What’s it like to live in NYC right now?
What is it like to work in IB in NYC right now with the Omicron surge? How does it compare to pre-pandemic times?
Is it still worth spending 20s there during Covid?
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Shit is normal, dude
More expensive than pre-COVID.
Would stay clear of Chelsea, a little less safe these days.
Why is it less safe now?
The government has made it easy for criminals to run amuck. They basically don't pursue armed robberies anymore and if they do they let the suspect right out with no bail. I still stink the new mayor that came in January 1st might clean it up if given more time, he is literally an ex cop and planned to bring plain clothed police officers back, but people have lost faith in him already
Social life essentially normal
It’s awesome
Watch the Detroit urban survival tactical training videos to increase your chances of survival on the subway and hope for the best
None of the Detroit tactical advice works if the attacker stands more than two feet away from you
In regards to riding the trains:
Imagine Jurassic park, but instead of Dinosaurs you have crackheads. In all seriousness it’s pretty normal.
Another vote for loving it.
I moved during the pandemic, so no sense for what it was like beforehand except as a visitor, but I've found it lively and vibrant (not as apparent from the street the last few weeks because it's been freezing, but once you're inside bars and restaurants are packed). Literally everything is open, and while most places make you show a vaccine card (just a quick picture from your phone), my favorite spots all know me anyway, so I haven't had to show one at those in months. Rarely ever need to wear a mask except for the subway. During the summer and fall I stopped carrying one for weeks at a time... ticked back up a bit in December, but people didn't stop going out. I eat out for every meal and every restaurant is packed, I went to a club on NYE and had to fight through people to get a drink, I'm going to sold out comedy clubs, Christmas markets in Union Square and Bryant Park were filled to brim all last month, etc.
If you ignore the media and step outside (which is just good advice in general), the city feels alive. New restaurants and shops have filled in most of the 2020-era vacancies in my neighborhood and continue to open all the time. Our office is holding in-person events, friends are holding parties, I'm meeting people at bars - again, while I can't compare to the past this is more or less everything I would have expected from living in Manhattan 5 years ago.
It's not perfect, and I completely get that it isn't for everyone - rent is high, taxes suck (especially at my tax bracket...), things are crowded, trash collection is ridiculous, the weather sucks this time of year, all valid points. But the crowds are lively, Spring-Fall are gorgeous, and I work hard so I can afford things that I want - like living in a luxury high-rise in an expensive city.
I came here from one of those cities that "everyone is moving to" for a phenomenal job offer with the expectation that living here a few years would accelerate my career and I could go elsewhere if I wanted, but I'm sitting here a year later and I couldn't see myself living anywhere else. I've lived in a lot of places around the US and never felt that way about any of my prior cities. "Worth it" is up to you, but I'm genuinely happy here, and that's worth every penny I'll ever make
Why do you even wear your mask on the subway? Nobody cares and the cops don’t even wear them correctly. Wish more people would just resist and stop doing things that have no scientific evidence supporting them.
New York City isn’t perfect. Especially after the pandemic. Things have changed. Witnessing this shit over the last 20 years makes you realize cities ebb and flow. Like right now NYC isn’t the best place. High crime, lots of homeless people and in general the population is very aggressive towards each other because people are scared and hopeless.
However, NYC is an amazing place and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I couldn’t imagine myself in another city. New York provides you so many opportunities to meet new people and be with people you love and trust. You learn so much in this city. You learn life lessons that put you ahead of the rest of the population in terms of social skills, people skills and awareness.
Do I hope NYC returns to 2019? Yes. Do I think it will take a long time. Absolutely. The world is a messed up place right now and we are all in recovery. However, I don’t imagine myself recovering in a place outside of NYC.
However keep in mind I’ve grown up in NYC so having friends here has been a lifeline and helped me through tough times. But I still think it’s a city you need to live in for 3-5 years to understand the benefits.
True people literally just wait to tell MF's to put on a mask so they can go back to scrolling instagram, sipping Starbucks, caressing their shitzu like its a human, and taking a vaccine a week XXXDDDD
Where are you living? I've never experienced any of the bad stuff you're talking about. I know others have felt aggressiveness on the subway, I have not.
If you aren't worried about getting COVID and okay returning to norm, then the city is back to norm - great restaurants, going out, etc. Just a little cold right now
If you love brutally high rents (now slightly exceeding that of SF), terrible taxes, stupidly expensive food, smell of poop everywhere, massive homeless populations, and rising crime then it's perfect for you!
Nah but in all seriousness, probably worth spending 1-2yrs there if you think you'll regret not having the experience. But tbh, think you can get 80% of that from many other less expensive cities (Chicago, Miami, etc)
Untrue. Everyone always says you can have a compatible experience. You can’t. New York is a different breed (for good and bad). You’ll e never understand the city unless you spend multiple years there. I honestly think it’s for the better. But for each of their own.
I didn’t say you’re going to get 100% of the experience, I said 80%. Which is absolutely true
I will shill for NYC all day, every day. There is no city on earth quite like it, and I have lived in a few of the big ones, visited a bunch of the others.
