Advantages & Disadvantages of Moving to New York City

You think about moving to New York City but want to get additional information about the city before making your final decision in this regard?

Stick with me since I will show you all the pros and cons of living in New York City in this article so that you can better decide whether you still want to move to New York or rather want to go for a different region instead.

Living in New York City – Overview

Advantages of Living in New York City

1. Many big companies are located in New York City
2. Many good jobs to choose from for highly-qualified people
3. You can make really good money in New York City
4. Starting your career in New York can give you a career boost
5. New York has a unique charm
6. NYC is the biggest city in the US
7. Many people will envy you when you tell them that you move to New York City
8. New York is great if you want to live in a busy city
9. New York offers many recreational spaces
10. New York is directly located at the coast
11. Real seasons make New York an interesting place to live
12. Many entertainment opportunities in New York City
13. More than enough things to do in your leisure
14. You can meet many celebrities in New York City
15. Crime rate in New York is pretty low
16. New York City offers great nightlife
17. New York is a pretty tolerant city
18. You can meet interesting people from all over the world
19. New York has a decent art scene
20. You can have many interesting conversations
21. New York offers great doctors and hospitals
22. Decent public transport in New York
23. You will find everything you need in New York City
24. You will find most things for daily life within walking distance
25. Many good schools in New York City
26. Excellent universities to choose from
27. New York has a big international airport
28. You can meet many tourists in New York City
29. Easy to socialize in New York City
30. People are curious and open to new things
31. It doesn’t matter where you come from
32. Excellent foods to try
33. You can experience many different cultures in New York City
34. New York City is a glamorous place to live
35. Many fancy shopping opportunities
36. New York City is an important economic center
37. Many neighborhoods to choose from
38. New York offers great museums
39. New York City has a bright future

Many big companies are located in New York City

One advantage of living in NYC is that many big companies are located in this region and those companies offer many great working opportunities.

In fact, you can choose among many different industries and will find more than enough companies to work for where you can really use your strengths to make progress with your career.

Many good jobs to choose from for highly-qualified people

New York is a great place to work, especially if you are highly-qualified and have many valuable skills needed in the job market right now.

For instance, if you are an IT or financial expert, many doors will open for you and you can work for the most prestigious companies in the world in a pretty exciting setup.

You can make really good money in New York City

Not only will you have many great jobs to choose from, but those jobs also pay really good money in New York City.

In fact, average incomes are far above national average and are higher than in most other big cities in the US. Hence, if your goal is to get wealthy or even rich, New York City may be a great place to move to.

Starting your career in New York can give you a career boost

Another reason to move to New York City is that it can also give you a real career boost if you have a workplace in New York City in your résumé since many people from different states will be really impressed and you will often have an edge over the competition if you worked successfully in this prestigious city for a longer period of time.

New York has a unique charm

You should also know that New York has a certain charm that not many other cities in the world have to offer.

In fact, it is pretty unique in many different ways and if you really love busy cities and also want to be at the center of the universe, New York can be the perfect city for you.

NYC is the biggest city in the US

New York is also the biggest city in the US and provides all the comfort you might expect from a big city.

In fact, there will be barely anything missing and if you are still unhappy, it may be due to your attitude towards life since there are not many other places that offer as much as New York City.

Many people will envy you when you tell them that you move to New York City

Another upside to living in New York City is that many people will envy you for your decision of moving to this place since many of your friends will wish to change places with you and you can be the one in your circle of friends who really makes the move and be a role model for many other people on how to make it in New York City.

New York is great if you want to live in a busy city

Due to its busy nature, New York is also a great place to stay if you want to live in a really crowded city and really enjoy big city life to its fullest.

In fact, there are not many other cities out there where you can find the same busy atmosphere and while it is too much for many other people, it may be perfect for you if you love excitement and thrill and want to have this atmosphere around you every day.

New York offers many recreational spaces

Another benefit of living in New York City is that although the city is pretty crowded and busy, there are still many recreational spaces where you can sit down and relax a little bit from your stressful life.

