Living in New York City is something people from all over the world aspire to do. Even though its often portrayed as a hectic and fast paced place to live, many outsiders still know it as the city of dreams, and those who do call NYC home will tell you there’s no other place like it.
No matter how hectic things do get, city dwellers will always find the time and place to enjoy its beauty and everything it has to offer. And it has A LOT to offer. All 5 boroughs that make up the city – Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and the Bronx – have something unique to offer.
There are so many reasons to live in New York City. Here are our top 7:
Food
From the Bronx to Queens, every borough of New York City has more culinary options than you’d be able to try in a lifetime. Not saying you shouldn’t try, but even if you never left Manhattan, you might find it difficult to decide where to grab dinner with your friends after work. There are simply too many options.
Of course, New York is famous for its pizza – and we would definitely recommend you eat your way through Little Italy, but since the city is a melting pot of ethnicities and backgrounds, you can get a genuine taste of almost any country in the world. Literally, any country. And you don’t have to search too hard for it. Along with classic NYC staples like Katz’s Deli on Houston Street or Sylvia’s up in Harlem, every neighborhood has its staples.
Whether you visit NYC for a weekend, or you live here, you’ll always be well fed. And, if you need anymore guidance, there are plenty of Instagram accounts dedicated to the food scene in NYC:
Brunch Boys | Infatuation NYC | Eater NY | Thrillist NYC
Views
NYC has the most famous skyline in the world. It doesn’t matter how long you live here, you’ll always be somewhat in awe of the beauty of the city. The architecture, the people, and the blending of cultures.
If you’re new here and want to take it all in, head to the Top of the Rock and the Empire State Building for touristy views from above, just to say you did it. Cruise around Manhattan for a few hours to get a view of the city from every angle. Then, once you’re settled, you can explore more hidden gems for views like Refinery Rooftop, Public Hotel, and Mr. Purple.
NYC is an Instagrammer’s dream. Again, it doesn’t matter how long you live here, you’ll always see people (tourists and native NYers) taking pics at every moment.
Entertainment [Broadway, Off-Broadway, Live Music, Concerts]
No matter your favorite singer or band, if they go on tour, they will definitely make their way through an NYC venue at some point. From headliners that sell out Madison Square Garden to more unknown artists getting their start at Webster Hall, there is a music scene here for everyone.
Interested in live jazz? We have that too. We’re also home to the Met Opera, Carnegie Hall, Radio City Music Hall, and Broadway. Live music and entertainment is kind of our thing.
Shopping
From downtown in Soho, to further uptown on 5th Avenue, there is no shortage of shopping in New York City. Small budget? No biggie. Head to Williamsburg and go thrifting. Then make your way to Canal Street for more trendy, affordable pieces. In the mood to splurge? Great. Almost every high-end designer has at least one store in Manhattan, sometimes even two or three. From 5th Avenue to Spring Street, the men and women in this city set the trends and have no problem expressing their own unique styles through fashion.
If you’re from a small town and looking for something more familiar, NYC is also home to the largest store in the world – Macy’s Herald Square. Famous for hosting the annual Thanksgiving day parade and its window decorations during the holidays, Macy’s takes up an entire block in the center of Manhattan (and it’s right outside our door at Webster!)
Career Opportunities
New York City is known as the city of dreams for a reason. From startups to the Stock Exchange, whatever your career aspirations may be, you can accomplish them in this city – and you’ll meet plenty of people along the way to help you get there. Many New Yorkers are actually nice people!
In such a large city you may think its easy to get left behind, but there are plenty of opportunities for networking and furthering your career at any stage. Organizations like General Assembly offer plenty of affordable courses for career advancement in the tech/marketing/startup space, and they’ve built a strong community around them. If you’ve come to New York to live out your dream as a writer, Gotham Writers Workshop has a great community, offers affordable classes and is the perfect place to network.
If you’re interested in a more niche community, there really are Meetups for any and everything.
Nightlife
After working so hard, it’s important to let loose – or relax – whichever is your thing.
Bars, clubs, lounges, restaurants, rooftops… there is no shortage of fun to be had in the city. You’ll always find a new bar popping up in your neighborhood which makes going out at night pretty easy. If you’re feeling more ambitious than your neighborhood bar, you can make your way to a rooftop in Williamsburg for a view that will complement your cocktail perfectly.
Happy hour and weekend brunch don’t quite count as “nightlife” but both are also extremely popular ways for the hardworking 20 and 30-something professionals of NYC to kick back. You’ll quickly claim a handful of places as your favorite brunch spots.
Convenience
Living in NYC, everything, literally, everything, is right outside your door. Bank, post office, grocery store, bodega (NYC’s version of a corner deli/convenience store – they’ll become your go-to place for a quick breakfast and late night snacks), gym, coffee shop, restaurants, bars, nail salon – all of these things will be no more than a 2 minute walk from wherever you live, virtually making any other place you decide to live after inconvenient.
You’ll never need a car and begin to wonder why anyone in this city has one, and eventually you’ll learn to navigate our somewhat confusing subway system like a pro. If you live close to a subway stop, you can get uptown, downtown, across down, and on to another borough in minutes. Feeling intimidated by the subway? We have taxis, buses, Uber, Lyft, Via (a new, affordable ride-sharing app) that will take you anywhere you need to go.