The bad things people say about NYC:
- It's expensive: Adriana Chechik would charge me (tens of) thousands of dollars for the same service that the streetwalkers in Bangkok would charge twenty bucks for, you know which experience would be better
- Crime is rising: Yes, but crime has risen across the nation for the past couple years, and it's still much safer living in NYC than in most other major US cities, on a per-capita basis
- It's dirty: Are you walking on the roads, or are you licking them?
- It's too crowded: Personal preference. I love crowds. If you hate them, yes, stay away from NYC
What else you got?
I would say though, that NYC was significantly dirtier and more unkempt/rundown when I was there a month ago after not being there for almost a year. I don't know what changed but certain areas that would normally look pristine just looked off. Downtown was also significantly more rundown looking than I would have ever imagined which cements my view that I would never live downtown.
Agree, dirtier. I think they pulled back on trash pickup. Matters because it's smellier.
People are right that it has become more expensive. Markets are up ~40% since pre-pandemic, and for those in their 30s-50s in the city with a decent NW, their spending power really ballooned, pricing out those in their 20s
Haha surprising amount of shit you got but you're definitely right
Eh
It's still the place to be in your 20s in my opinion. Social life and the things to do are unmatched. Whatever your hobbies are, there won't be any other place that will beat NYC (other than maybe outdoor activities). I think for that reason there is a lot of staying power for NYC regardless of how bad things get. When you hit 30, I think that's when the conversation changes.
It is definitely true things have gotten worse crime wise around the city. Just be careful and be more aware. A lot more crazies everywhere. In particular, the area from Chelsea to Hells Kitchen has been in a downward spiral. It wasn't like this when I first got to the city in the early 2010s. NYC felt very safe, not anymore. Chelsea was actually considered one of the nicer places in the city. Rents vary significantly depending on where you want to live even more so now.
Reposting my thoughts on NY from another recent thread:
16 years in NYC. Start your career here if you have the option and spend some of your 20s here; it will probably be a fun time and fruitful for your career. See if you're a NYC lifer. For me: the value proposition has gone down aggressively the past handful of years and I'm probably going to buy a place in Miami this year.
After the novelty wears off in the first 5-10 years, you're left with a top-5 most expensive city to live in the US in terms of COL and taxes, but you aren't getting many quality of life improvements for what you're paying. Crazy taxes, long winters, dirty/polluted streets, dilapidated infrastructure, backwards one-size-fits-all progressive policies, and of course prohibitively expensive home-ownership options which makes having a family in Manhattan extremely difficult if you're not netting $1MM+ post-tax.
Housing: Homeownership (condo) in Manhattan is a joke in terms of what you pay vs. what you get. I'm the most financially secure I've ever been and could buy an apartment in the city but it's just not worth it. For the price of a studio or 1BR in NYC, you can have a 2000+ square foot 3 bedroom penthouse in Brickell or Edgewater (Miami) in a new building with tons of amenities. You'll still get to enjoy world class restaurants and a very vibrant nightlife, minus the winters, extortionist taxes, and crazy progressives.
NYC benefits are there's always stuff to do, a new restaurant to go to, a new lounge/bars, sports, etc. The city has an energy that no other city has. But like I said, the novelty wears off after many years and you're left thinking more about how much you're getting fucked financially through taxes and sky-high mortgage/rent just to freeze your ass off for 40% of the year and get told what to do by your mayor/governor who of course know what's best for you.
Only going to address one point in your thread (as I agree that you get a lot more for your money elsewhere); saying that having a family in Manhattan is “extremely difficult” unless you make $1mm+ post tax is pretty ridiculous. I realize it will depend on the number of kids you want (10?) and what lifestyle you consider normal, but these comments created a warped view of the world (especially for junior people). This site reinforces this pretty far fetched belief.
I think at a minimum it would be useful to explain what you mean by a family in Manhattan (and standard of living).
As a simple example:
$75k nanny (or swap with private school if child is old enough)
$180k rent ($15k a month is enough for a good 3 bedroom)
$120k “regular” expenses ($10k a month…that is a solid amount)
There you are at $375k, throw in $50k for vacations, where did the rest of the money go?
So yeah...anything under a million post tax will have you stressing. If you are DINK, that's an entirely different story.
I'm not so sure about this one. Brickell and Edgewater prices have skyrocketed in the past few years. It's still cheaper than NYC for sure, but not that much cheaper. Honestly what you're saying doesn't really hold true in any T2 city anymore, at least post pandemic.
Well, you're wrong. I'm down here looking at places now. 1.75MM was the median sale price for a 1BR in Manhattan in Q4. 1.75MM easily gets you a 2000 sq ft. penthouse in Brickel. As a matter of fact, you could get that for 1.5MM.
More like Top 3 most expensive places to live. Would say NYC / SF are tied and then a distant #2 is probably LA / DC from most COL lists I've seen
Good post though. My tolerance for crazy progressives has fallen off a cliff since pre Covid
Miami has a disproportionate share of aggressive new money Latinos and guidos.
it’s become a trashier version of Jersey shore
I'll happily trade Latinos for a warm climate and no state/city tax
Subways have gotten sketchy, and there are definitely a lot more criminals and mentally sick people walking around the city. Everything is open, but the problem is you'll have to be willing to spend money on cabs because subways aren't safe.
Tip: Cabs are much cheaper than Uber. Get a cab whenever you can.
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