My sis has got a promotion and is moving from London to New York.
Her employer will organise visas, an apartment, all that stuff.
She works in PR (actually, events management) and has been in London for 5 years so neither the job, nor living in a big city will be new.
What stuff should she know before she goes?
She’s in her 20s, trendy and in a committed relationship, in case that helps.
I am sure she will like it 
Its good she’s getting an apartment through work, because getting an apartment is one of the most infuriating aspects of living in NYC. The real estate biz is SUPER shady. Does she know where she’ll be living?
Problem with a cabbie? Want to praise a cabbie? Left something in a cab? Contact the Taxi & Limousine Commission
http://www.nyc.gov/html/tlc/html/passenger/sub_consumer_compl.shtml
ALL legal cabs in NYC are yellow cabs. NEVER get into a car picking up people on the street, that is not a yellow cab because it is illegal and unlicensed. (NYC also has something called “car services” where you can for a car & it comes & picks you up – that’s fine and those cars are usually black). At places like airports, wait in line for the dispatcher to assign you a car.
The subway runs 24/7. Flat fee per ride or unlimited use metrocard at a flat monthly rate. HopStop.com combines subway & walking directions between addresses
New York City gets extremely hot and humid in July & August. It snows at least a couple of times in the winter. The full range of apparel will be needed
Oh! NYC has many cash-only businesses. and on another note – Credit card readers can’t read those RFID chips, for the most part.
Hope this helped!
Where is she working?
Where is she moving?
Is the SO coming with?
Define “trendy.”
What does she eat?
Does she want to remain in an ethnic Irish neighborhood?
How long a commute does she want to have?
In what type of area does she want to live?
With all these things, I can help, or at least offer advice.
SO not coming for now- they’ll be doing the NY-LON thing.
Trendy- she works in PR, networks furiously, goes to SOHO House in London, wears cutting edge fashion (e.g. hareem pants at the moment).
She eats normal food- the last time I stayed with her we made Nigel Slater’s Coq au Vin- loves eating adventurously and doesn’t have any weird dietary kinks.
She’ll be moving as soon as the Visa is sorted, the job is already waiting.
She’s been living in Hackney with a 45 minute (walking) commute for the last 3 years- I don’t think an ethnically Irish neighbourhood would appeal and she doesn’t mind walking to work.
AFAIK the office is in Manhattan- not sure exactly where, but she said there are a lot of advertising/PR companies nearby.
LOL, that doesn’t give one much to go by. NYC is somewhat replete with Advertising & PR companies.
Does she know where her apartment will be?
She should limber up her middle finger. It’s used as a greeting or a farewell in a lot of NYC situations. Sort of like, “Aloha.”
She should also learn how to (i) stop at the top and bottom of stairs and escalators, and in front of doors; (ii) get on elevators, buses and subways without waiting for others to get out/off; (iii) stand in subways doors, train and bus aisles and on the street without realizing/caring that others need to pass; (iv) take up more than one public transport seat with her (a) purse cum suitcase, (b) shopping bag(s), (c) fat ass, or (d) I-imagine-I-paid-more-than-one-fare attitude; (v) walk while talking on a cell phone or texting and meander along, wander in front of other people or simply stop because what she’s doing in more important than anything; and (vi) throw trash on the ground when there’s a receptacle three feet away.
On a positive note, menupages might be helpful, when you don’t know what you want to or where you’re going to get it.
Live in Hoboken and commute in. Rent is MUCH less. there’s a ferry, PATH (subway), and regular train transit into the city. More than $7 for lunch means you’re not eating at the right place. Financial district is like a ghost town after hours.
From London to NYC?
Like a duck to water - she’ll have no problem whatsoever.
NYC is really expensive, but then again, so is London.
NYC can be dangerous in certain areas, but ditto London.
NYC is 24/7 excitement and energy - I think you know where I am going here…so is London.
If you can live in one of those cities, you can live in the other.
So, other than a few minor differences (manners, phrases, styles, etc.) she should adapt quite quickly and easily.
Suggest she get a two bedroom apartment so her beloved sister can visit at will, for as long as she wishes…(might as well join in the fun while she is there!).