While you may not find those recreational spaces as often as in other cities, they are still present and over time, you will find many nice secret spots where you can unplug from your stressful life and reload your batteries.

New York is directly located at the coast

New York is also a great city since it is directly located at the coast.

Not only can you make nice boat rides, but you can also walk up and down the coast and enjoy your time after work in a rather peaceful atmosphere.

Real seasons make New York an interesting place to live

While you will not have real seasons if you live in San Francisco or in many other cities on the West Coast, you will have real winters on the East Coast and while this may not be great for sun lovers, it can still be interesting for people who want to enjoy the snow from time to time and who also want to have some cool months.

Many entertainment opportunities in New York City

Since New York is such a big city, there are also more than enough entertainment options for you.

In fact, many globally-known events take place in this city and there will always be something exciting to do and watch.

You will just live at the heart of the universe and many new trends will also start in this unique and exciting city.

More than enough things to do in your leisure

You will also have more than enough activities to do in your leisure in general since you can choose between numerous sports or also go fishing or hiking just a few miles outside of New York City and you will therefore never run out of options in this regard.

You can meet many celebrities in New York City

Another benefit of moving to New York City is that the city is pretty famous and also attracts many celebrities from all over the world.

This can be quite nice since you may be able to meet those famous people in bars and if you are really lucky, they may even talk to you and give you an autograph.

Crime rate in New York is pretty low

Even though New York is such a big city, it has a pretty low crime rate compared to most other major cities in the US.

Hence, while you may often have to worry in this regard if you live in Los Angeles, you can just walk down the streets in New York in a pretty relaxed manner since the risk of getting involved in serious incidents will be pretty low.

New York City offers great nightlife

New York City is also a great place to live if you really want to enjoy nightlife to its fullest.

There are not many other places on earth where you can find so many good bars and clubs to choose from and if you have enough money, you can party until the early morning and can really have quite a lot of fun in this regard.

New York is a pretty tolerant city

Another upside to moving to New York City is that people in New York are pretty tolerant and will not judge you for who you are as long as you are friendly and tolerant yourself and also know how to behave.

You can meet interesting people from all over the world

Since New York is a pretty tolerant city, it also attracts many people from all over the world and you can get in touch with many ambitious and interesting people and can expand your professional network within a rather short period of time which can also help you succeed in your career in the long run.

New York has a decent art scene

New York is also famous for its art scene and if you are an artist yourself or just interested in art in general, you will be able to meet many like-minded people and hang out with them on a regular basis so that you can make really good friends with people who have the same goals in life as you do.

You can have many interesting conversations

Since you can meet so many different people, you can also have many interesting conversations and by talking to people from several social classes, you can really expand your horizon and see the world from a different perspective so that you become more mature in the long run and can really grow in character.

New York offers great doctors and hospitals

Another advantage to moving to New York City is that you have many great doctors and hospitals to choose from and in case you get sick, you can be sure to get the best medical support possible.

Decent public transport in New York

While public transport is often pretty poor in many other regions in the US, it is pretty good in New York City.

In fact, you will often be faster to go by train instead of using a cab since you will not get stuck in traffic and can get from A to B in a reasonable amount of time.

You will find everything you need in New York City

New York is also a pretty big city and you will just find everything you need in this place and don’t have to commute to other cities as would be the case if you lived in smaller villages where the supply of material goods is often pretty poor.

You will find most things for daily life within walking distance

Not only will you find everything you need in NYC, but you will also find most things for daily life within walking distance and don’t even have to use your car but can rather walk down the streets to get your groceries and this can save you lots of time and money in the long run.

Many good schools in New York City

New York City is also known for its excellent education and you will just find many good schools and can make sure that your kids get the best education possible to give them a head start for their future lives.

Excellent universities to choose from

Not only does New York have great schools, but it also offers many great and reputable universities and if you or your loved ones graduate from those colleges, chances are that you will find a good job pretty soon and can really make it worth the money you have to spend on tuition in the long run.

New York has a big international airport

Another reason to move to New York is that the city has big international airports and this gives you the opportunity to reach almost every city in the world directly and can also save you lots of time and effort in the long run.

