State of the Union

[bubosquared]

So. Facts re: emigration to NYC:

• I'm young, I'm fairly presentable, I'm adaptable, I'm bilingual, I have a European high school diploma. I have a good chance of finding a decent job.
• It is quite possibly cheaper to have my stuff shipped over there, so I don't have to worry about buying furniture. (Will, however, need new tv and video. But that's okay.)
• While living inside the city is expensive, the suburbs are supposedly not that expensive. It's not like I've not been commuting all my life anyway.
• If worst comes to worst, there are a number of people in/near NYC I could crash with.
• I will need to contact the US embassy this week to find out how soon I would be able to get a visa.
• I will need to cut down on all expenses and save money. Lots.
• I am quite possibly insane. AUGUST?

Comments

[girlinthecorner.livejournal.com]

*bounces around* Melle's comin' to America! (or is it just a maybe as of now?)

OR

[icanreadyourmnd.livejournal.com]

you can sell your stuff and rent a furnished apartment in the 'burbs (Brooklyn or Queens or the Bronx are the easiest to commute via subway to). Just another variable to consider....

insane? no, I doubt it. altho things are different between you and I and where I moved from/to, but I found an apartment mid- November and moved a month later - had my horse shipped and everything!

OK.

[apetslife.livejournal.com]

As a 7-year inhabitant of NYC, I feel obliged to point a few things out, here. :-) And this is not meant to discourage you, because I'm gonna be moving back there just as soon as I can, myself. I love that city.

Anyway.

Suburbs? Not terribly cheap, unless you get REALLY far out into the ass-end of Queens and certain undesireable parts of New Jersey. You can expect to pay no less than $1300 a month (US)for livable space in Manhattan, decent areas of the boroughs, and so on. Your best bet is to contact some kind of association for people from your country, and see if there are folks who need roommates. That probably won't cost more than $700 a month, though you may not get great space.

The job market right now? Bad. Very bad. I advise you to lock down a position before you come, if you can. Sometimes companies will help with relocation expenses as well.

You probably don't want to ship your furniture. It will be MUCH cheaper to either buy new or get a sublet on a furnished apartment. Also, shipping delivery is bad in NY, unless you have some means by which to move the furniture yourself once it arrives. Otherwise, your bureau etc. will remain sitting outside your door.

So. Come! Please! But be sure you're really solid before you do, because as wonderful and gorgeous and fabulous as NYC is, it's not terribly merciful.

:-)

Pet

actually, as for living in boroughs goes....

[icanreadyourmnd.livejournal.com]

don't go to NJ if you can help it; bad commute!

Pelham Bay in the Bronx is no more than a half hour commute to mid-town on the 6 train (which nearly ALWAYS runs cause it's the only one that goes out there!!!) and rents vary but you can get a studio or a one-bedroom fairly affordably - furnished or unfurnished. The Bronx is not the dangeorus place everyone says it is as long as you stay in the nice areas. I lived in Pelham Bay for 12 years before moving to Long Island - I like Pelham Bay better by far!!!!!

You may have to get a roomie in near Queens or near Brooklyn (don't go to Staten Island - the commute sucks!!!!!) and in Queens you want to be near the subway or LIRR cause express bus fares are HIGH and it's a big place with not enuf surface transit.

Just a word to the wise though - street savvy in any of the boroughs is a MUST.

The reason I liked that part of the Bronx was the fact that on the weekends I was close to City Island (good fish! pretty town!), Orchard Beach (beach!!!), lots of parks and horses (two barns!), and the Bronx zoo. I had the subway and express bus lines, and it's a fairly nice place to walk too. I still know one or two people up there so... you know (just ask).

If you want to live in Manhattan, you'll have to find a roomie or five and live in a box not big enuf for you, but some of the neighborhoods in the burbs have very nice pockets to live in.

Pet's idea of going thru a foreign agency to find a roomie or recommendations is a good idea too.

I'm spouting. Tell me to shut up.....

[dragonfizz.livejournal.com]

Q: Why would you go to New York City, AMERICA, at a time like this?