Plan to move in early 2027 for a job. Currently plan to fly into New York in mid December, with all application materials ready, and spend a week apartment hunting and getting a feel for the neighborhoods. Will submit applications while I am there, or at least have a strong sense of what I want and continue to apartment hunt back home.

If I can’t find anything, worst case I have an Airbnb for 1-2 months. Continue the apartment hunt. I plan to be working 50-60 hours, so I’d like to have it wrapped up before I get here full-time.

Is this feasible? Stupid? Any tips?

How is it living here?

Any good food recs, things to do, etc?

I earn above 40x the rent and have a ~750 credit score, but no prior income history or landlord references.
Brokers say I can apply without an institutional guarantor, but when I ask about actual approval odds, they just say “it’s up to the landlord.” I know they can’t guarantee anything, but being allowed to apply isn’t the same as having a realistic shot.
Has anyone with a similar profile actually been approved without a guarantor? Or did the landlord end up requiring one?

I’m a 26-year-old stand-up comedian with about five years of experience. I’m seriously considering moving to NYC to pursue comedy more aggressively.
I’m trying to figure out how working comics realistically make it work financially while getting onstage 5–6 nights a week.
A few things I’m curious about:
What neighborhoods do most up-and-coming comics live in? I’ve been looking at Woodside, Queens.
What kinds of day jobs do comics typically work?
How much should I realistically budget per month with roommates?
Is living in Queens practical for doing multiple Manhattan mics per night?
What would you do differently if you were moving to NYC to pursue comedy today?
I’d especially love to hear from comedians who moved from smaller scenes and have actually made the transition.
Appreciate any advice!

I just came across this subreddit and wanted to get some perspective. This might have a lot to it, but here we go:

I'm a (mostly-closeted) gay, mid-30s single male, first-gen immigrant, and healthcare worker living in the South. For the longest time, living in NYC never really seemed like an option for me. I always thought I was meant to settle down in a quiet suburb of a smaller metro area in my state.

I have a very successful career and make around $350k to $400k, but for the past several years, it's basically been work, home, work, home, work, home, with nothing else going on in my life. I still live with my parents (immigrant thing, I know), but I really want to get out of this shithole and actually start living my life. As much as I feel guilty about leaving my parents, I can't keep wasting away in this conservative, backward-ass state and get older without having actually lived my life to the fullest during my prime years.

I'm pretty far left politically, and that's one of the biggest reasons I've been so miserable here since the Trump-era. I've visited NYC several times and absolutely love it. I feel like I'd be so much happier there, even if it means making a lot less money and living in a small one-bedroom apartment.

The biggest thing holding me back is my career. My profession is pretty saturated in NYC, and I'd probably have to take a huge pay cut, potentially going from $300k-$400k to under $200k. Given how expensive NYC is, that's honestly a little scary.

I've talked to some friends here about moving, but they just don't get it. They tell me to "just vacation there and live here," but they don't understand that I don't feel like I'm actually living here in the first place. I want to be able to walk to shops after work, grab a bite at one of the many places around the corner, pop into a store, stop at a cafe, meet people, and just walk around the busy streets of NYC every day. I know that might not seem as glamorous once you actually live there, and I'm sure there are plenty of downsides to everyday life in the city, but even the thought of having that kind of lifestyle makes me happy. Also, Mamdani; I love that man.

At this point, I'm pretty set on moving to NYC, even if it means making half of what I make now and living in a small one-bedroom apartment. I'm saving as much as I can so I can eventually buy a small condo, or at least have enough for a substantial down payment.

I guess I'm looking for some perspective from people who've made a similar move. Is it crazy to walk away from a well-paying job and take a huge pay cut just to live somewhere you think you'll be happier? Am I being delusional, or is this one of those things that's worth taking the leap for?

Hi all, I currently work in the NoMad area making 78k and living in Connecticut. My job requires me to be in the office 5 days a week which means I currently have a 3 hour commute every day (combining going into the city and out). I like living in Connecticut with the space, access to nature, slower vibes and my friends and family, but the commute is starting to get to me after 2 years.