You can meet many tourists in New York City

New York is also a great place to meet many tourists from all over the world.

This city just attracts people from many different countries every day and if you love to talk to people and want to have many interesting discussions with people from different cultures, living in New York can be great for you since you will have the opportunity to do so on a regular basis.

Easy to socialize in New York City

Since people are friendly and outgoing, it is also pretty easy to socialize in New York City and chances are that you will find many new social connections and friends pretty soon after you moved to this exciting place.

People are curious and open to new things

People in New York are also pretty curious and especially if you are not born in this region, people will often try to get in touch with you to learn more about you and this can really help you build new social connections.

It doesn’t matter where you come from

Since people in NYC are pretty tolerant, it also doesn’t matter from where you come from.

Everyone is welcome as long as he or she is friendly and open and also knows how to be respectful. If this is you, you will have a great time in New York City, no matter what your country of origin is.

Excellent foods to try

Since New York has so many different things to offer, you can also enjoy many excellent foods.

In fact, there will be more foods to choose from than you could ever try and this can be great since it will also give you lots of inspiration for cooking at home so that you never run out of ideas in this regard.

You can experience many different cultures in New York City

New York is also a pretty diverse place and since you can meet people from all over the world, you can also experience many new cultures and this can be really interesting and also helps you become more tolerant and open in the long run.

New York City is a glamorous place to live

New York is one of the most glamorous cities in the US for sure.

Thus, if you want to live this kind of lifestyle and also want to get in touch with famous celebrities or other influential people, New York will definitely be the right place to live for you.

Many fancy shopping opportunities

Another reason to live in New York is that you will also find many fancy shopping opportunities.

In fact, there are so many fancy boutiques to choose from and if you have the money, you will find everything you could ever wish for in this regard.

New York City is an important economic center

Since New York is the biggest city in the US, it is also an important economic center and people from all over the world will make this city a great place to work and live for many decades.

Many neighborhoods to choose from

Since New York is such a big city, you will also have many different neighborhoods to choose from and can just choose a home in an area where you feel most comfortable in and also have many like-minded people around you to have a great time in the long run.

New York offers great museums

Not only is New York famous for its artists, but it also has many great museums to offer and if you are the type of person who loves spending time in museums, you will find more than enough exhibitions in NYC.

New York City has a bright future

In general, New York is a city that will have a bright future for many decades and you don’t have to fear that too many people will leave the city unless something really serious and unexpected might happen and you may therefore move to NYC as a relatively young person and may stay here for the rest of your life.

As you can see, there are many reasons to move to NYC.

However, it is still not all upside and we also have to talk about all the issues that come along with it to give you a more realistic picture of reality so that you can better decide whether you still want to live in NYC or rather want to move to a different region instead.

Disadvantages of Living in New York City

1. Property prices are really high
2. Rents have increased significantly over the past decade
3. Many locals will have to leave New York City soon
4. Average person struggles to make a living
5. Housing shortage is a big problem
6. It may take you quite long to find a place to live
7. Living costs are really high in New York
8. Social tensions have increased over the past years
9. Gap between the poor and the rich increased as well
10. Homelessness may become a serious problem in New York in the near future
11. You have to make really good money to be able to afford some luxury
12. Good jobs only for highly-qualified people
13. New York is a pretty busy city
14. People often don’t have time to help you out
15. People in New York City are often career-focused
16. Hard to find real friends in New York City
17. New York City is often too expensive for students
18. New York is not a bike-friendly city
19. Traffic is a real problem
20. You will lose lots of time in traffic jams
21. Hard to find a parking lot in New York City
22. New York City is vulnerable to climate change
23. Not that many nice beaches in New York City
24. Not as many nice national parks as in other regions
25. Hard to relax in New York City
26. People have high expectations
27. People often work long hours
28. Risk of burnout is quite high in New York City
29. People are not as laid-back as in other regions
30. Strong winters may not be your thing
31. Air quality is rather poor
32. It takes quite long to get from one end of NYC to the other

Property prices are really high

One problem with moving to New York City is that property prices are already pretty high and have also increased significantly over the past decade.

