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This might be a controversial opinion but hear me out. Having moved from outside Baltimore to NY 7 years ago I think I get a better value in NY. sure my rent is more expensive but I got paid more for the same job. I also got to sell my car. I typically just ride my bike everywhere so I don’t buy a metro card. There is a ton of free entertainment and way more cheap food options. It’s easy to say rent is more expensive but when you factor in pay raise and all the other perks of a condensed city I think it has a pretty good bang for your buck. Sure middle America towns are way cheaper but can you see a dinosaur skeleton, a Rothko, go to the beach, and skate a multitude of incredible parks all in the same day without paying anything? Top it off with dollar slice or north dumpling and it’s an easy win in my book.
i agree with this, it all depends on if you get your footing.
“Getting your footing” is a good way to put this. I lived in NYC for 15 years, and just left about 8 months ago. In that time I saw a LOT of people come through and leave when they get burned out within 1-2 years. Others got their footing and stuck around. I grew up in NYC suburbs so I had a support network that made it doable even when I made no money. I’d probably still be there if it weren’t for COVID, but I decided to pack up and spend the year working remote from LA to dodge the winter.
It’s true that most work, even low wage hourly work, pays slightly more in NYC than other places, but housing is still extremely expensive.
In my experience there are three ways that people make it work:
1) luck out and get a decent housing situation, or they have family nearby for support. Friend already established can help set you up as well.
2) find a significant other or spouse so you can split the rent on a halfway decent apartment (I’ve seen a lot of people just dive into relationships to make their housing situation better in NY)
3) spend a shitload of money to live in a dumpy 10’x10x’ windowless box with 3 roommates and either get used to it or get fed up within a year or two.
Some people also have like STEM degrees or a building trade, so they can get a lucrative job, of course.
And I’ve also seen some people who just do NOT want a car, and for them NYC is obviously one of the best option in America. Like I’ve seen guys who got a bunch of DUIs in Tucson pack up and move to NYC so they can drink as much as they want without getting into trouble. For them it’s worth it I guess.
Now here’s my own question:
what do people think of Austin TX? I recently took a remote job working for an organization based out of Austin and I’m thinking I might actually want to live there for a while. Seems like I can rent a house there for much cheaper than NY or LA. At the same time everyone tells me it’s not as cool or cheap as it used to be. Worth it?