I’m moving to New York City on October 12, which is two weeks away [yipee!] . Does anyone have suggestions for things I can’t live in the city without? I have simple needs and a thin wallet. I don’t have an apartment yet, so I’m trying to pack light for ease of couch surfing.
thanks,
wm
Winter’s a-comin’.
Fleece is yer friend. 
Pink cowboy boots. Everybody’s wearing 'em!
But really…NYC doesn’t get as cold as Vermont. Not nearly. There are a few very cold days, but you can just layer up for those. In other words, you don’t need your triple-thick fur-lined down parka.
Sell: your car
Buy: a little wheelie shopping cart (everyone has em for grocery shopping and such), good walking shoes, subway pass, little black dress.
Stop: looking up, staring, being surprised at anything.
Actually, you’ll find NYC significantly warmer than Vermont. Not only by climate, but the city is a tremendous heatsink – I’ve never seen even 1-2 ft of snow last more than a few days, particularly in Manhattan. The summers can be tremendously hot and humid, but that worry is a long way off.
Whenever I travel, I always go through this checklist:
Clothes (esp enough socks/underwear)
Personal hygene items (toothbrush/paste, floss, shampoo, deodorant, nail clippers, razor)
Wallet with driver’s license, credit card, and whatever else
Keys
Everything after that is just fluff. I can pack for an indefinite amount of time in a small bag that fits easily as a carry-on on a plane.
Of course, since it’s going to start getting cold, you’ll need a jacket and other cold-weather related clothing. Don’t bring more than 2 pair of pants (including the pair you’re wearing). You can always send home for the contents of your closet once you strike it rich.
Ah, almost forgot the most important thing, a towel! (no hitchhiker should be caught without one). A towel is muy importanto. Don’t forget it. Not everybody has extra towels, and if it’s a big enough one it can double as a blanket, or you can roll it up and use it as a pillow when you’re sleeping on someone’s floor.
I second the comfortable shoes. Rockports or something.
Hiking boots (gore-tex or other water proofing) will get you through the winter. No need for big clunky snow boots.
You may bring a good umbrella and hold onto it like grim death, or you might lose every umbrella you buy and you’ll be better off just getting a cheapie one every time it rains.
A light parka. Something that goes below the waist with a hood and lots of pockets that will keep you toasty and dry when it’s just above freezing, raining, and blowing. You don’t need the arctic model.
Gloves, of course. You can get away 98.5% of the time with just a thin pair.
Office temping is a good way to make some decent bucks so bring some nice clothes.
Ear muffs for when it’s cold and you don’t want to mess up your hair. Walkman headphones serve this purpose up to a point.
Of course, most of this stuff you can get when you’re here. If someone wants to get you a going away present, go for a nice pair of hiking boots and a nice light parka. You can stay out forever with this stuff and they will last for years.
Don’t worry too much about gawking up at the buildings. I do it all the time. You’ll get a feel for it.
I disagree with the posters who suggest hiking boots and fleece and whatnot. Wear what you want, but personally, I’d feel silly dressed like that. I see women with bare legs and sandals in the middle of winter.
What I do in the winter is wear light-weight clothes with a heavy down coat. Most buildings are heated to about 80 degrees in the winter, and it’s a pain to strip off layers.
45 - thirty packs of beer and a tolerance for capitalism
Money, money and more money.
And don’t forget your return train ticket when you realize that you can’t find an apt. and even if you did, you probably can’t affort it. So you decide to move across the river to New Jersey and commute. Then you realize that it’s not worth it traveling 1 1/2 hours to go cross a river and you head back to Vermont.
Hiking boots and fleeces? This is NYC, not the back woods of Maine! He isn’t going hiking people!
Yes…unless you want to live in a hovel in the Bronx, You’ll need a job that can afford rent of AT LEAST $1200 a month (and that is either a 200 sf studio or a roomates).
Some other must-haves:
-A Metrocard - get this at any Subway station
-Lose the car
-Black pants and a stretch shirt from Banana Republic for clubbing (looks like Armani but you wont mind if you spill a drink on it)
-Zagat’s restaurant guide
-A distinctive T-Shirt, sneakers and cargo pants for the weekends
-Condoms
Other than that, I can’t imagine what else you will need. It’s friggin New York. If you want something, just go down the street and buy it.