In turn, you would have to spend lots of money on buying a property and this could really financially constrain and even ruin you in the long run in case property markets may crash.

Rents have increased significantly over the past decade

Not only property prices are enormously high, but also rents have skyrocketed in NYC over the past years and if this trend continues, you would have to spend a big fraction of your disposable income just on living and may no longer be able to afford any other nice things.

Many locals will have to leave New York City soon

Due to high property prices and rents, many locals are no longer able to afford to live in NYC and have to leave the region and this also means that the region will lose some of its charm in the long run.

Average person struggles to make a living

You should also know that the average person already struggles to make a living in New York and many people have to work a second job to be able to only make a basic living.

Thus, while New York may be a great place to live if you have the money, it will not be a great choice if you are the average guy who barely makes a living from a full-time job.

Housing shortage is a big problem

Another downside to moving to NYC is that housing shortage is a big problem and demand for housing is far higher than supply.

In turn, property prices and rents are on a pretty high level and this problem may become even worse in the future.

It may take you quite long to find a place to live

Since housing shortage is such a big problem, it may also take you quite long to find a suitable place to stay if you move to New York since you would have to compete with numerous other people who have similar plans like you and it may take you many weeks or even months until you find a good place to live.

Living costs are really high in New York

Another reason not to move to New York City is that living costs are pretty high.

For instance, if you go out to a bar or club, you will often pay huge sums of money for a drink and this is also true for many other leisure activities.

Hence, you might not be able to afford any nice things unless you are wealthy or make good money from your job.

Social tensions have increased over the past years

Due to increasing property prices and rents, social tensions have also increased significantly over the past years and people in New York are often in a rush and are no longer as friendly as they were used to be since they often have to worry about their financial future and how to make enough money to survive.

Gap between the poor and the rich increased as well

Another disadvantage of moving to NYC is that the gap between the rich and the poor has widened significantly over the past decade and if this trend continues, chances are that crime rates may increase as well and that New York City may just no longer be as attractive as it used to be.

Homelessness may become a serious problem in New York in the near future

Since many people are no longer able to pay rent, homelessness has become a serious problem and may become even worse in the future if the trend of skyrocketing property prices continues.

In turn, you may no longer feel safe walking down the streets, especially at nighttime and this might really lower your overall quality of life in the long run.

You have to make really good money to be able to afford some luxury

You should also keep in mind that you would have to make really good money to have a decent lifestyle in NYC since everything is so expensive and unless you make at least a six-figure income, you will just not be able to afford much luxury and may be pretty constrained and limited in this regard.

Good jobs only for highly-qualified people

Another problem with living in NYC is that only highly-qualified people can make really good money while the majority of the general public barely makes enough to cover their basic expenses.

Thus, unless you have really good education and are able to provide lots of value to the corporate world, you may not find a good job and may really struggle to survive from most average jobs out there.

New York is a pretty busy city

You should also note that New York is a pretty busy city and while some people like the hectic atmosphere, others are just overwhelmed and living in NYC is therefore not for everyone and may not be for you if you rather want to enjoy a quieter atmosphere in a smaller city.

People often don’t have time to help you out

Since people often struggle to pay for rent and other basic expenses and have to work more than one job, they are often in a hurry and will not have time to help you out and in case you get in trouble, you may not find someone supporting you and you may be on your own.

People in New York City are often career-focused

Another downside to living in New York City is that people are often career-focused and will care more about their jobs and how to succeed in the corporate world than about helping each other out and this can really be annoying and sad to see since money often seems to be more important than brotherliness.

Hard to find real friends in New York City

Since money and materialism are such big things in NYC, it is also hard to find real friends in this city and you may therefore just hang out with rather shallow people with whom you might never be able to build real connections.

New York City is often too expensive for students

New York is also not a great place for students. While student life might be great and there are also many good colleges, New York is often far too expensive and students would have to take on enormous amounts of student loan debt.

Hence, if you are a student, you may rather want to study in cheaper regions instead.

