Advantages & Disadvantages of Moving to New York

You think about moving to New York but want to get more information about the state, overall quality of life, housing situation, living costs, entertainment options, safety, income prospects, job market and much more before making your final decision in this regard?

Great! Stick with me since I will show you the pros and cons of living in New York in the following chapters.

Living in New York – Overview

Advantages of Living in New York

1. You can enjoy big city life in New York
2. Good mix of city life and nature in the state of New York
3. You can enjoy lots of interesting architecture in New York
4. Great museums in New York
5. Many great sports teams in New York
6. New York has many decent art scenes
7. New York is a culturally diverse place
8. New York attracts many international tourists
9. You can have many interesting conversations with people in New York
10. New York is a pretty tolerant state
11. You will be welcome no matter where you come from
12. You can hang out with many interesting people in New York
13. Moving to New York enables you to experience many different lifestyles
14. Excellent foods to try in New York
15. New York attracts many talented and ambitious people
16. Pretty high income level in New York
17. You can start a fancy career in New York
18. Rather easy to build a strong business network in New York
19. New York is a pretty popular state
20. Many of your friends will envy and admire you for moving to New York
21. New York may be an interesting place to retire
22. Excellent education in the big cities of New York
23. Decent medical infrastructure in the urban regions of New York
24. You find good public transport in the big metropolitan regions
25. New York is a pretty exciting place
26. More than enough things to do with your leisure
27. Most people in New York never get bored
28. You can make many nice day trips in New York
29. New York offers lots of beautiful nature
30. You can relax through nature activities
31. New York can be a great state to raise your kids
32. Decent air quality outside of the big cities
33. You can enjoy real seasons in New York
34. Great nightlife in the urban areas of New York
35. New York is a vibrant place to live
36. Many fancy shopping opportunities in New York
37. New York is a melting pot for people from all over the world
38. You may be able to meet many celebrities in New York
39. New York has a coastline
40. Decent internet connection in most parts of New York
41. Easy to get to the big cities of New York
42. You find most things you need pretty close to your home in the urban parts of NY
43. People in the urban regions of New York can often live a pretty efficient lifestyle
44. New York can be a great place to study
45. New York is a rather safe state
46. Decent future outlook for the state of New York

You can enjoy big city life in New York

One advantage of moving to New York is that you can enjoy real big city life in the big metropolitan regions of this state and you will be surrounded by nice skyscrapers and can enjoy the unique atmosphere in NYC or other fancy places in this state.

Good mix of city life and nature in the state of New York

While you will find many big metropolitan regions in New York, you should also know that you will also be able to see lots of beautiful nature in the western parts of the state where you can relax and reload your batteries so you can stay balanced even though you may have a pretty stressful and demanding job.

You can enjoy lots of interesting architecture in New York

Since there are many unique skyscrapers in New York, you can also enjoy lots of exciting architecture in the big cities of this state and in case you are interested in architecture or even work as an architect, you may get lots of inspiration for your professional life by moving to New York.

Great museums in New York

Another upside to living in New York is that you will also find more than enough great museums in many of the big cities and can see unique pieces of art that you would not see in many other places and can also expand your art knowledge quite a lot in general so you will be able to impress the people around you.

Many great sports teams in New York

Moving to New York can also be a great idea in case you are a sports fan and want to watch many games at the highest level live in person since you will be able to choose among many different sports and can watch those games in many exciting arenas.

New York has many decent art scenes

You should also know that you will find many decent artists and art scenes in most parts of New York and in case you are an artist yourself and want to hang out with other like-minded people, chances are the urban parts of New York will be a great place to live for you.

New York is a culturally diverse place

New York is also among the most culturally diverse places in the US and you will be able to meet many interesting characters from which you may be able to learn quite a lot for your own life in the long run and you may also be able to meet many exotic people from different countries and spending time with them can just be quite a lot of fun and can also make you more tolerant.

New York attracts many international tourists

Since New York attracts ungodly numbers of international tourists, you will also be able to meet many people from remote foreign countries and by talking to those people, you will soon realize how relative the world really is and will become more open to alternative ways of life.

You can have many interesting conversations with people in New York

In general, by meeting many different people from all over the world, you can also have many interesting discussions about what’s going on in the world right now and you may therefore get different perspectives on life and may be able to understand what’s happening in a much more profound manner.