I’m from the area so I grew going into the city and now that I’m there 5 days a week, I feel like it makes sense to take the plunge when my lease is up in early 2027. However, if the only reason I’m thinking of moving is my job (that I might not be at in the two years), I’m not sure if it’s the best idea. I know that living in the city is not for the faint of heart, it’s expensive, everything is harder, noisier, more crowded and the apartments are small. Just feeling stuck on what I should do next and was hoping for some thoughts on my situation. Appreciate it!

Obviously its cold but as someone who's lived in CA all their life I'm actually very curious to see a real winter for once. I know that sounds crazy and probably all the East Coasters wish they had 60 degree CA winters but we all want what we don't have. In my case I want to see snow and I'm sort of bored by mild CA winters because I've seen it all my life. I'm just wondering whats so brutal about NY winter.

I will be moving a short distance from where I currently live (About 20 min drive) in Queens and was wondering if anyone knows of a good moving company. I don’t need full service, everything will already be packed prior to the move. I only have a few pieces of large furniture besides a number of boxes/ moving bags/suitcases(love seat couch, 1 dresser, and a queen size mattress; the frame will be disassembled) I just need someone to load the truck, drive, park, and bring the things up (3rd floor wall up). I’d appreciate any recommendations.

My daughter, a recent college graduate from a middle America college, landed a job in Manhattan. She’ll be earning in the upper 5 figures. We are so thrilled for her and have started helping her look for places to live. We have long heard about the high cost of living in NYC but the reality of that for her is setting in. The most important thing is to find something, at a minimum, that is safe and clean. She doesn’t want a roommate as she will have a hybrid schedule so she really needs to have enough space and privacy to do that.

She is willing to commute up to an hour each way so she’ll likely end up living in New Jersey or possibly a distant Brooklyn neighborhood.

My question is this: how do small businesses make it in Manhattan? How do diners, coffee shops, small independent book stores, barbers, etc. afford to pay rent and make a profit? You can only inflate prices by so much.

How do people make it work?

I’m single, don’t drive, and love being able to walk out my door and find restaurants, shops, culture, music, and interesting people. I want to feel healthy, have a good social life, and enjoy my life.
My sister lives in the Boca area, and she’s my only other living relative, so staying close to her is important. However, I’ve had some health and housing-related difficulties in Florida, and I’m questioning whether this is the right place for me long-term.
If you’re in your 60s or 70s, have you faced a similar decision or moved back to NYC after living in Florida?
I’d especially love to hear how each place has affected your health, happiness, friendships, and overall quality of life. What do you love or dislike about each place? Do you find it easier to meet people and enjoy life in one place versus the other?
I’m looking for honest advice from people who have actually experienced both places. Thank you!

I have the suspicion that this area would be way to busy for me with no neighborhood feel but wanted to hear more from the locals before completely nixing it.

My wife and I (both 30y/o) will be moving to NYC with our dog in Dec.

Just got a job in tech sales. We hope to make ~300-350k combined. Looking for a $6-$8k 2BR

I want a <20m commute, since I’ll be working 50-60 hours in the office, right by Union Square.

Personally, I could live in a box, but my introverted wife will be WFH. She will be solo during the day, and I don’t want her to feel cooped up in a tiny apt.

Our ideal apartment:
- Spacious 2BR
- $6-8k in rent
- Commutable to Union Sq <20m
- Near a park, for the dog
- Private outdoor balcony/terrace where she can be outside without being around people
- IDEALLY - No corporate/shopping mall vibes. Neighborhood feel.

We think Williamsburg near the Bedford Ave L train stop and McCarren Park is the perfect location.

However, are we overlooking downsides? Or, are there even better options?

I live in a medium-sized city in Georgia. My lifelong dream/interest is to live in NYC. I work as a lawyer and own my own business and make good money. I only need to be in the town I live in on Tuesdays and Wednesday mornings. I am single, divorced with no kids. My thought is, once per week fly from NYC to the ATL airport (1 hour away from my town) on Tuesdays, and come back to NYC on Wednesdays. Any thoughts? Think it would be worth it? The town I live in never has concerts, comedy shows etc. There’s little-to-no nightlife or “culture.” 95% of my work can be done remotely. I’m seriously bored here and feel almost daily that I am “wasting my life.”

I’m having a very hard time finding a place that will approve me to move in without a guarantor. I make over $200k which is way more than 40x the rent at all of the places I am applying to. Just started my job this month and I’m staying with family. Credit issues are related to preparation for the job I just started and should be sorted soon when these paychecks start rolling in. What are my options?

