How to Move to New York
In late 2009, I needed a change of scenery, so I switched departments at work to one that wanted me in New York. Moving to NYC is unlike any other moving experience I’ve had. Here are tips that worked for me in my move from Atlanta to Manhattan. Your mileage will certainly vary, but hopefully the general spirit of these tips will give you some useful insight.
Erase your preconceptions about New York. Before I moved here, I thought I couldn’t have a dog or find a place to go jogging. After moving, it seems to me like a dog-owning, joggers’ Mecca. If you think everything here looks like Times Square, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find otherwise. There are neighborhoods in the heart of Manhattan with low-rise buildings, tree-lined streets, and beautiful sprawling parks. This city is diverse.
Things are expensive here. (And also really cheap.) You can eat a $50 steak across the street from a food-truck serving huge meals for $5. (Both are excellent.) The rent is too damn high, but that is partially offset by your lack of a car payment. You can buy really expensive Broadway tickets, or you can get free Broadway tickets with a little inside knowledge. You can pay for a boat cruise in the harbor, or you can see the same thing for free on the Staten Island Ferry. This list goes on and on. The longer I live here, the more deals I find out about.
Come to terms with the reality that your expectations of living space are going to be radically altered. Unless you are among the 1%, you cannot afford the square footage you’re used to. Most people see this as a serious disadvantage. If you look at it the right way, it’s a blessing.
Recognize the trade-off you’re making. The place you have now is a particular size because you do most of your living within those walls. (Now that is a depressing way to live!) In NYC, a significant portion of your life can be “externalized”. That is, you’ll spend a lot more time out in the city than you ever have before. Your living room is now the greatest city on Earth, and all it has to offer. Your kitchen and dining rooms have been shrunk, externalized in part as cafes, food trucks, and restaurants. You’ll entertain your friends at the pub instead of a back yard.
My first apartment in Manhattan was about 500 square feet. It was a place to sleep, shower, and watch television. The rest of my life took place outside of my apartment, in the city that never sleeps.
Get rid of all your crap. As I was preparing to leave Atlanta, I got to know the people at Goodwill on a first name basis. I said tearful goodbyes to all my computer and electronics junk, and donated it to my local hacker space. Furniture, bikes, everything went on Craigslist or was given to family. Alison and I flew to NYC with two suitcases each. One medium sized box, shipped UPS, had everything else. In retrospect, I probably could have done without the box.
There’s something extremely liberating about this. The first time you try to get rid of it all, you’ll come up with one thousand reasons why you have to hang on to that old bed frame, and that stack of obsolete computer manuals, and your collection of vintage gumball machines. This is normal, even if you’re not a hoarder. Try, get rid of what you can, and then wait a day or two. On each successive try, it will be easier and easier to get rid of your crap. By try number ten, you’ll be free.
None of your crap is going to fit into your apartment anyway, so you might as well get rid of it all.
Buy new and really cheap crap when you get to New York. So why not just ship your stuff? If you are convinced your couch, bed, and tables are going to fit, then go for it. In my case, it was more practical (and actually cheaper) to buy new “disposable-grade” furniture at Ikea and Walmart.com. I love it. My building could burn to the ground, incinerating all my belongings, and I wouldn’t even care. Do you know how liberating that is?
Get rid of your cars. Included in the “get rid of your crap” is also getting rid of your whip. You’ll be shocked at how quickly you adjust to this, even if you adore your car. After about six months, you’ll look at people stuck in traffic and wonder if they are insane.
The subway isn’t scary. It’s a New York tradition to complain about the trains, but in reality they are generally efficient for getting you where you want to go. If you’re moving to Manhattan, you’ll be amazed at how walk-able the island is. At first, you’ll be worn out from walking everywhere. Then, suddenly, almost overnight, the whole island just shrinks. Walking from West Village to East Village becomes a nice little stroll you’ll actually look forward to. When the weather is nice, I find myself walking when I otherwise could easily take the train.
You’re probably going to find an apartment and sign the lease all in the same day. Apartment listings have a shelf life measured in hours here. It’s not like other cities, where you can do a scouting trip, take your time investigating the place, interview the landlord with all your nit-picky questions, comparison shop, and then wait a few weeks to mull it over. Instead, you’re going to look, decide, cut some checks, and have the keys within a few days. You’re also going to pay a big broker’s fee for the privilege. (That last part just plain sucks. No bright side to find there.)
The suddenness of finding a place to live throws people off balance when moving here. It was definitely alien to me. If you’re going to do a preliminary scouting trip, spend your time getting a feel for the neighborhoods instead of looking at apartments to live in. You can check Craigslist or a broker’s website to ballpark how expensive the neighborhood is. Sit in the numerous parks scattered around. Sample the restaurants. Figure out which neighborhood suits your personality. Then find your apartment.
When we decided to move to the Chelsea neighborhood, we made a pact that we wouldn’t take the first apartment we saw. We decided we would choose carefully based on our careful criteria, and we would find at least two or three options before making a decision.
Then, of course, we ended up taking the first one we saw. (It worked out just fine, and we loved it.)
Move to Manhattan if you possibly can. It’s going to be more expensive, but it’s worth it. Plenty of Brooklynites will disagree, I have no doubt. I look at it this way: you are only new in New York once in your life. Make the most of it, and move to the center of where you want to be. Sometimes the cost difference isn’t that bad, either. It’s such a diverse market, you can get lucky and find a sweetheart of a deal. If you’re skeptical, find a six month lease so you can stay flexible.
Stay flexible. Your first apartment in New York will not be your last apartment in New York. Keep that in mind when you move here. Get a good starter apartment, and assume you’ll be moving again within a year or two.
Stay a tourist for as long as you can. You’ll fall into a rut before you know it, so be vigilant: see all the sights, visit all the neighborhoods, and do all the activities you can while you’ve still got the fresh excitement coursing through your veins. Don’t eat at the same place twice if you can possibly help it.
Enjoy the people. I’m serious! New Yorkers can be rude, but only if you’re an asshole. (Fact: asshole tourists are the ones spreading that “New Yorkers are rude” myth.) I’ve had smiling locals stop to give me directions when I looked lost. Once, I dropped $20 on the sidewalk, and some random guy chased me down to give it back. The sheer density of this city means people need to get along, and you’ll see that spirit in New Yorkers, if you are open to it. If you are not open to it, and assume that everyone around you is hostile, they’ll smell it on you and treat you accordingly.
Winter is coming. Personally, I’ve sworn a blood oath against the cold. I hate hate hate the cold so much. It is my enemy. My life’s dream is to build a dome over the city.
So yeah, it gets pretty cold here, and you will experience moments of agony. The wind is a real bastard. Invest in good cold-weather gear, including a scarf and gloves.
The dreary Winter makes everyone appreciate Spring that much more. My favorite time of the year is the first nice, sunny weekend where all the street fairs are open and everyone’s walking around with a grin on their face.
And in closing… if you could not already tell, I love this city. I’ve moved around the country quite a bit, but this is the first city where I’ve really felt at home, completely alive, and continually motivated to go out and experience life. That may or may not be the case for you, of course. Everyone has their own experience here, but this city is definitely alive in a way that has a profound impact on the people who move here.
If you have your own experience to share, please write about it and let me know!
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