I was there only once for 12 days and while it was nice I cannot say that it was so special IMO .

I know you're a female, Tonylover, but here's a relevant song for you...

"New York Is A Woman," by Suzanne Vega

New York City spread herself before you
With her bangles and her spangles and her stars
You were impressed with the city so undressed
You had to go out cruising all the bars

Your business trip extended through the weekend
Suburban boy here for your first time
From the 27th floor above the midtown roar
You were dazzled by her beauty and her crime

And she's every girl you've seen in every movie
Every dame you've ever known on late night TV
In her steam and steel is the passion you feel
Endlessly
New York is a woman she'll make you cry
And to her you're just another guy

Look down and see her ruined places
Smoke and ash still rising to the sky
She's happy that you're here but when you disappear
She won't know that you're gone to say goodbye

And she's every girl you've seen in every movie
Every dame you've ever known on late night tv
In her steam and steel is the passion you feel
Desperately
New York is a woman she'll make you cry
And to her you're just another guy

PDogz said:

Exactly. Folks, don't bother coming here without serious L-O-O-T!!!

I would NEVER want to live in NYC.

Just to give you a picture...

One source I found says that for July 2009, the average monthly rental price for a studio in Manhattan was $1,774; $2,406 for a one bedroom; $3,362 for a two bedroom; $4,648 for a three bedroom. Moreover, landlords often ask for the first AND last month's rent upfront. You will likely need to employ a broker, whose fee would be about 15% of your rent. (Finding a decent NYC apartment on your own is damned-near-impossible as I understand it.) And landlords routinely want your annual salary to be at least 40 times your monthly rent. If you don't make that kind of money, you could get a guarantor... but that person often must demonstrate they annually make 80 times your proposed monthly rent.
These costs would, of course, be a bit lower in the other four burroughs, but they definitely ain't cheap either.

In other words, you'll need pretty big loot, a sugar daddy or about 10 willing roommates.

And don't forget...

* Utilities at, say, $200/monthly
* Weekly or monthly groceries
* Transportation expenses (Lord forbid you have a car and need to buy gas... and pay auto insurance.. and park it! )
* Medical/dental/vision insurance, unless your job covers you
* Fees attached to your visa and any necessary renewals
* Any incidentals

People somehow do survive in NYC, so it's clearly possible. But it's a challenge, especially for a newcomer.
[Edited 8/11/09 17:38pm]

Lammastide said:

Vienna sure is a nice city to live in .

Serious said:

I swear!

I complain that Toronto is expensive coming from Ohio. But I thank GOD it's not nearly as bad as NYC!!

That said, I love a lot about New York... but I sooooo don't think I could live there.

thekidsgirl said:

i dont ride the L train so ha! ..

DanceWme said:

well what about the J? Will you come visit me if I live in the J tunnel!! Don't leave me down there forever!

DanceWme said:

is the L train the grey one?

thekidsgirl said:

i wouldnt let u live in the train station. U can stay with me

ZombieKitten said:

new york is dirty gimme london any day.

evenstar3 said:

i'm clean

DanceWme said:

well if I were to ever find my way out, you'd be the first person I'd call then

thekidsgirl said:

u can sleep under the kitchen sink. im sure there is a rat friend down there u can play with

vainandy said:

you are a fool...


I lived/worked in NYC for two years love the job, kinda loved the city but in the end just too many dang people, for me.

DanceWme said:

That's too cramped! Ralph the rat and I would be practically spooning.

thekidsgirl said:

if thats what u like sweety, i promise i wont judge u. promise.

DanceWme said:

damn, I was better off lost under ground

thekidsgirl said:

Lammastide said:

You have to be either very rich or very poor to live in Manhattan. You're better off living in the outer boroughs and commuting into NYC.

Go for it! Where there's a will, there's a way! Although it is expensive I wouldn't discourage you from trying to do it. If this is what you want then make it happen.

Good luck!

TonyVanDam said:

But much more corrupt politically and socially....and hurricane season is a pain in the ass.

New York is awesome. It's an amazing city that never ceases to provide, as far as I'm concerned. The architecture, the culture, the people, the sights, the sheer audacity of it all...it adds up to magic, and I love being part of that energy.

Tonylover, if it's your dream, I hope you get to make it happen. I don't know anything about the green card/visa issues, so I can't help you out there at all. And of course New York has been hit hard by the economy, so jobs are tough and you'd probably have to be living here before anyone would even think of considering you for employment, so accomplishing this might be really difficult.

But if you really want to do it, and you know going in that you're going to be taking several big chances, you can accomplish it. You can always check out Craigslist for roommate opportunities, which would probably be more affordable and convenient for you (although more risky, since you'd be taking a chance on strangers).

Start working through every connection you have: parents, siblings, friends, colleagues, whatever. If you know anyone who knows someone in New York, you might be able to get help that way. Start asking people you know and trust and tell them what you want to do--they might be able to help you out.

I hope it works out for you!

CarrieLee said:

I've been thinking, and I actually do like this sentiment. I've wanted to move to certain places for a long time, but have been discouraged for any number of reasons.

By all means, Tonylover, if this is a dream, pursue it! I've only wanted to set the context so you have some insight into what your challenge is.

Godspeed.
[Edited 8/11/09 11:29am]

Lammastide said:

If it really is a dream then it's better to give it a try then to regret later and wonder what could have been. But maybe I am only saying that because I am living like that right now .

Efan said:

Excellent advice.

if Madonna can do it so can you! what did she have when she arrived? $25? what's that after inflation