Is living in Manhattan to get the "experience" worth it? Whenever I talk to people about this most of them tell me that I should move out to the city. So I can get the "experience" and be closer to my job.
I have a roughly $100k base and my job only requires me to be in the office two days a week. Partying and going to clubs every single aren't my thing. I've lived in NJ my whole life and my family always took trips to the city a couple of times a year.
I'm struggling to find why it would be worth it to live in the city as opposed to living in Jersey City, Hoboken, or Newark. Or even one of the no-name cities along the NJ transit lines. You can get a much larger place and a roommate isn't necessary. And I don't think lowering my quality of life at home is worth saving 4-5 hours a week commuting.
I've networked just fine since covid started using LinkedIn and networking events. I did a handful of in-person meetings, but I can't say that my life would be much different if I didn't take them. I find that the most important people I network with appreciate a Zoom meeting more because they value their time (or don't even live in the city themselves).
Having lived in both I have a decent opinion on this -
Living in Manhattan was not for me at all but I am very glad I lived there for a year. Practically speaking if social life isn’t a huge thing for you there is no reason at all to live there. In NJ I have a much bigger and nicer apartment for cheaper.
Despite all of this I always recommend people to try it out simply bc it was cool and the experience of being in the middle of it was fun to have. Now I can comfortably say I tried it and didn’t like it rather than always wondering.
I will say if you’ve been around the city a lot maybe you can skip it, but as someone who hadn’t im glad I tried it.
And at the end of the day you can literally move there any time you want as I assume you’ll be renting for at least a few years but doing it out of college was sweet
I lived in Tribeca and in New Jersey during my NYC jobs.
- Central locations are great for after work drinks, parties, events, dating, and meeting with friends.Generally good for meeting more/new people as well.
New Jersey was good for cost of living, parking space, slightly bigger apartment, cheaper shopping
It’ll all depend on what you enjoy in life (and want to prioritize). It’s very difficult to have it all, so you’ll need to make decisions about what tradeoffs you want to make (what is “required”, what is nice to have, what do you not care about). It sounds like you appreciate a nicer/bigger apt over some of the conveniences of nyc.
I will add that nyc isn’t all parties and clubs, that’s just what most people early in their career will highlight, since that’s the reason they enjoy manhattan. NYC has a lot to offer, but at a cost, and there are many things you won’t get in the city (you want a big apt? That’s expensive. You want to play golf? Not in Manhattan (unless you count the simulators). You enjoy hiking? Need to leave the city, etc). So I would think about what you care about most and look at where that is offered. As an example, for me:
1) restaurants/museums/“things to do” - I enjoy food and NYC has a lot to offer in that dept. I also enjoy going to museums, broadway shows, random events (concerts in the park, cooking classes, etc). Some if this is available outside the city but usually not as frequently and harder to find. NYC has a lot that is also very convenient, step outside and you have 5 restaurants within a half block.
2) friends - a lot of my close friends are in the city and I enjoy being able to see them for a quick drink/coffee/etc. When I lived outside the city (because I thought I wanted a bigger place, etc), I didn’t see my friends nearly as much as I wanted even though I was a 35-40 mins train ride away
3) commute (when I was more junior, care about it less now) - early on in my career I would walk to work, very helpful when working longer hours
4) social life - not clubbing/bars, nyc has so many people that you are going to be able to find new friends and people like you. I have met several of my closer friends since moving to nyc through different groups (volunteering, exercise groups, events). This can also happen outside of nyc, but it is more the ease and frequency that this happens.
With that, there are many things (especially early on in my career) that I didn’t have (like, a dishwasher…or A/C). I had a tiny apt, I didn’t save as much as I could have, getting out of the city (early on when you are trying to save money) for a weekend is a pain (trains are packed, hard to afford a car, traffic is awful), I do enjoy the outdoors and I couldn’t hike easily (or ski although that is hard from NJ as well) and the convenience of a car was occasionally missed.
Also, I still live in NYC but I’m more senior now so things are much easier. The experiences about early on in my career were pre WFH, so I can imagine that a lot will be different over the next few years
Living in Manhattan below 125th st is helpful if you intend to pick up people in Manhattan and to bring them to your place. The need to go to NJ would be a deal-breaker for many. :)
Other than this, yes, I agree, you might as well live in Jersey City, or Hoboken, Westechester or outer boroughs of NYC.
Whatever in-person activity interests you in the city - cultural events/museums, sports events, professional networking events, hanging out in bars/clubs - is still easily reachable.
I've known plenty of people who commuted to downtown Manhattan from Jersey Cty or Hoboken 5 days a week before the pandemic, and were perfectly happy. It may be a better commute than from upper Manhattan.
I'm dead serious here, but the "New York Experience" doesn't exist.
Let me explain. NYC lacks the decadence and youth of younger and more entertainment/culturally driven-economy cities such as LA, Miami, Shenzhen and Barcelona. It's weather is shit, it's architecture isn't particularly impressive or appealing in comparison to older European cities or sparkling East Asian/West Coast cities (London, Paris, Munich, Shanghai, Tokyo, Rome). It's nightlife is dead in comparison to Miami, Hong Kong, LA, Madrid or London and it's demographics skew to the old side. There's no natural scenery such as beaches, mountains or the tropics that you might find in coastal cities around the world.
Have you ever lived in NYC?
Exactly what I was thinking. Miami (significantly lower comp?) and LA seem to offer much more than NYC. On top of that the firms I interviewed at out there all had parking decks and less hours.
I've never lived in Manhattan but spent weekends with family in Queens. I live in North Jersey.
Is dating for men in NYC really a lot easier than, say, California or is that a lie? I've heard it's because of there being a lot more single women than single men but idk. That could potentially be a huge plus (if it's true).
I'm not sure but I've hear NYC is hard because people only stay here for a few years and then leave.
Ut nostrum et officiis molestias. Repudiandae repudiandae laudantium laudantium nam quos in ad. Enim dolor quod et quia qui a numquam.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...