New York is a pretty tolerant state

Another benefit of living in New York is that it is also a pretty tolerant state and people with many different cultural and social backgrounds live together in harmony most of the time.

You will be welcome no matter where you come from

Since New York is a pretty tolerant place, you also don’t have to worry about your background at all since you will be welcome no matter what country you come from and can have a great time in this region as long as you are tolerant and friendly and also know how to treat people in a proper manner.

You can hang out with many interesting people in New York

In general, New York is also a great place if you not only want to meet the standard person but also really want to meet people with alternative attitudes towards life, especially in the big cities where you will see many rather exotic people from whom you may be able to learn quite a lot.

Moving to New York enables you to experience many different lifestyles

In general, New York is a place where you can experience many different lifestyles and your attitude towards life may change rather quickly when you see how many options you really have to live your life in a proper and fun manner and this may really impact your future career and what you want to achieve in life in general.

Excellent foods to try in New York

New York is also known for its excellent restaurants and as long as you have enough money, you will be able to make many excellent culinary experiences in the big cities which may greatly improve your overall quality of life and you may also learn a lot for cooking at home since there are many open kitchens where you can see how the chef prepares the food for you.

New York attracts many talented and ambitious people

Another advantage of moving to New York is that the big cities also attract many ambitious and smart people and by meeting up and talking to those people, you may be able to adopt many helpful characteristics which may have a great positive impact on your future success in business and life in general.

Pretty high income level in New York

As long as you hold a solid degree, you will also be able to make really good money in New York since income levels are pretty high in this state and you may therefore make far more money in the same field compared to people living in Alabama or other regions where median income levels are far lower.

You can start a fancy career in New York

By moving to the big cities of New York, you can also benefit from a rather strong economy and can also work for one of those big corporations that pay really good money and provide you with excellent career opportunities so you may be able to climb the corporate ladder fairly quickly.

Rather easy to build a strong business network in New York

Since you can meet many smart and ambitious people in the big cities of New York, you will also have a rather easy time building a strong business network and this network can help you progress in your career much faster since the more influential people you know, the easier it is to get into fancy positions in the corporate world.

New York is a pretty popular state

You should also know that New York is a pretty popular state and this will likely be the case for many decades so you can be pretty proud to talk about your home in New York and all the nice things that come along with living in this region.

Many of your friends will envy and admire you for moving to New York

Since New York is a pretty popular state, many of your loved ones will also envy and admire you for your plans of moving to New York and you may therefore be able to get a pretty high social standing among your family members and friends.

New York may be an interesting place to retire

Since you will find really good public infrastructure in the big cities of New York, distances are also pretty short in the rural regions and retirees may find everything they need close to their homes so they may be able to live a pretty convenient lifestyle during the last chapter of their lives in New York, at least if they have enough money to pay for all those amenities.

Excellent education in the big cities of New York

There are also some really great schools and universities in the big cities of NY and as long as you have enough money, you can make sure that your kids get excellent education and can get a fancy degree which may greatly help them find a well-paying job later on.

Decent medical infrastructure in the urban regions of New York

You will also find many excellent doctors and hospitals in the urban parts of New York and in case you get sick, you can be sure to get solid medical treatment rather quickly so you may be able to recover from your health condition in a proper and efficient manner.

You find good public transport in the big metropolitan regions

Another upside to moving to New York is that you will also find really good public transportation in the biggest cities of the state and will be able to get around by bus or train in a pretty efficient manner and you may not even need a car to get around as long as you stay in the urban parts of New York.

New York is a pretty exciting place

You should also know that New York is a pretty exciting place where you will always find something interesting to do and if you love action and adrenaline, moving to the big cities of New York can make quite a lot of sense for you.

More than enough things to do with your leisure

Since you can enjoy a decent mix of big city life and nature, you will also have so many things to do in your leisure that you will barely find the time to try all of them and will therefore be able to live a pretty interesting lifestyle in this astounding place.

Most people in New York never get bored

Since there are so many nice things to do in the state of New York, most people state that they also never get bored in this region and will always find new interesting things to experience.

