I’m not even American. Nor do I plan to step foot in the US until the current crisis is over. But growing up with movies and shows set in what is probably an overly romanticized version of NYC and then actually visiting the city briefly a few years ago, it still seems like such an amazing place. Perhaps not for the many, many New Yorkers who can’t afford it (which Mamdani is trying to fix after all), but in general… You just walk around and behind every corner there’s something interesting. No need to go to the tourist traps, because the entire city is cool and so alive.
Before a bunch of things happened in my life that tied me down for the next 2 decades or so, I wanted to see if I could get a tech job in NYC. Financially it doesn’t seem as great as the Bay Area, but I like the dense city with the subway and everything. Envisioned myself living in a fancy apartment complex that has its own gym and pool one day lol
New Yorker here. Visiting here is cool because you can go back where you came from and live in a normal neighborhood, living here, not so much. There is a lot of political and real estate corruption which has caused renting prices to skyrocket. It is a bad financial decision to actually try to live here because you’ll never own a home (minimum house costs $1.5M). Most everyone who isn’t rich or living with family, is on some form of welfare or assistance just to meet rent, whether it’s NYCHA, Section 8 or piling up 5 roommates in a 3 bedroom apartment just to have a normal rent cost. And even then, you’ll likely only be in your spot 3 maybe 5 years because the rent goes up every year until you eventually get priced out and have to leave. Healthcare workers are leaving. Professors are leaving. Everyone even the homegrown New Yorkers are leaving for other states like Florida, North Carolina, Virginia, etc.
Lots of store fronts are just abandoned because businesses have packed up and left too. There’s homeless everywhere. Drug addicts and mentally ill aimlessly roam the streets. It’s BAD. The problems here are endless all due to political corruption among the local government. The city misspends and washes tax money and has drained the city dry. The subway is literally crumbling apart still running on 1960s and older machinery. The rich have sucked this city dry along with the life and culture it once had. Rich white people and Jews are buying up all the real estate and pushing Black and Brown people out by tearing down their homes, rebuilding and then jacking up the rents very high in historic, iconic areas like Harlem, Brooklyn and now the Bronx, so the Black and Brown people can’t move back in.
Jobs you can forget it. Job fair lines are wrapped down several blocks of unemployed people looking for work and food pantries have a crowd all the time. I’ve seen a lot of people dumpster-diving as well. I could keep going on with the sad states of affairs here.
Everything is just in a horrible state right now for New Yorkers. I voted today and cast my vote for Mamdani, because I really hope he can turn this around. We are tired.
Oh yeah, I fully believe you that there are a lot of issues, particularly for the displaced minorities and poorer people in general. I’ve looked at the rent prices on StreetEasy and they do NOT look appealing to someone who works even a decent job, much less those working low-end jobs.
But also, as I said in a response to another person who commented, I would’ve only moved to NYC in particular for a senior level position at a big tech company (which I hate with a passion, but one can swallow their pride for 5 years for a good amount of money). In fact I would not move to the US in general, even bumfuck nowhere, for less than 6 figures and a city like NYC or SF I would only consider for at least 200-300k. The market for software engineers has changed and it’s no longer as feasible to grind oneself into a job like that, so I’m not too mad at my loss of freedom of movement (AKA: I have a child and my ex would never allow us to move anywhere). Also I don’t think I’d ever buy a house in NYC myself. It was always a “move in for 5-10 years, grind for money, enjoy the social life, get the hell back to Europe before I’m old and need socialized healthcare again, spend my later years travelling cheaper countries” kinda dream.
I hope things get better for you in particular and NYC in general. I still truly think it could be one of the most awesome cities in the world to live in if it was more affordable.
Deluded about what in particular? That NYC can be kinda awesome, or that I could afford a nice place there?
It was a bit of a 6-7 year plan, which I started on before the job market for software engineers went to shit. I wouldn’t have moved to the US for anything less than a senior position at a big tech company anyway. At least 300k total comp annually, otherwise I was gonna stay in the EU where I already am.
Of course, the job market changed and my own life circumstances changed too. Now it’s not on my radar anymore.
Honestly it’s probably for the best. 300k/yr (USD) is closer to Sr. Director or Leadership-level money. And maybe that’s you? But you’re not going to see anything close to that as a senior manager or programmer. Then there’s the work-life balance; unless you can afford to live in one of the five buroughs, a commute from outside NYC may make it all very unattractive. Also, I don’t know what companies you were looking into, or how much professional drive you have, but a lot of the high paying jobs there are in finance (wall street). These are incredibly high-pressure positions for the money.
I know that tech jobs don’t pay the same in the EU, but you may have access to more perks and possibly a higher-quality of life. It really depends on what you value more. Honestly, while I can’t advise you realize that NYC dream you have/had, it may be for the best.
I will say that I worked for one week on a business trip in NYC once. I was able to comfortably walk from the train station, to my hotel, and to the shared office-space we leased for the event. It was easy to romanticize being in such a lively place, all within mere minutes of where I was sleeping. Sadly, there was no way to achieve that work/life balance in that place without at least tripling my income. However, it did make me think about how dissatisfied I was in suburbia, and I wound up moving to a small city as a compromise.
Ooh, it’s in a week. I’m excited!
