Every year, approximately 43 million Americans move to a new location. Though many Americans move to communities all across the U.S., one area, in particular, is more popular than all the rest: New York City.
As of 2017, NYC’s total population is approximately 8.6 million, ranking number 1 in density for metros across the United States.
According to The New York Times, city demographers have stated that the new record population total was the culmination of an average annual gain not seen since the first half of the 20th century, when NYC became dominant in everything from culture and entertainment to finance and manufacturing.
Over a seven-year period, from 2010 to 2017, NYC led the rest of New York in population growth, with the Bronx emerging as the fastest-growing borough and county in the state. The Bronx saw a population increase of 6.21%, with 86,052 new people moving into the borough.
“The Bronx gained a reputation as a place with feral people living in rubble and ready to pounce on anybody passing by,” said Lloyd Ultan, a Bronx historian. “Its easy to get a bad reputation. Its much more difficult to recover from it, but finally, people are discovering what they should have known all along: the desirability of living in the Bronx.”
Whether you’re planning on moving to the Bronx or Manhattan, where the average sales price was $1.9 million for condos in existing buildings throughout the third quarter of 2017; there are a few important things you need to be aware of before you make the move to the Big Apple. Here is some essential information that you need to know before packing your bags and moving to New York City:
- Be aware of subway locations — You better get used to the New York City subway, because you’ll end up riding it frequently. Ubers, Lyfts, and Taxis are great, but you’ll go broke spending all that much money on weekly rides. Because you’ll use the subway system as transportation so often, it’s best to figure out how close the nearest station is to your new apartment or condo. If you’re more than a 10-minute walk from the subway, you might want to get a Citi Bike so you can get to and from the subway.
- Find out all the convenient food options nearby — NYC is home to some of the tastiest and exotic eateries in the entire world — but you can’t go out to eat every night, unless you plan on spending a fortune. It’s best to make sure you’re close to a grocery store so you can cook for yourself. Also, research various food delivery services like Seamless, Caviar, UberEats, Postmates, and Delivery.com.
- Construction will be all around you — No matter what NYC borough you decide to move to, be aware that you’ll likely come across minor and major construction jobs almost every day. As of 2016, the number of jobs in the construction equipment operation industry was roughly 426,000. The NYC Department of Buildings (DOB) now offers an interactive map, which provides a grand overview of all the newest and biggest construction projects occurring across all five boroughs.
“This is the natural evolution of what we’ve done over the last four-plus years: to make [DOB data} accessible to every New Yorker, regardless of your industry or interest,” added Richard Chandler, commissioner of the Department of Building.
- Monitor your finances diligently — As an adult, one of your main responsibilities is to stay on top of your finances. In NYC, this is even more imperative. Unfortunately, the rumours are true: NYC is very expensive. The cost of living is extremely costly and even your groceries, transportation, and entertainment expenses will be more expensive than other parts of the country. Additionally, NYC has some of the highest taxes in the U.S., and have three different income taxes: federal income tax, state income tax, and city income tax. However, as long as you work hard and are careful with your money, you should be fine!
- Take advantage of storage units — Since you’ll likely be living in a small NYC apartment with one or two roommates, you probably won’t have enough space for all your items. Renting a storage unit is actually quite affordable and can give you an extra space to keep all your belongings safe and secure.
New York City is intimidating, expensive, and can cause tremendous stress. The city truly is a magical place, though, and you’ll love every minute of your time there if you are being responsible and know what you’re doing — enjoy!