Introduction
I have been living in New York for about five months now. Moving from Eugene, Oregon to here has been a big lifestyle change. A few of the changes took some time to notice but others were immediately apparent. The following is a short list of these changes.
One: Get ready to walk
After my first week here I had sore tendons in both my legs. You walk everywhere in this city. Whether it is going to work, going out or just grabbing a cup coffee, you are guaranteed to be commuting in the “shoe-barus.”
However, not having a car is wonderful. No more worrying about the price of gas, parking, and upkeep costs. All I need now is my MTA card and the occasional bus or train ticket. The times that I would need a car are now so few and far between, that it is perfectly fine just to rent one. Also, did I mention that Hertz is across the street from my apartment?
Two: Setting not Scenery
New York is a striking place but it is not scenic. In Oregon, the saturation of greenery laid onto the hills and mountains creates picturesque landscapes. Nature is at your fingertips in Oregon, so much that you feel guilty if you don’t use all that North Face gear at least a few times. Even in the urban environment of Portland, the city is largely hidden by trees. It is a place where the whole character is built off nature.
On the other hand, New York is a land tamed by human civilization. Here the contrasts of different eras are constantly clashing all around you. Whether it is a high-rise apartment right next to a pre-war walkup or looking down Broadway from 34th street, you get to see how technology and society have changed over the decades. I am constantly amazed at all the ways that concrete, glass, and steel can be sculpted. All this isn’t scenery. It is a setting to a constantly developing play.
And yes, before you say anything, I haven’t forgotten about Central Park. It is a beautiful park and is likely the closest thing I will get to a back yard for years. However, it is the buildings, not the park, that dominates the New York aesthetic.
Three: Times Square
Avoid at all costs.
The first time I came to NYC in 2010 I remember being absolutely floored by Times Square. Going to all the shops and walking through all the chaos was exhilarating. I must have spent four hours around 42nd Street just walking around and people watching.
Now, the only reason I would even consider going to Times Square is to go to Buffalo Wild Wings. I love that place. I realized after living here that there is no reason to go to Times Square. Every single store that is located there is somewhere else on the island. Most of the time, those stores are in less crowded more appealing areas anyway.
Additionally, it is frustrating trying to walk around midtown. During the summer and around Christmas the place is full of tourists and it becomes almost impossible to get anywhere.
Once you live in New York you learn that there are better places to spend your free time.
Four: Getting to work on time
More of a goal than an objective. Like most people in the city, I have to take the subway to work. The subway, while convenient, is often delayed. Sometimes these delays can make what would be a 30-minute commute into an hour trek. Delays are mostly random so there is rarely time to plan around them.
Consequently, the office culture seems to be less concerned about making it to work exactly on time. Everyone has been stuck on a subway at least once, so everyone understands if you are a little late to work.
Five: Beer
It is just not the same. In the Pacific Northwest, beer culture is THE culture. Every bar and restaurant in Oregon seem to have their own special something. What’s more, breweries are everywhere with plenty of cool spaces to enjoy. Additionally, everyone in the Northwest makes it a badge of honor to defend their favorite varietals. This always leads to funny conversations between hop heads and stout enthusiasts.
Now that I am in the city, I have lost all my interest in beer. Everything is super expensive, good beers are few and far between, and there are not many accessible local breweries. I have put all my alcohol interests in wine. There are a bunch of wine shops, and for the most part, the prices are like anywhere else. There is also more selection of European wines and varietals.
Six: Costs
Unless you are moving from San Francisco, London, Tokyo or the like, your life will forever be classified by what things cost pre and post-New York. Everything here is so expensive! You can easily expect to pay thirty percent more for food. Where going out for two people on the west coast, on an average night, is around $35, here it will probably be closer to $60 by the time you pay the tip. This is not to say there are not some good and cheap places, but you will generally be paying more for any kind of food.
Also, the cost that always gets me is the cost of tolls. It costs $13 just to drive into the city. Not to mention if you drive anywhere away from the city you will be on a toll road. It was a privilege to live in a place without tolls prior to moving here.
Finally, it goes without saying that the price of rent is a bummer. In most places, other than New York City, real estate agents are for buying and selling houses. Since most of the population here rents, real estate agents here help broker and find apartments. Their fees for providing these services are generally in the range of 6%-14% of the entire value of the lease. This means that you generally must shell out some major cheese just to find a place. If you are lucky, you can find a nice no-fee apartment. Good luck with that if you need to find a place quickly. To me, this whole process felt a lot less like a service and lot more like extortion.
Conclusion
Overall, I enjoy the changes and challenges that come with living in New York City. There is a price to pay to live in a place with so much convenience and opportunity. If you can adapt to these changes, this place starts feeling less foreign and a lot more like home.