I love New York.
I’ve never been there. Grew up in Michigan, lived in Charlotte and Asheville as an adult, now live in Tucson. But am absolutely insanely obsessed with New York and living there.
I’m planning on doing this, but not for another 13 years at least, when all my children will be grown and hopefully on their own. In the meantime, please feed my fantasy and tell me all about it.
Do you love it? Why? Or Why Not?
With the rent so high and everything, how do you afford to live? You have to have alot of roomates? How’s that?
Are the wages higher to compensate for the high cost of living?
Is it reasonably convenient to live in the buroughs and are there lots of jobs there or do most people work in Manhattan?
Any and all opinions are welcome.
13 years?!?!
Why wait? Get your butt up here, if only just to visit. When you get here I’ve got a list of sights for you to see.
Oh, I’m definitely gonna visit relatively soon, within the next couple years. It’s ridiculous that I haven’t made a trip, but I imagine it would entail lots of saving $$. Unless, of course, I can just stay with you haha. 
First off, a lot of us don’t afford the “New York rents.” Many of us live in New Jersey, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, Westchester, etc., and commute. The friends I have who live in Manhattan are either a) insanely wealthy or, b) have 27 roomies.
It’s the little “New York moments” that keep me here. Two weeks ago I had dinner with friends at the Algonquin and was walking through Times Square just at dusk, when it was still light out, but the neon was beginning to flash. Lovely spring night, crowds of people, the “New Times Square” mingling with the old bits not many people recognize (the I. Miller Shoe Shop, the old brownstones and SRO hotels on the side streets) and I thought, “How could I ever leave this place?”
I get the same feeling when strolling through the tree-lined Henry Jamesian streets west of Union Square, or shopping at the Gotham Book Mart (“Where everyone knows your name”) or buying a $5 watch from a sidewalk vendor (“Git yo’ watches afore th’ cops gits me!”), or spotting an architectural detail I’ve never noticed before on a street I’ve walked a thousand times.
It really is like the movies sometimes.
Indeed.
One thing that helps with the expense is the fact that you don’t have to own a car if you live here.
No car payments. No car repair bills. No car insurance.
I like the fact that while I ride the subway to work there are people reading newspapers in Polish, Greek, Russian, Chinese as well as the NY Post. (which is something like english)
I also love how in the subway you may get on at a station where someone is playing the steel drums, transfer at a station where someone is playing Amazin Grace and My Heart Wil Go On on some sort oriental string instrment, and finish at a station where someone is playing some jazz on a trumpet or sax.
Nah.
I’m from NY, and I’d rather be in Tuscon. I rather liked it when I was there.