Moving To New York Expat Guide 2021 – that will be the topic of today’s article.
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Introduction
Exploring New York State goes beyond Wall Street. New York City, also known as the empire state or the Big Apple, is the most populous state in the United States of America. Consisting of five constituent counties; Manhattan, Brooklyn, Staten Island, Queens, and the Bronx, there’s no reason New York shouldn’t be amongst the best explorative states.
Although these counties are based in New York, and they have different factors, such as Queens has the largest area, Manhattan takes the cost factor, and Brooklyn, the population factor. New York is known for its top-notch entertainment, history, natural sites, museums, landmark attractions, districts, and cultural sights.
However, from the ranging legendary sightseeing stops to the Empire State Building, Manhattan is the center of every beautiful exploration. The luxurious hotels, ethnic eateries, and delis, the social fun bars are sure to keep you excited with zero boredom as New York isn’t just an explorative fun city.
Nevertheless, it’s a state of opportunity and fulfilling dreams, from schooling to jobs in all kinds of fields. So, if you’ve been surfing the internet to get the right source of information about New York City, look no further as we’ve got you covered. Does that sound interesting? If that sounds like a YES, read more!
We have compiled this article to walk you through the process of moving to New York City in 2021. Not only that, but we will walk you through the tips, cost of living, pros and cons, and many other things to know about this wonderful state. Now, let’s get started with the tips on moving to New York City.
Tips on Moving to New York
Moving to New York isn’t all about zipping up your luggage, kicking off the plane, and screaming “whoo, New York City!” Certain tips’ll guide you through being a first-time New Yorker. Without further ado, below are the tips for moving to New York City as of 2021.
1. Culture
New York consists of different cultures, ranging from different foods to entertainment and festivals that show the diversity of traditions. This defines New York City as having one of the most heterogeneous cultures in the world. Also, Thirty-six percent of New York’s population are foreign-born, recorded as the last Millennium, and no particular ethnic is most potent in New York.
Although different ethnic districts exist, such as Russian, Indian, Irish, Chinese, Italians, etc., all ethnicities are honored by festivals, events, or parades which shows the diversity of culture. Regardless of how friendly New York citizens are, certain rules should be respected.
2. Cost Of Living
In the United States, one of the most expensive cities to live in is New York which is higher than the national average with 141%. Although it is a dream place to live, but its expensive cost of living ranges from food to basic ways of living.
For instance, common food items such as bread, milk, or egg are not as cheap as in other countries. Another instance is that the real estate prices are high. The United States average home value of a median is 298,000 dollars, but this cost depends on the counties you live in. The most expensive states are Queens and new Rockdale, while Syracuse and Albany are the cheapest.
However, if you are on a shoestring budget, the following tips will guide you through saving your money for food or an apartment.
Cost of some meals in restaurants
| Type of meal | Price |
| A meal in a normal local restaurant | 20.00$ |
| Two people meal, middle-range restaurant three-course(service charge included) | 100.00$ |
| McDonald’s McNeal or any meal with the same ratio. | 9.00$ |
| Local beer(0.5 liters) | 7.20$ |
| Foreign beer(0.33 liter) | 9.00$ |
| Regular cappuccino | 4.82$ |
| Soda (0.33 liter) | 2.14$ |
| Water(0.33 liter | 1.81$ |
Shopping prices in the market
| Food list | Price |
| Regular Milk 1 liter | 1.20$ |
| 500grm of white bread | 3.94$ |
| 1 kilogram of White Rice | 5.37$ |
| Dozens of egg | 3.16$ |
| One head of lettuce | 2.42$ |
| Midrange Battle of wine | 15.00$ |
| One kilogram Onions | 4.21$ |
| One kilogram of Tomatoes | 6.35$ |
| One kilogram of beef | 17.29$ |
| 1 kilogram of Local cheese | 13.16$ |
Transport cost
| Means of transport | Price |
| One way ticket | 2.75$ |
| Regular price for a monthly pass | 130.00$ |
| Normal Taxi start | 3.80$ |
| Normal Taxi 1km | 1.86$ |
| Normal tariff for taxis 1hour waiting | 30.00$ |
| Gasoline | 0.76$ |
Utilities
| Utility | Price |
| 85m² apartment basic electricity Heating, Cooling, Water, and Garbage | 154.03$ |
| Local mobile tariff for 1min of prepaid. | 0.10$ |
| Internet for 60mbps speed or more with unlimited access (Cable/ADSL) | 66.69$ |
Per month rent
| Apartment type | Price |
| One-bedroom apartment in the city center | 3,050.50$ |
| One-bedroom apartment outside of the center | 2,035.50$ |
| Three bedrooms apartment in the city center | 6,327.67$ |
| Three bedrooms outside of the center | 3,473.12$ |
Apartment’s Prices
| Area of Apartment | Price |
| To buy an apartment in the city center (per square meter) | 15,178.04$ |
| To buy an apartment in the city center (per square meter) | 7,691.14$ |
Guide on How to Cope With the Cost of Living
i. A Place for Hardworking People
Although New York has its fun factors, but there are also numerous disadvantages of relocating to this state. Being lazy at your place of work or aimlessly moving from one place to another causes unnecessary spending of money. If your residence is not far from your job, bus stop, or subway, you can walk there or get a bicycle.
