for less than $10. Check out seamless.com (they have an app) for food - there are way too many food options with way too many price ranges to even continue here. + don't know exactly what you're into. avoid street food at all costs, but at least try a street dog and a pretzel with mustard (about $2-3 each) then get immunization shots. get the shots first...

There's a stupid bank on every block, some have two or three. There are coffees shops everywhere to get your caffeine on. Everything is here in abundance.

Social life: I'm married, I have none. Plus, all the old clubs are gone, so I don't know about the current situation. Back in the day though, christ it was awesome. Studio 54, Limelight, Palladium, Plato's Retreat (a sex club)... all gone. Cigar clubs are cool - Carnegie Club is old school if you like cigars.

Weather: It's been a bad winter - although a normal one in retrospect, we've been lucky the past few years. Spring and Fall are the nicest times, August is the most brutal month for heat and humidity.

Pros: subways, food, largest collection of the hottest women on earth all in one place

Cons: subways suck. The city is crowded, filthy and expensive. Compared to Tokyo, NYC is the fricking Flintstones. Seriously, but damn I love it.

Hawkeye_a · Mar 11, 2014, 12:51 PM

Osiris, Cheers for the reply. And i realized i wrongly worded my intention. If i move it wont be for a couple of weeks but rather a couple of years

.

The cost of consumables, from what i observed a couple if years ago, although high for the U.S is nothing compared to Australia; so as long as it is lower than in Oz i have no hang ups about it. (FYI a sixpack of Heiney in Perth was close to $20, in a pub a pint was $10 easy... but thats a different thread altogether)I reckon the most expensive part about living in Manhattan would be the rent? I figure a studio would suffice.

As weird as this might sound, the thing i miss most from up north is the autumn.

This is just a thought bubble for now, but just considering it as a possibility.

Cheers

osiris · Mar 11, 2014, 01:23 PM

Originally Posted by Hawkeye_a

Osiris, Cheers for the reply. And i realized i wrongly worded my intention. If i move it wont be for a couple of weeks but rather a couple of years

.

The cost of consumables, from what i observed a couple if years ago, although high for the U.S is nothing compared to Australia; so as long as it is lower than in Oz i have no hang ups about it. (FYI a sixpack of Heiney in Perth was close to $20, in a pub a pint was $10 easy... but thats a different thread altogether)I reckon the most expensive part about living in Manhattan would be the rent? I figure a studio would suffice.

As weird as this might sound, the thing i miss most from up north is the autumn.

This is just a thought bubble for now, but just considering it as a possibility.

Cheers

Wow, had no idea that Australia was so expensive, NYC should be a piece of cake then.
I forgot about the rent - things are weird at the moment, Brooklyn is more popular these days and actually more expensive than Manhattan. Still, upper west side apartments are from $1500 on up per month, but many places require a few months deposit, plus two for the agent - but everything is negotiable.

If you like autumn you'll love it here. The colors changing in Central Park is a thing of beauty, and the crisp air makes for a pleasant season. Of course, once the season of death takes hold, you may soon miss your native warmer climate lol.

cheers to you!

Phileas · Mar 11, 2014, 08:04 PM

Originally Posted by Hawkeye_a

If you dont mind me asking, what stage is that?

Married, three young kids. Right now, I need a house with room for all of us, a big back yard and a park nearby.

All this close to the centre of things because I refuse to live in suburbia. I could not even begin to dream about doing this in Manhattan, or London where I lived for close to 20 years. Even the house we're living in now would be out of our range, would we try and buy it today.

Shaddim · Mar 11, 2014, 10:29 PM

Not for all the diamonds in Antwerp.

osiris · Mar 12, 2014, 08:50 AM

But then, what do I know about diamonds.

Phileas · Mar 12, 2014, 10:38 AM

I'm a boxing promoter.

Shaddim · Mar 12, 2014, 11:21 AM

Ah, someone knows what I was watching when I posted that.

Hawkeye_a · Mar 12, 2014, 01:47 PM

!

Jawbone54 · Mar 12, 2014, 01:58 PM

I have nothing to offer to this thread, except that every time I hear someone mention the "energy of the city," I fight the urge to roll my eyes right out of my head.

If I was drawn to a big city, I'd much rather live in San Fran, Seattle, or Austin than NYC.

Shaddim · Mar 12, 2014, 02:11 PM

Glenn Frey - You Belong To The City - HD - YouTube
Starship - We built this City HQ - YouTube

Get out your 80s "city" music.

osiris · Mar 12, 2014, 04:16 PM

Originally Posted by Jawbone54

I have nothing to offer to this thread, except that every time I hear someone mention the "energy of the city," I fight the urge to roll my eyes right out of my head.

