Is The Cost of Living In New York Worth It? Or is New York Overrated?

New York City! Known for its towering landscapes, iconic yellow taxi cabs, time square, famous Broadway shows, diversity, culture, and fashion! It comes as no surprise that New York is one of the most visited cities in the US. We’ve heard songs about it, watched so many remarkable movies and tv shows that took place in it, but is it really all its made up to be or is it a façade? To me, New York is like Anna Nicole Smith (hear me out). A beautiful dazzling superstar that shines bright on the outside but is a hot mess on the inside. Sure, she’s fun for a few nights of careless drinking and glamour but once the party is over you realize she’s actually pretty sad and unstable. New York is essentially a tourists hot one night stand but for us locals, it’s an exhausting liability we’re struggling to keep up with. If you don’t make big money, you can kiss goodbye to Manhattan! In fact, as a New Yorker, I hardly know anyone who lives in Manhattan anymore. In a poll I posted on Instagram, I asked my followers “Is the cost of living in New York worth it? Or is New York overrated?” 20% voted “worth it” while “80% voted overrated”. It seems even stubborn New Yorkers are losing hope in their city. So, I decided to combine my experience in New York and interview a variety of different New Yorkers to dig into the realities of what it’s like living in this so called “concrete jungle where dreams are made of” and this is what I picked up on. New York is fabulous if you’re either rich or young, but if you’re above 30, chances are you are completely and utterly over it.

When I was in my twenties, I had the best time in New York. I worked part time as a waitress, and I was a buyer at a thrift store. I made enough money to live with my best friend in Brooklyn and our nights were packed with back-to-back adventures. From underground raves, to dive bars, to rooftop parties, and music festivals, we did it all! We wanted to explore, we wanted to meet people. We craved excitement and New York understood the assignment and delivered it!

As a thirty-year-old, things change. You no longer want to live with roommates, so we work more and when we finally have a day off, were too drained mentally and physically to do anything. With just one or two days off a week, who even has the energy to enjoy everything New York has to offer? Besides, “partying” just isn’t something us thirty-year-olds are interested in doing anymore. Not regularly at least. At this age, it just makes more sense to move somewhere further away that’s cheaper and come into the city occasionally when we’re in the mood to socialize, which let’s face it, is rare. If New York was a little more sympathetic financially, chances are we would all love to stay but because it’s so expensive, were left with no choice but to slowly drift away from it.

One born and raised New Yorker who, like me, moved to New Jersey, had this to say “I do believe New York is overrated, especially when you start to realize the spaces and other houses people live in in other states. The high price of living in New York kept me stuck. Being able to take care of my rent, survive, feed myself and be social, I wasn’t able to plan ahead and save money and that’s due to the high cost of living”. This to me, sums it up beautifully. However, there’s always going to be the “stubborn New Yorker” who thinks leaving New York means you gave up. “New York is for the rich and the dreamers who dream to be rich. It’s not for the middle class or ordinary. If you want a simple life, New York isn’t for you”. To a certain extent, I agree. However, throwing more than half of your paycheck on rent can make it very difficult to succeed. I don’t think leaving New York means you’re giving up on your dreams, I think it means you’re making more financially cautious decisions.

I love New York, I truly do. But sometimes love simply isn’t enough. I loved my toxic ex boyfriends, but that doesn’t mean I should have stayed with them, right? New York is fun when you’re young but if you’re grown up and you’re looking for a healthy long-term relationship, New York might not be the best fit. Not mentally and not financially. So, if you ask me, I don’t think New York is overrated. I think it’s a perfect magical mess that’s worth experiencing at least once in your life! But just like my ex-boyfriends, it won’t last. It will hurt you and teach you some very valuable life lessons. So, enjoy it while you can, but also don’t be afraid to leave.