How to Move to New York!

Next month marks 6 years living in New York for me.  I decided to write a “How to move to New York” post, since there are so many people out there who dream of moving here.  Before I get started, I will give a little background as to why I moved here in the first place.  From the moment I stepped foot onto New York soil, I fell in deeply love with this place.  I never felt so strongly about anything in my life until I came here to visit for the first time.  New York is like my soul mate… it was this instant attraction, and I know that there will be no other place in the world like this place.  I was born and raised on the west coast, in Los Angeles, California. I have moved around quite a bit for the last 8 years and like to think of myself as a bit of an expert when it comes to bi-coastal living and moving. This place is so big and overwhelming that I was too scared to move straight into New York.  I lived in Maryland for two years prior to me moving into NYC.  Once I moved to New York, I moved around quite a bit from borough to borough.

How to Move to New York TIPS!

1. New York chooses you, you don’t choose it–  In order to live here you must have a certain type of personality to survive.  You have to be logical and strategic. You must be a fighter, and be prepared to have your butt kicked on a daily basis.  You also have to be flexible, but not easily broken.  You have to have a high endurance, and be able to accept that for every 10 loses, there is only one win.  You also have to be able to do two things at one time, and know that you will be doing both things as long as you are living here.  This is why is it hard for people to leave New York, you become accustomed to burning the candle from both ends.  While here we feel exhausted, and when we are away from New York we become bored and restless.  If you are weak, you will lose your mind trying to keep up.  I believe this is why there are so many mentally ill people here in New York City, lolll.

2. Sell all of your stuff before you get here–  If you plan on living in New York City, and are on a budget… be prepared for small spaces.  Most apartments are super small.  Think dorm room size with the addition of a kitchenette and bathroom.  Of course bigger budgets accommodate for bigger spaces.  Prior to moving to the east coast, I sold all of my furniture and only brought along my shoes and purses.  This made it easier for me to move around.  Remember the motto, “Travel Light, Travel Far”.

3. Temp Agencies are big business in New York–  If you have administrative skills such as typing, office administration, tech support, etc… you should be able to sustain yourself by working temp assignments until you find a permanent job.  Now mastering the Temp Agency system is a separate post.  I will talk more about that later.

4. Yes, New York is expensive– Saving accounts are something only kept women hold.  The rest of us who have to work think of savings accounts the same way we think of unicorns, four leaf clovers, and Santa Clause, lolll.  Be prepared to spend a lot more on a lot less.

5. Come with an Open Mind– 90% of the things I have experienced in New York are not fit for my PG-13 website, loll.  There are various cultures, views, lifestyles, religions, and other.  If you are moving to New York from anywhere else be prepared to be striped of your former way of life, and baptized into a living life force that strips and rebuilds.  You will either mold to the environment or be spit out and sent home with your tail between your legs.

Those are all of my “How to move to New York” tips for now.  I will report back with more detailed post on how to sustain in the big apple.