If I was drawn to a big city, I'd much rather live in San Fran, Seattle, or Austin than NYC.

SERENITY NOW! SERENITY NOW!

Jawbone54 · Mar 12, 2014, 04:31 PM

Originally Posted by osiris

SERENITY NOW! SERENITY NOW!

Exactly.

ShortcutToMoncton · Mar 12, 2014, 06:04 PM

Love Manhattan, but as Osiris said it's definitely been somewhat sterilized over the years - depending on how you like your cities, some of the boroughs have a better vibe at this point.

San Fran was a nice city but overall was a bit unimpressed given the legend. Would be a good spot for a programmer though.

subego · Mar 12, 2014, 06:10 PM

I'll repeat what Phileas said. NYC is a place which vastly improves if you have lots of disposable income.

reader50 · Mar 12, 2014, 10:27 PM

Isn't that true everywhere?

osiris · Mar 13, 2014, 08:38 AM

Originally Posted by Shaddim

Ah, someone knows what I was watching when I posted that.

Snatch is one of my favorites. great film!

osiris · Mar 13, 2014, 08:39 AM

Originally Posted by reader50

Isn't that true everywhere?

What's that old saying - "life is like a sh*t sandwich - the more bread you have, the less sh*t you have to eat". something like that.

Phileas · Mar 13, 2014, 09:41 AM

Originally Posted by reader50

Isn't that true everywhere?

There are places where you can have a great life with little money. NYC isn't one of them.

osiris · Mar 13, 2014, 10:30 AM

Oh, I beg to differ. I've had a great life here, 97% of it whilst being dirt poor. It's quite subjective, apparently.

subego · Mar 13, 2014, 11:13 AM

Originally Posted by osiris

Oh, I beg to differ. I've had a great life here, 97% of it whilst being dirt poor. It's quite subjective, apparently.

Where else have you lived dirt poor?

osiris · Mar 13, 2014, 11:34 AM

Originally Posted by subego

Where else have you lived dirt poor?

Ha ha.

Let's define what quality of life is: education, art, what?

subego · Mar 13, 2014, 12:00 PM

What makes Manhattan great is also its curse. It's a tiny island.

Almost every other major American city has some room to spread out, so not as good when it comes to "density of cool", but that lack of density means cheaper environments are easier to find.

I'd say SF is the other city where it's that way. Not quite an island, but close.

Cities which are not that way but still cool? Boston, Chicago, Denver, and Austin come to mind. LA is not that way, but is a total nightmare for other reasons.

Miami is also very cool, but that's it's own thing.

osiris · Mar 13, 2014, 12:18 PM

that's why I said before it's all so very subjective. There are tons of great places!

subego · Mar 13, 2014, 12:22 PM

Okay, let me put it this way. I think a majority of people will have the subjective opinion NYC is a tougher row to hoe than other cities when you have less money in your pocket.

osiris · Mar 13, 2014, 12:41 PM

Originally Posted by subego

Okay, let me put it this way. I think a majority of people will have the subjective opinion NYC is a tougher row to hoe than other cities when you have less money in your pocket.

Sure it's a tougher row. But you can get free meals, a free place to stay, and get assistance in abundance with advanced social programs (the kind that conservatives cringe at) all for the asking. I don't think you can do that in most places.

subego · Mar 13, 2014, 12:54 PM

It is my subjective opinion NYC is more enjoyable when you have enough money to pay for your food.

Hawkeye_a · Mar 13, 2014, 01:01 PM

Originally Posted by ShortcutToMoncton

Love Manhattan, but as Osiris said it's definitely been somewhat sterilized over the years - depending on how you like your cities, some of the boroughs have a better vibe at this point.

San Fran was a nice city but overall was a bit unimpressed given the legend. Would be a good spot for a programmer though.

I was thinking CA; there are a couple of friends who are moving there. But ive been around developers for a few years now and its disappointing socially, so i was thinking of staying away from very tech specific areas, and maybe get some domain specific knowledge outside of just tech(while in a tech job initially). (Eg: an exciting weekend does NOT involve board games.)

I haven't surveyed the possibilities in NYC, so im still pretty uncertain about the job prospects for me.

subego · Mar 13, 2014, 01:06 PM

Also, Cali doesn't really have an autumn.

osiris · Mar 13, 2014, 01:29 PM

Originally Posted by subego

It is my subjective opinion NYC is more enjoyable when you have enough money to pay for your food.

I concur without hesitation