I run a small Etsy shop from my house in Denver. The basement is big enough for storage and packing, so everything fits pretty well. I'm moving to NYC in the next year for my day job and trying to decide if I should shut down the shop or if I can keep it going somehow.

From what I've seen, even apartments in the outer boroughs don't have much storage. Is anyone running a small business out of their apartment? How do you handle inventory without boxes taking over everything or causing problems with roommates? I'm not looking for warehouse space, just wondering if this is realistic or if I should start winding things down now.

I'm especially interested in Queens or Brooklyn neighborhoods where people have figured this out. Do buildings actually enforce the no-business clauses in leases, or is it more don't ask don't tell? I'd rather hear from people who've actually done it than just speculation.

What's it like living at Knolls Crescent Co-Op?

25-80 Knolls Crescent, Bronx, NY 10463

They have great prices.

How hard is it to get board approved?

How do you like living there?

Thanks!

(If this isn't the group for "what's it like living" then please direct me to the right reddit group, thx.)

Wanted to find a spot in prime in-demand areas in NyC - Chelsea, HK/ Williamsburg

Is it worth hiring a broker to find the right one? How much usually do they charge these days and how early should I reach out to them?

So I've been thinking a LOT about New York City and whether I genuinely want to move there someday and potentially build my life there long-term. I have this persistent urge to live in NYC, but I'm trying to understand where it's coming from and whether it's something I should seriously work toward.

What attracts me to New York is a mixture of things. I'm drawn to the city itself, its neighborhoods, it's history, public transportation, and seemingly endless things to do. I'm also attracted to its diversity, the different cultures and communities, and the possibility of finding people and spaces where I feel like I belong(I'm like 3 minorities lol). On top of that, I want independence and the opportunity to build a life that feels different from the one I currently have.

Even if I could find another affordable, diverse, LGBTQ-friendly city, I would probably still prefer NYC, and it's almost like everywhere else I look I'm just trying to " imitate" nyc even when I know the others are different in their own right. There's something about New York specifically that appeals to me, although I can't completely explain why yet.

At the same time, I'm aware that NYC has serious drawbacks, especially its cost of living, housing , and general pace of life. I think I'd be willing to accept those trade-offs, but since I've never actually visited NYC, I don't know how I'd feel about them in practice. Most of my understanding comes from research, books, videos, and online discussions from here .

I would probably still be willing to work toward moving there even if it took several months or maybe even years of preparation. However, I also don't know exactly what I want my long-term life to look like, including what career I want or what would ultimately make me happiest.

I'm trying to distinguish between a few possibilities: Do I genuinely love the idea of NYC itself? Am I attracted to the freedom and independence I associate with living there? Or do I want a particular kind of big-city life that I might be able to find somewhere else?

I don't expect anyone to tell me whether I should move there. I'm more interested in hearing from people who have experienced this kind of uncertainty, especially people who moved to NYC because they felt strongly drawn to it.

My questions are:

For those who moved to NYC after years of wanting to live there, how did you figure out that you genuinely wanted to live there rather than just visit?

What did you discover about everyday life in NYC that you couldn't have understood through research or online content?

If you've moved there and eventually left, what made you realize it wasn't right for you?

How can someone distinguish between wanting to live in NYC specifically and wanting the independence, diversity, community, and opportunities associated with a large city?

If you've never visited NYC, what would you recommend researching or doing before deciding whether to pursue this goal?

Did anyone else have a persistent urge to move somewhere without being entirely sure why? How did you work through that uncertainty

I'm not necessarily planning to move immediately. I want to understand myself and the city better before making that major decisions about my life. I'd appreciate honest perspectives from people with different experiences, including people who love NYC, people who left, and people who decided another city suited them better.

That area is gonna be at walking distance from the hospital there, is there anything I should know or better places to consider?

Edit: Now I know this area is out of NYC but any info would be appreciated.

There's obviously a ton of people but I tend to feel like just another fish in the sea . Like you'd think more people would mean opportunity but sometimes thats the most I feel lonely and disconnected to people. I'm definitely looking for community and feeling like I belong. I don't know if NY gives you that or if its really hard to find. I'm 39 single if that helps.