You can make many nice day trips in New York

Since there are many big cities in New York, you will also be able to make many nice day trips to other cities in case you may get fed up with the city you live in and just want to try something new from time to time.

New York offers lots of beautiful nature

While you may mainly think about New York in terms of New York City, there are also many nice things to do in nature and apart from big city life, you can enjoy your time in nice nature reserves, national parks and can really relax and unwind from your stressful life for the weekends.

You can relax through nature activities

Since you can enjoy your time near nice lakes, rivers, forests and mountains, you will also be able to go fishing, hunting, hiking and can do many other nice things in nature together with your loved ones so you can have a great time and can still relax in a proper manner.

New York can be a great state to raise your kids

Another benefit of moving to New York is that it may also be a great place to raise your kids since you will find solid education and many nice things to do in the big cities while you can also take them on nature trips so they learn about our planet and why it is important to protect it as best as possible.

Decent air quality outside of the big cities

While the big cities are often contaminated with fumes, you can still find pretty decent air quality in the rural parts of New York and by hanging out in those natural environments on a regular basis, you may be able to do good for your overall health in the long run.

You can enjoy real seasons in New York

Since you can enjoy hot summers and pretty cold winters, people in New York can also experience real seasons and this may make your life much more interesting since you can go swimming in summer and go skiing in winter while people moving to Florida or other places where it is rather warm all year long just don’t have this luxury.

Great nightlife in the urban areas of New York

You will also find more than enough great bars and clubs in the big cities of New York where you can meet many interesting people and can also party quite a lot so you can really enjoy your youth and explore yourself.

New York is a vibrant place to live

Moving to the big cities of New York can also make quite a lot of sense if you want to live in a pretty vibrant place where you can experience new and exciting stuff on a regular basis since people in the big cities of this state are often trendsetters for the things that may spread across the world in the future.

Many fancy shopping opportunities in New York

You will also find many fancy boutiques and shopping malls and as long as you have enough money, you will be able to go shopping in a really great manner and can buy many luxury items your peers may be really envious of.

New York is a melting pot for people from all over the world

New York is also a place where people from all over the world come together and if you love high levels of cultural diversity and hanging out with many new people on a regular basis, chances are you will have a great time in the big cities of New York.

You may be able to meet many celebrities in New York

As long as you move to the big metropolitan areas, you may also be able to see many celebrities and in case you are really lucky, you may even be able to take a picture with your idols and make memories for a lifetime.

New York has a coastline

While it is pretty small, New York still has a coastline and if you move to the eastern part of the state, you may be able to go swimming and surfing on a regular basis which may just make your life more interesting and many people moving to Arizona or other non-coastal areas will envy you for having this opportunity.

Decent internet connection in most parts of New York

Since New York has a pretty decent infrastructure and most regions are well-connected to the world, you will also have a pretty solid internet connection in most regions and may therefore be able to work from home and also get important news in almost real-time so you may be able to adjust your decision-making process in a proper manner.

Easy to get to the big cities of New York

Since you will find big airports near the big cities of New York, you will also have a rather easy time traveling the world and your loved ones from other states may also be able to visit you without having to deal with annoying layovers.

You find most things you need pretty close to your home in the urban parts of NY

Thanks to pretty decent public infrastructure and solid supply of material goods, you will also find most things you need pretty close to your home in the big cities of New York and don’t have to drive long distances to get what you need.

People in the urban regions of New York can often live a pretty efficient lifestyle

Since most things will be really close to your home, you also don’t have to spend lots of time on annoying things of life but may be able to live a rather efficient lifestyle instead so you can use your time on the things that really push the needle when it comes to succeeding in your job and your life in general.

New York can be a great place to study

Since there are many excellent universities in New York and nightlife is great as well, the urban parts of New York can also be great places to study since you can get the best education possible while you will still be able to hang out with many great guys and gals to enjoy your student life as best as possible.

New York is a rather safe state

You should also know that New York is a pretty safe state compared to the rest of the US.

In fact, when it comes to living in big cities, NYC is among the safest big cities in the US and you may feel much safer in those regions compared to people moving to Detroit or other areas where high crime rates may be a much bigger issue.

Decent future outlook for the state of New York

Since income levels are pretty high, crime rates are rather low and NY is also a place with pretty high reputation, it may be a popular place to live for many decades and you don’t have to worry about too many people leaving this state anytime soon.