I’m going to take issue with this. There’s a circle in hell reserved for people rude enough to push their way into elevators/subways/buses before letting the people who need to get off, off.
Otherwise what DMark said. If you’re fine in London, you’re fine in NYC. London is more expensive at the moment, food (IMHO) is better in NYC and NYC is also smaller so it’s faster to get around than London.
And stay away from New Jersey no matter what people say (other people will of course disagree). Also, there are plenty of places for ex-pats who get homesick.
I think descamisado was being ironic.
To the OP: definitely have her study the subway map now so it’s less daunting once she gets here. And tell her she should subscribe to Time Out New York, a weekly magazine that has listings of what’s going on in the city, as well as sections on fashion, music and books.
Yikes, my bad. :smack: Sorry, descamisado, this will teach me not to speed read and post.
What? You never saw the lost episode of Sex And the City where Carrie rides the PATH back to JC with some guy she just blew on top of the Gansevoort Hotel?
Somehow I doubt she can afford $5,000 a month for a 2-bedroom. Has she thought about maybe Weehawken?
Sort of like the old NYC joke: “Excuse me, sir? Can you tell me how to get to [wherever] or should I just go ahead and fuck myself?”
Seriously though, there isn’t really anything you need to “know” to live in NYC that you won’t know from having lived in any other large international city or just by common sense. NYC has a pretty big bar and restaurant culture. I would say that 90% of my social interactions with friends occur in some bar or restaurant as opposed to someone’s actual appartment (again, not much different from London).
Rooftop bars are pretty fun as you get pretty sweet views of the Manhattan skyline. 230 Fifth, the Boom Boom Room in the Standard Hotel, the aforementioned Gansevoort Hotel, Highbar, and Ink48 are a few just off the top of my head.
Also the bathroom in the Boom Boom Room is probably the best public restroom in the city. With it’s view of Manhattan from the 19th floor, it’s sort of like what I imagine taking a crap in the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon must feel like.
I’ve got two questions.
How committed?
and
Is your sister cute?
She’ll have no problems. The subways are 24/7. But that means that there are ‘service changes’ every weekend. There is a bit of a learning curve there.
OH and New Yorkers do not say ‘fuck’ all the time.
I’m not sure about London but she’ll probably need to look at Jewish holidays as those tend to throw people, and in her business, she’ll need to know to not put an event on certain days or realize that some people may be out of the office those days.
Tell her to sign on to nytimes.com and get on the e-mail subscriptions for local events and arts and book reviews. There are great entertainments available in NY, but they are largely sold out most of the time. It is necessary to plan ahead a bit.
Hoboken and Jersey City are more of a sixth borough of New York, but I would agree it’s still not Manhattan. I would recommend living in Manhattan for at least a year or so, just to get a feel for the experience.
Fuckin’ A right.
People ARE helpful. They will give directions, help out a stranger. I grew up in Philly and I’ve lived in NYC since 1981 and I really find NY’ers to be as kind and humane as anyone else on the planet.
She’ll love living there. Encourage her not to just do the expected stuff. DO EVERYTHING !!!
I was wondering if we could get an update from irishgirl, assuming her sister has already moved that is.
My two questions: How did she adapt to the weather in NYC (the past month or so has been verrry hazy, hot and humid)? Did she notice a difference in the population density between Manhattan and London?
Also, some advice. The premier pizza joint in NYC, Grimaldi’s, may soon be going the way of the Dodo. That’s an experience not to be missed.
Walk right, look right.
In all seriousness, I nearly died moving from the US to Australia, walking out into traffic. Walk on the right side of the footpath, keep to the right on an escalator, look right before you step off the curb.
Otherwise, it’s all awesome.
A lot of people have described the NY subway as daunting but I really don’t find it very daunting at all. It has a number of unique features that you don’t see in a lot of other cities (e.g. express and slow trains, and entrances that serve only the out-bound or only the in-bound train, as opposed to a subterranean area where you can pick the direction in which you want to go) but other than that I have always found it pretty straight-forward and easier to navigate than some other subway systems I have used. For someone coming from London, which has a pretty extensive subway system, I don’t think the NY subway should pose a significant challenge.