A big move!?

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-07-2007
A big move!?
16
Tue, 08-07-2007 - 11:00am
I'm a small town Minnesota girl with HUGE dreams! I've been living here for too long now and have the urge to move. I've been in love with New York City for as long as I can remember. I'm 27 and ready for a huge change. I'm very much single and not looking to settle down anytime soon. So, I figure now is as good a time as any. A single, young professional in NYC? Sounds good to me. My only issue is, I've never been there. I may be in for a huge reality check. Anyone have any suggestions? Is it hard to find a good job? Is it dangerous? Any suggestions on neighborhoods to live in? This is once in lifetime for me and I feel like if I don't do it now, I won't and will regret it forever.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 01-26-2006
In reply to: ndavis50
Wed, 08-08-2007 - 1:22pm
Sorry, this is random, but I didn't know you were from the Boston area...I'm not going to go on about Boston (which I sometimes do), but ask you how Seattle compares...I've always wanted to visit and it seems like a nice place to live, too. Plus, no freezing winters!!
Avatar for northwestwanderer
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
In reply to: ndavis50
Wed, 08-08-2007 - 1:47pm

Yes, I grew up in Scituate, down on the South Shore, and most of my family is still in the Boston area so I get home pretty regularly--once a year or so.

Seattle is wonderful--I love it here. It's similar to Boston in many ways--the water, lots of colleges and universities, etc but also very different (west coast vs east coast sensibilities). My favorite thing about living here is that I can go to all sorts of great restaurants and cultural events here in the city, yet I can drive 30-60 minutes and be out hiking in old growth trees.

And yes, I don't miss having to shovel snow in the winter or those hot humid summers! I'm all about temperate, moderate weather and that's what Seattle has. Of course sometimes that translates to days like today--63 and cloudy in August, yikes! But normally the summer weather here is great--70s and sunny with no humidity.

Sheri

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-30-2005
In reply to: ndavis50
Wed, 08-08-2007 - 2:28pm

I just visited an old friend who moved to nyc for college and is now going to law school there. She absolutely loves it, and I think she could very well stay there for a long time. The city really fits her personality, and she has a lot of fun. She lives in Brooklyn Heights (with a view of Manhattan), and her rent is, to me, outrageous. My time with her was fun, and the whole lifestyle was enticing. I imagined what it would be like to live there, and one thing I thought was that if I came on my own, it could be very very lonely. My friend got a lot of friends in school, so she really enjoys the city, but without that natural way to meet people, it might be tough. As it is anywhere, I suppose. But loneliness is often magnified in a place where there are many many people.

Personally, I simply couldn't move to a place like nyc without having a job lined up that I knew could cover my expenses. Without that, the adventure could be cut short and end up in a lot of debt and broken dreams. If I were you, I'd pour my enthusiasm and drive into my professional endeavors and looking for a place in nyc where I'd love to work. And, not to be a bummer, but that eventual goal of a job in nyc might mean taking jobs elswhere for now that could build an nyc-worthy resume. Find that place you would love to work, and find out what it would take to get hired. It might be a while before you actually get to nyc, but it would make getting there much sweeter. And then you would have *fun* planning where you will live, etc., because you will be able to afford it, and you might have some help/advice from your company.

Just my two cents!

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-26-2006
In reply to: ndavis50
Wed, 08-08-2007 - 3:04pm

>>And yes, I don't miss having to shovel snow in the winter or those hot humid summers! I'm all about temperate, moderate weather and that's what Seattle has. Of course sometimes that translates to days like today--63 and cloudy in August, yikes! But normally the summer weather here is great--70s and sunny with no humidity.

Oh, it sounds amazing...we had a weekend of 90-degree, humid weather and I felt like I was going to pass out from the heat (all day in the third floor apartment with no AC...). I don't like those sub-zero days either, but I almost prefer them to the heat. I don't mind snow at all, but not that icy, slushy mix that we sometimes get here...I definitely have New England blood. :)

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-13-2010
In reply to: ndavis50
Wed, 08-08-2007 - 3:54pm
I am a single in the city girl and I love it. Granted I grew up in NY so it wasn't like I summoned the courage to move here from a small town but I think it's an amazing idea for you. First of all, all the hoopla you hear from non NY'ers about how DANGEROUS NY is is just silly. As long as you are smart, aware of your surroundings and don't walk alone too late at night, you will be fine. There are always always fun things to see, hear, eat, drink, observe in NY at all hours of the day/night. You will never be bored....or you can flop down on a blanket in Central Park and just be. The only thing I have to warn you about is Manhattan itself is extremely expensive to live in and the apts are pretty small. I would choose Brooklyn or Queens to live in as they are extremely close to the city and much cheaper. You can get a roommate to share rent/expenses with. There are alot of websites devoted to finding roommates. As far as job searches go, I don't suppose it's worse here than anywhere else. There are plenty of agencies that can help you find a temporary or permanent job as well as restaurants, cafes, dog walking, etc. New York is all networking so you can find pretty much anything here. Good luck with your big adventure!
iVillage Member
Registered: 10-13-2010
In reply to: ndavis50
Wed, 08-08-2007 - 4:06pm
As far as Bklyn and Queens go, alot of the once undesirable neighborhoods are really being built up and have become trendy. The "cool" areas of Brooklyn are the Park Slope/Cobble Hill/Carroll Gardens area but they have become expensive too (though not as bad as Manhattan). You can't really get anything below $1300/month down there. Queens has lovely areas and is a bit less expensive. Astoria is the first stop on the train right after Manhattan and it is very affordable. A bit less than Bklyn. I live in Kew Gardens/Forest Hills which is a bit further from Manhattan (only 15 mins outside)and it is lovely and quiet and you have trees and gardens and families and the rents are like $1100 there. And safety is not at all an issue. Sometimes the nicest areas are less expensive than others bc they are just not as "popular" to live in. Location location location....

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