NY City Living: 10 Years Later + What I Wish I Knew

Truthfully, I meant to write this post months ago but I was too busy moving out of the city to share! Now that the dust has settled as best as it can I thought I'd share my thoughts on living in the city for 10 years. When I first moved in, I lived in a gorgeous apartment with one of my best friends and we really lived it up! Then I blinked and two apartments + two roommates later I found myself living it up again, but in a slightly different way. I moved into a fabulous alcove studio in a neighborhood I dreamed of living in for quite some time, and then in 2021 I abruptly moved to Florida. As I closed the chapter on my last apartment, I couldn't help but reflect on my decade in The City and what I wish I had thought of for each apartment chapter. Below are a few of my biggest takeaways and tips for those just moving in. 

Don't buy everything for the apartment immediately - Seriously, don't! Buy the essentials, like a mattress, but hold off on expensive furniture until you find exactly what you love. Lucky for me I had absolutely gotten my money's worth of everything I've bought for my first apartment, but in hindsight I wish I had thought about what I wanted a bit more so I could get exactly what I wanted. Don't forget - tastes change! Thrift stores and auction sites like Hayloft are your friend. 

Walk around different neighborhoods at different times during the day and week - This little task had me confident in my last apartment location. I didn't doubt my neighborhood choice for a minute and knew the pros and cons right off the bat. 

Two in an apartment is the perfect roommate situation - I was lucky enough to have two fabulous roommates, one in each apartment, before venturing out on my own. Every 'unhappy' roommate situation I heard of included three or more roommates. My sister was the only one to have a positive experience! Seriously. 

You can get to know your neighbors, but it may just take some effort - Do I wish I had known this when Keenan from SNL was my neighbor? Yes. But you can bet that I learned this lesson at my next apartment. Luckily my roommate and I got to know our neighbor before an emergency happened (there were may tragedies in a short few months). Having relationships with your neighbors is so important and something I worked hard at when I moved into my studio. In case you were wondering, no, it didn't take a pandemic to get to know my neighbors! 

Location isn't everything, but proximity to public transportation is - If you aren't in what is deemed a fashionable or fun neighborhood it's OK. You will survive! If you can easily hop on the subway or bus to get where you want to go, you'll be there in almost no time...even better if it's walking distance. Don't overpay on rent just so you can be right in the mix at all times. You may even find you can get sick of it.

Live it up and enjoy every moment - I loved my time in New York. It felt like it ended before I was ready but that's another story for a different time. However, I can honestly say that I took advantage of my time in NY. I went to every museum show and gallery opening I could, I hosted an annual gala at The Bowery, I went to trendy restaurants and danced the night away at dives bars. I cheered on my favorites sports teams, hit up the tourists spots and spent my days working for an auction house (my dream job). Can you tell I took advantage of the city? You should too - You live in the best city in the world. Find something you are passionate about, visit the galleries and museums, wear the party dress and have at least one fancy dinner a year. 

Missing NY, 

ARS xx

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