As you can see, there are many reasons for living in New York.

However, there are also many drawbacks of moving to New York that I want to address in the following so you can get a more comprehensive picture of reality and will be better able to decide whether you still want to move to NY or rather want to move to Iowa or other interesting places instead.

Disadvantages of Living in New York

1. Living costs in New York are pretty high
2. Housing shortage is a serious problem in the big cities of New York
3. It may take you pretty long to find a decent place to stay in the urban regions
4. Rents are barely affordable for the average person in New York anymore
5. Property prices in the big cities of New York have skyrocketed over the past decades
6. The average person in New York is no longer able to buy a decent home
7. High overall financial pressure for people living in New York
8. You have to make really good money from your job to afford a decent lifestyle
9. High unemployment rate in the state of New York
10. Increasing level of inequality in New York
11. New York may have to deal with many social problems in the future
12. Winters in New York may be too cold for many people out there
13. Floods and other natural disasters will become more common in New York
14. Cost of homeowners insurance is about to increase in New York
15. The big cities in New York are pretty crowded
16. Traffic jams are quite common in the urban regions of New York
17. Finding a parking lot can be a real challenge in the big cities
18. Hard to find places to be on your own in the big cities of NY
19. New York can be a pretty hectic place
20. People in New York are often pretty busy
21. It may be all about the money in many parts of New York
22. People in New York often get into financial problems
23. You may not be able to save up enough money for retirement
24. Big city life in New York may be overwhelming
25. Rather poor public infrastructure in the rural parts of New York
26. Public transport gets worse outside of the big cities

Living costs in New York are pretty high

One problem with moving to New York is that living costs are pretty high. In fact, most things and activities of daily life are pretty expensive and you may therefore have to spend far more money on drinks and other nice things in the big cities of New York compared to people moving to Delaware or other cheaper regions.

Housing shortage is a serious problem in the big cities of New York

You should also not forget that in the big popular cities of New York, housing shortage is a really big problem and competition in the housing market is pretty fierce so you may have to spend much more on realtor services than in many other parts of the US to find your dream home.

It may take you pretty long to find a decent place to stay in the urban regions

In general, it may also take you many weeks or even months until you find a decent place to stay in the fancy parts of New York and it may also cost you lots of nerves while people moving to Kentucky or other less popular places may have a much easier time finding a decent home within a reasonable period of time.

Rents are barely affordable for the average person in New York anymore

Another downside to moving to New York is that rents have become really high in the big cities of New York and people often have to spend high fractions of their income on housing and may not have enough money left to afford other important or nice things of life.

Property prices in the big cities of New York have skyrocketed over the past decades

Not only rents are pretty high, but also property prices have gone mad in NYC and other big metropolitan regions of New York and only very wealthy people are still able to buy homes in this region without having to financially overextend themselves.

The average person in New York is no longer able to buy a decent home

In general, buying a home in NY has become a luxury only very few people out there are still able to afford while the average person will no longer have a realistic chance of living the classic American dream in this region since housing and living costs are still far too high.

High overall financial pressure for people living in New York

Since everything is pretty expensive in the big metropolitan regions of New York, people in this region also often complain about high financial pressure and become increasingly desperate since they no longer know how they should pay their bills.

You have to make really good money from your job to afford a decent lifestyle

Another disadvantage of moving to NY is that due to high living costs, you also have to make pretty good money from your job to afford a decent lifestyle and this often means working many extra hours just to survive in this place.

High unemployment rate in the state of New York

You should also know that while there are many well-paying jobs for highly-qualified people in New York, you may still have to deal with high unemployment rates and may have to worry about losing your job on a constant basis in case you don’t hold a fancy job and may have to work in low-wage environments where you may need multiple jobs just to pay for your basic expenses.

Increasing level of inequality in New York

Since living and housing costs have increased significantly over the past decades, there is also an increasing level of inequality in the state of New York and you will also see an increasing number of poor people who just have to live on the streets since they are simply no longer able to afford a place to stay in the big cities.

New York may have to deal with many social problems in the future

Due to increasing inequality, also all sorts of social problems will likely increase and this may also lead to increasing crime rates in the long run.