New York is not a bike-friendly city

You should also know that New York is not a bike-friendly city.

In fact, it is pretty crowded and cars are everywhere and you will therefore just not feel safe using your bike to get from A to B most of the time.

Traffic is a real problem

Another disadvantage of living in NYC is that traffic is a big problem. In fact, cars are everywhere and the city is pretty noisy.

Moreover, you also have to watch out so that you don’t get run over by a car as a pedestrian and this can be really annoying in the long run.

You will lose lots of time in traffic jams

If you live in NYC, you will also lose lots of time in traffic jams and this can be really sad since you could do so many better things with your leisure.

Hard to find a parking lot in New York City

Not only traffic is a real problem, but it is also pretty hard to find a parking lot in NYC and you will therefore often have to search in this regard for quite a long time and may really lose your nerves in the long run.

New York City is vulnerable to climate change

Due to climate change, sea levels may rise and parts of New York may just get flooded sooner or later.

Consequently, you should rather search for a place to live that has a little bit of elevation to be on the safe side in this regard.

Not that many nice beaches in New York City

Compared to living in Long Beach or other places on the West Coast, you will also not have that many beautiful beaches in New York and this may really lower your overall quality of life since you may miss surfing or just spending time at the beach in the long run.

Not as many nice national parks as in other regions

Not only will you miss the beach, but you will also miss many nice national parks.

While New York has some recreational spaces, it is still not known for beautiful nature and you may therefore not have as many nature trips to choose from as in other parts of the country.

Hard to relax in New York City

Since New York is such a hectic place and people are pretty busy, it is also hard to relax in this city and you may therefore have serious problems in this regard and may really struggle to find a quiet place to unplug from your stressful life.

People have high expectations

People in New York also have pretty high expectations in various parts of life and if you are not able to deliver and to meet those expectations in your job, you may just get laid off in the long run and may get into serious financial trouble.

People often work long hours

Another problem with moving to New York City is that people often work long hours to make a living from their jobs and this means that you will often not have enough leisure to spend with your loved ones or to meet up with your favorite people after work.

Risk of burnout is quite high in New York City

Since people often work long hours and also work in a really stressful and hectic environment, many people in New York City are also at great risk of burnout and may also suffer from serious mental and emotional problems in the long run.

People are not as laid-back as in other regions

While many people are friendly, NYC is still a pretty busy region and people are more focused on their careers and are just not as laid-back as in many other regions in the US.

Strong winters may not be your thing

You should also expect pretty cold winters in NYC from time to time and if you are a sun lover, like the heat and want to spend as much time as possible outdoors, living in New York may just not be for you and you may rather want to move to California instead.

Air quality is rather poor

Since there are so many cars in New York City, air quality is also pretty poor and this may lead to serious health problems like pulmonary diseases or cardiovascular issues in the long run.

It takes quite long to get from one end of NYC to the other

New York is also a pretty big city and it will therefore also take you a while to get from one end to the other, especially during rush hour where you might get stuck in traffic jams and it may take you quite long to visit your friends in different parts of the city.

Top 10 Moving To New York City Pros & Cons – Summary List

Should You Move To New York City?

As you can see, New York City can be a great place to live since there are so many exciting things to do.

However, it is also a pretty expensive place and if you don’t have the money, you may end up in serious financial trouble.

Hence, make sure to evaluate all the advantages and disadvantages of moving to New York City for yourself to make the best possible decision and to avoid common mistakes in this regard.

Alternative Cities To Live In

If you don’t want to move to New York City anymore, you should also have a look at the following articles:

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Sacramento

Advantages and disadvantages of living in San Diego

Advantages and disadvantages of living in San José

Sources

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/newyorkcitynewyork

About the author

This site is about living, moving and traveling to various parts of our fascinating planet.

My name is Andreas and when I was younger, I traveled the world and learned a lot about different cultures and countries.

Thus, I want to share my experiences with you so that you can benefit from them and avoid common mistakes in this regard.

In my articles, you will find everything you need to find the best location for a happy and successful life.