Need help from NYC rooers.

[HoodooOperator]

So, there is a strong possibility that my girlfriend and I might have to move to New York City for her job. She does have the option of turning down the offer and losing her job here (Chicago office is closing in 60 days...actually, make that 58) and finishing school and finding a new job. In my present job, I have the opportunity to transfer, so it could be a smooth transistion for me professionally wise. So with that, my question is.....Why should I move to NYC? What does it have to offer for me? Do you people living there love it? What are some of the best places to live? And most importantly, how bad is the drive to Manchester? I have lived in the midwest my whole life (Chicago & Minneapolis), my whole family lives here, and to say the least it scares the sh*t out of me to just pick up my sh*t and move. But, I am not against it if I would love living there. Any advice?


p.s. is there really only 43 days left till Bonnaroo? godd*mn am i excited.

[indigo]

I'm curious to see how nyc'ers respond. While I've never been there, seems like it would have a lot of diverse cultures and arts to indulge in, musically, fine arts, and whatever else. There's just a pricetag to it, and the congestion of a city.

[HoodooOperator]

eh....so no input?

[msfelithatsme]

HI .. i live in new york city. why should you move here? well if you have to due to job reasons. then i guess its settled! as for nyc.. .it is pretty special.. but its a CITY. its expensive.. its stressful. you really have to adapt (or prefer) the city kind of life.

did i mention its expensive.. ? haha.
but yeah. if you prefer the country life. or just trees and SPACE in general.. then maybe somewhere just north of the city would be a better fit. altho.. then you have the commute down.

really.. its hard to say why you should move here. i personally dont love it. but im here. its a wonderful place to be social. to get anything you want at anytime you want (and even delivereD) i love the proximity to the airports and to the beaches of long island. i love that i never have to be responsible and drive anywhere.. i enjoy restaurants.. the bars.. the fact that i rely so much on my feet to get me where i need to be.

but overall.. i would ultimately prefer a more beautfiful landscape and a larger shoebox to call my home.

so really.. its a personal preference. and moving here would definitley be an experience worth trying out if you were ready. im always half thinking about moving somewhere els.e. just because in this life when you have the opportunity to do something.. why not take it. you can always move back if you arent happy.

and

ps. my friends driving from long island say its like 15 -17 hours to bonnaroo.

[sparklybecca]

I am also from NYC. I would agree with what most of msfelitthatsme has to say except for I LOVE NYC ;D BUT, it can be really hard sometimes, its a lonely city sometimes - especially in the winter. But what I can say is when NYC treats you nicely its the best
SO many concerts, events, street fairs, parks, beaches, cultures, neighborhoods, food, etc.

the drive to manchester is a long one... i think it took us 14ish hours last year? Im flying this year for under 200 bucks ;D

Let me know if you want to know anything else..

..oh and if you have a car, its really hard to find parking in this city and a lot is almost like paying a second rent, so you may want to sell it or figure out what you can do with it....

[tacobell]

i dont live in nyc but i have spent alot of time there because my three best friends go to school there and its close to my house. i have been there enough to have the novelty factor wear off, novelty is a big factor at first, the first few times i was there as a college student (not on a day trip) i loved it so much. now its a bit more real. try to imagine urself there year round 24/7. but are you already used to living in a major city? (chicago).. and are you asking for a comparison to other cities or a comparison to other areas in general?

[fenian34]

Where in the city is the job? That is going to be a major factor in where to move to of course, as depending on your mode of transportation it can take quite a while to get from one end of the city to the other. If shes working in Staten Island, I dont know that id go and get an apartment up in the bronx...

I will pm you when I get a little time later tonight, but feel free to ask anything you need to know (im pretty knowledgeable)

[joeydigz]

I was born and raised in NJ ( You could see Staten Island from my old house) and i would say that the way to go would be, move to NJ and take mass transit into the city. While NYC is a great place to hang out, the hustle and bustle can become too much real quick.
And as far as giving you a reason to move, NYC is the center of the universe. Fine dining, sports, the arts, when it comes to these things NYC is the measuring stick to which all other cities are compared to.
The ride to Bonnaroo is a real b@#ch though. Bout 16 hours.

[HoodooOperator]

Okay, first off thanks for any input, it is very appreciated. Okay, so as for my GF job location....three days a week, she would work on West Broadway near Chinatown/ Washington Sq. Park?....and the other two days, she would be in Central Valley. So kind of a split between the two. So yeah, today they offered her a 15% increase to her salary, and $3000 relocation expenses, and we are still wondering if that would be enough, she also got the option to move to Vegas as well (but i dunno about that) Anyways, thanks again for everyone who has chimed in, and any other help would be great.

[joeydigz]

Dude, Vegas! I would go for it. As long as you're not bothered by the heat. There are two places I plan on going every year, for the rest of my life. One is 'Roo, the other is Vegas.
Vegas is just like a little NYC, but the people are nicer, and the drinks are cheaper.

[michael]

well if your GF will be working in china town, Brooklyn is right over the bridge, and rent is not that much cheaper but you get more for your money in Brooklyn and queens then you would in Manhattan.

[earthisbig]

I think there is a learning curve when living in nyc. it takes some getting used to. but since your in your 20's and from chicago the transition will be smooth. this really is a great city with tons of opportunities professionally and personally. i say give it a try because if you don't you may always wonder how it would have been to live in new york.

ps- im a real estate agent in queens so if you have any questions in terms of apartments or anything like that just ask. i would be glad to help.

[ziggyandthemonkeys]

I'd check out real estate and see if the move is even profitable, because with the increased price of living, you guys could be pocketing less money then you are now. I lived in upstate new york, but my boss lived in and around nyc for 30+ years and it sounds like the big thing is stressful, and exspensive. You can make well over 100,000$ a year, and not be able to afford a house. That said, its NYC....

[earthisbig]

ziggy is right. im going to assume youll be renting. so for a rough estimate subtract your monthly rent from your monthly income. do that for where you live now and what it would be in nyc. you could also throw transportation and food into the equation. something you should also think about is a car. in nyc you dont need a car so unless you think you'll need it on the weekends it is something you can save a lot of money on by not owning one.

[MickStPeter]

Sigh* to only have the opportunity... everyonce and a while I look at my bank account when it has a decent amount of money in it (not now due to roo shopping) and think... OK now's the time... but alas I never do it... A because I really have no marketable skills B because I don't have a degree yet and C because where the hell would I stay before I found my feet
But one day...
Frankly I'm just too impatient with this whole school thing
You guys have got to do it... It really is the city that never sleeps

but on a side note... the cost of living in vegas is really cheap... housing is cheap, and it is one of the few places in the states where the market is still on its way up... so you could buy a house now and once you've got a family and need a bigger house you could turn over a profit on your house.

[ziggyandthemonkeys]

Can do that in NY too^, real estate is always getting more exspensive there, but its getting enough money to buy the house first. ;D