I’m not even American. Nor do I plan to step foot in the US until the current crisis is over. But growing up with movies and shows set in what is probably an overly romanticized version of NYC and then actually visiting the city briefly a few years ago, it still seems like such an amazing place. Perhaps not for the many, many New Yorkers who can’t afford it (which Mamdani is trying to fix after all), but in general… You just walk around and behind every corner there’s something interesting. No need to go to the tourist traps, because the entire city is cool and so alive.
Before a bunch of things happened in my life that tied me down for the next 2 decades or so, I wanted to see if I could get a tech job in NYC. Financially it doesn’t seem as great as the Bay Area, but I like the dense city with the subway and everything. Envisioned myself living in a fancy apartment complex that has its own gym and pool one day lol
New Yorker here. Visiting here is cool because you can go back where you came from and live in a normal neighborhood, living here, not so much. There is a lot of political and real estate corruption which has caused renting prices to skyrocket. It is a bad financial decision to actually try to live here because you’ll never own a home (minimum house costs $1.5M). Most everyone who isn’t rich or living with family, is on some form of welfare or assistance just to meet rent, whether it’s NYCHA, Section 8 or piling up 5 roommates in a 3 bedroom apartment just to have a normal rent cost. And even then, you’ll likely only be in your spot 3 maybe 5 years because the rent goes up every year until you eventually get priced out and have to leave. Healthcare workers are leaving. Professors are leaving. Everyone even the homegrown New Yorkers are leaving for other states like Florida, North Carolina, Virginia, etc.
Lots of store fronts are just abandoned because businesses have packed up and left too. There’s homeless everywhere. Drug addicts and mentally ill aimlessly roam the streets. It’s BAD. The problems here are endless all due to political corruption among the local government. The city misspends and washes tax money and has drained the city dry. The subway is literally crumbling apart still running on 1960s and older machinery. The rich have sucked this city dry along with the life and culture it once had. Rich white people and Jews are buying up all the real estate and pushing Black and Brown people out by tearing down their homes, rebuilding and then jacking up the rents very high in historic, iconic areas like Harlem, Brooklyn and now the Bronx, so the Black and Brown people can’t move back in.
Jobs you can forget it. Job fair lines are wrapped down several blocks of unemployed people looking for work and food pantries have a crowd all the time. I’ve seen a lot of people dumpster-diving as well. I could keep going on with the sad states of affairs here.
Everything is just in a horrible state right now for New Yorkers. I voted today and cast my vote for Mamdani, because I really hope he can turn this around. We are tired.
Oh yeah, I fully believe you that there are a lot of issues, particularly for the displaced minorities and poorer people in general. I’ve looked at the rent prices on StreetEasy and they do NOT look appealing to someone who works even a decent job, much less those working low-end jobs.
But also, as I said in a response to another person who commented, I would’ve only moved to NYC in particular for a senior level position at a big tech company (which I hate with a passion, but one can swallow their pride for 5 years for a good amount of money). In fact I would not move to the US in general, even bumfuck nowhere, for less than 6 figures and a city like NYC or SF I would only consider for at least 200-300k. The market for software engineers has changed and it’s no longer as feasible to grind oneself into a job like that, so I’m not too mad at my loss of freedom of movement (AKA: I have a child and my ex would never allow us to move anywhere). Also I don’t think I’d ever buy a house in NYC myself. It was always a “move in for 5-10 years, grind for money, enjoy the social life, get the hell back to Europe before I’m old and need socialized healthcare again, spend my later years travelling cheaper countries” kinda dream.
I hope things get better for you in particular and NYC in general. I still truly think it could be one of the most awesome cities in the world to live in if it was more affordable.
how can you be so deluded?
Deluded about what in particular? That NYC can be kinda awesome, or that I could afford a nice place there?
It was a bit of a 6-7 year plan, which I started on before the job market for software engineers went to shit. I wouldn’t have moved to the US for anything less than a senior position at a big tech company anyway. At least 300k total comp annually, otherwise I was gonna stay in the EU where I already am.
Of course, the job market changed and my own life circumstances changed too. Now it’s not on my radar anymore.
Honestly it’s probably for the best. 300k/yr (USD) is closer to Sr. Director or Leadership-level money. And maybe that’s you? But you’re not going to see anything close to that as a senior manager or programmer. Then there’s the work-life balance; unless you can afford to live in one of the five buroughs, a commute from outside NYC may make it all very unattractive. Also, I don’t know what companies you were looking into, or how much professional drive you have, but a lot of the high paying jobs there are in finance (wall street). These are incredibly high-pressure positions for the money.
I know that tech jobs don’t pay the same in the EU, but you may have access to more perks and possibly a higher-quality of life. It really depends on what you value more. Honestly, while I can’t advise you realize that NYC dream you have/had, it may be for the best.
I will say that I worked for one week on a business trip in NYC once. I was able to comfortably walk from the train station, to my hotel, and to the shared office-space we leased for the event. It was easy to romanticize being in such a lively place, all within mere minutes of where I was sleeping. Sadly, there was no way to achieve that work/life balance in that place without at least tripling my income. However, it did make me think about how dissatisfied I was in suburbia, and I wound up moving to a small city as a compromise.