Winters in New York may be too cold for many people out there

Another problem with living in New York is that winters can be pretty cold and in case you are the type of person who doesn’t like cold weather at all, you may be better off moving to El Paso or other regions where it is rather warm all year long and snow is pretty rare.

Floods and other natural disasters will become more common in New York

Due to global warming, also floods, storms and other natural disasters will become more common in the future in the state of New York and in case those natural disasters hit your home, you may just lose everything you have and in case you don’t have proper insurance, those extreme events may even ruin you from one day to the other.

Cost of homeowners insurance is about to increase in New York

Since natural disasters may become more common, also the costs of homeowners insurance will go up significantly over the next decades which will make living in New York even more expensive and less affordable for the general public.

The big cities in New York are pretty crowded

Another downside to living in New York is that the big cities are also pretty crowded and you will run into large groups of people on a regular basis so you may not be able to really enjoy your life in public and may also get stuck due to crowded streets on a regular basis.

Traffic jams are quite common in the urban regions of New York

Since population density is pretty high in the big cities of New York, you may also get stuck in traffic jams quite often which may cause you to lose lots of precious time while people moving to Colorado or other less crowded regions may be able to get around by car in a much more efficient manner.

Finding a parking lot can be a real challenge in the big cities

Since the streets in the big urban areas of New York are pretty crowded, finding a parking lot in the big cities can also be a real challenge and you may have to spend lots of time and money in this regard in the long run.

Hard to find places to be on your own in the big cities of NY

Due to high population density in the big cities of NY, you may also have a hard time finding many recreational spaces where you can hang out in public on your own during times you may just not want to get distracted by other people but need a quiet space to think about your life.

New York can be a pretty hectic place

Another disadvantage of living in New York is that the big cities can also be pretty hectic and chaotic and if you are the type of person who just likes living in a quiet and laid-back atmosphere, moving to the big cities of New York may not be the right way to go for you.

People in New York are often pretty busy

You will also be surrounded by many busy people in New York who may often not have the time to help you out since they just have to rush from one meeting to the other and you may just not feel as welcome and supported as you might have wished.

It may be all about the money in many parts of New York

While there are still some people who care about your character, many people in New York have still become rather shallow and may mainly care about your money and the nice things you can afford instead of inner values and you may therefore have a really hard time making good friends in this region.

People in New York often get into financial problems

Since everything is pretty expensive, it is also rather easy to get into financial problems in this region in case you are not careful and not able to handle money well since you can just spend so much within a rather short period of time and many people are really surprised by how quickly money goes away in the big cities of NY.

You may not be able to save up enough money for retirement

Due to high living costs, many people who don’t make great money are also not able to save enough money for retirement and once they get older, old-age poverty may become a serious problem and people may become increasingly desperate since they may no longer know how to pay their bills and may even lose their homes due to that sooner or later.

Big city life in New York may be overwhelming

While many people love big city life, it can still be overwhelming if you are not used to it and in case you rather want to live in a rather quiet atmosphere, you will not like the lifestyle in the big cities of New York and may rather want to move to more rural regions.

Rather poor public infrastructure in the rural parts of New York

While public infrastructure is great in the big cities of New York, you should still know that it gets worse in the rural regions and you may no longer be well-connected to the world in the rural areas of this state.

Public transport gets worse outside of the big cities

Once you get outside of the big cities of New York, you should also know that public transport gets worse pretty quickly and in case you want to move to rural parts of New York, you may urgently need a car to get around in a proper manner and in case you are no longer able to drive, you may just not be mobile enough to live a decent lifestyle.

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

Is New York A Good Place To Live?

While moving to New York can make a lot of sense since you will find excellent education, decent nightlife, high levels of cultural diversity and can enjoy big city life, you should still know that New York is a pretty expensive place where living and housing costs are really high and many people really struggle paying their bills in this region.

In the end, it is on you to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of moving to New York by yourself so you can make the best possible decision according to your individual preferences.

Most Popular Cities To Live In New York – Comparison

Alternative States To Live

If you no longer want to move to New York, you may also want to have a look at the following articles:

Advantages and disadvantages of living in New Mexico

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Nevada

Advantages and disadvantages of living in New Jersey

Sources

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

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.