Living in an apartment with an elevator is much more expensive than a staircase apartment.
For staircase apartments, try to live on the 5th or 6th floor rather than the 2nd floor. This is because the higher the stairs you cover, the lower the cost.
One of the reasons people prefer Greenwich Village is the proximity of subway stations compared to New York Avenue in the Upper East Side. Hence, the closer you are to a subway station, the lower the cost of living.
ii. Be Your Chef
This tip isn’t asking you to be the next Gordon Ramsey or bobby flay but to learn and cook the basic food with items you can afford. Learning some recipes from YouTube and food blogs saves you a lot of money than eating out.
iii. Don’t Install an Air Conditioner
I know it may sound like an exaggeration, but actually, most Americans are in love with air conditioners. Therefore, if you also like this method, you will need to spend ATLEAST 100 dollars every summer. Besides, you don’t need to install air condition to lower your electricity expenses.
If you obsess with air conditioners, be creative. You can get work with extra hours in a place with air condition or be in a relationship with someone with an air conditioner so that whenever you need to cool yourself, you can visit them, and that’s how you can get two birds with one stone.
iv. Don’t Move To the State Empty-Handed
The same way you plan your trip, the outfits to take, and other bucket list plans you have is the same way you should make plans for your income. Moving to the states with zero funds can become frustrating. Hence, keep some money aside that will sustain you before your arrival.
v. Try Cheap Supermarkets
Before your big move to New York, make research on supermarkets or groceries shops that tally with your budget. Before your arrival, you can also try out supermarkets around you to find the cheapest. Remember that supermarkets at Greenwich don’t operate on tight budgets; hence if you are on a budget as a first-time New Yorker, it’ll be advisable not to shop there.
vi. Avoid the Hype
Don’t try to copy influencers, celebrities, friends, or friends posting about an exotic restaurant or rooftops bars on social media. Rather stick to your budget to avoid creating a hole in your wallet. Nevertheless, on few occasions where your budget can handle a night out, you can treat yourself to one of those exotic places.
vii. Get a Roommate
Roommates are a common thing in New York City from the legal age of 18 years due to the high cost of the rent. Getting a roommate has tons of advantages because you get to hang out, build something socially and pull off many things together.
viii. Time Your Move
When moving to New York, there are particular times whereby the cost of living increases or decreases. For example, seasons in May and September tend to have a rise in the prices of apartments due to the competition from prospective people looking for apartments as well. January and February have a decrease in price due to the rarity of people moving during the winter.
ix. Try Thrift Shops
New York is one of the best places with great vintage and thrift shops in the world to get your thrifty clothes or items of any kind. Thrift or flea markets are cheaper and stylish; hence you can get amazing inexpensive antiques, clothes, or cameras.
x. Try Free Things to Do
Although New York is an expensive city, they are free things you can do for fun. You can either take a refreshing walk at Central Park or try free hiking or kayaking.
3. Transport
New York has varieties of transportation ranging from taxis, Uber, MTA buses, subway, rail, ferry to cycling. You have to choose which is convenient for you. Don’t forget to get your subway metro card if you decide to opt for the subway; subway metro cards are available at Subway vending machines or regular stores.
Furthermore, try to know the subway system to not get confused at the start; you can get a hardcopy or soft copy of the system to keep with you if you are to go anywhere. In addition, try to download an offline map online to help you navigate the gate through the city easily.
4. Festival and Event
There are different kinds of festivals and events in New York, with some of their origins from different locations and cultures worldwide.
- Chinese New Year – This event has no fixed date and depends on the lunar calendar. It is celebrated in Mott, Canal Bayard streets in China Town.
- St Patrick’s Day parade.
The Irish mainly celebrates this event. It commences from 11 am to 2:30 pm, on the 17th of March every year. The start routes are from 44th street to 5th Avenue while over 2millions spectators visit Irish pubs to enjoy this event.
- Labor Day weekend and carnival.
One of the biggest or most prominent events is the first four days of early September, a West Indian American day carnival. This festival consists of people in costumes, magnificent dancers, and steel bands displaying all kinds of entertainment.
- Easter Bonnet Parade
This event entails a parade that starts from Fifth Avenue, closed off between 40th and 57th, and around St Patrick Cathedral with thousands of participants in different kinds of costumes of pets and bunnies.
- Columbus Day
These are for the Italians and Americans to celebrate their culture. Local Italian restaurants put on special meals as a form of celebration. Columbus Day also has a fifth avenue parade.
- Village Halloween parade.
This event is celebrated on the evening of the 31st of October, with a parade starts on 6th Avenue and heads north to 23rd street.
- Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
One of the most glamorous celebrations entails the beauty of hot air balloons floating In the sky. The higher grounds are a better spot to see the balloons more clearly. The parade begins from 77th street to central park, down to the flagship Macy’s herald square.
- Times Square New Year’s eve.
There’s no fun in New York without New Year’s Eve at Time square. This is a tradition since 1907, with the iconic Times Square ball drop. More than millions of people watch from their homes while over one million go to watch celebrities perform and count the year up.
