Living in New York

[marshy104]

Hello All.

I’ve been offered an opportunity with my current company to relocate to New York.

Does anyone one have any experiences of living there? Any major concerns? Tax is obviously a major concern but one my company can assist with. (Cover some of the difference in tax)

Have have a small family (6 month baby) due to have the second child in a year.

[tf19]

I'm a former New Yorker of 9 years. The gross compensation is typically much higher than in HK so this off-sets the tax.

I would argue that cost of living is lower than Hong Kong... my old 600 sq ft flat was located in midtown Manhattan, high-rise, doorman building with luxury appointments (stainless steel kitchenware, granite countertops, etc) and was roughly the same monthly rent as my current dump of a shoe box in North Point.

There are plenty of daycare options for working parents that are affordable and pretty convenient. No one has or needs helpers because there are enough reasonably priced options for daycare or even house cleaning if needed. The availability of on-demand and delivery services (e.g., seamless, amazon prime, taskrabbit, uber, etc) makes life extremely convenient if you have the coin. And don't get me started on how good the restaurant, arts, and music scene is compared to HK.

Long story short, living in New York is night and day compared to HK.

[marshy104]

Thanks TF19.

in terms of overall lifestyle which do you prefer? Presume HK if your currently here?

Not a night owl (late night parties) prefer nature hence why I’m slightly concerned leaving HK for NY.

[tf19]

Thanks TF19.

in terms of overall lifestyle which do you prefer? Presume HK if your currently here?

Not a night owl (late night parties) prefer nature hence why I’m slightly concerned leaving HK for NY.

There are definitely options for everyone no matter what your lifestyle. I personally despise the HK party scene so I avoid Wan Chai and LKF like the plague... I had my fair share of partying in NYC.

That being said, there aren't any true party districts in NY (no LKF equivalent) - rather nightclubs and bars are fairly spread out so you run a low risk of living in a super loud / drunk district. The exceptions to this is around Turtle Bay (mid-town East), K-town (32nd street between 5th & Broadway), the Meatpacking District and of course Times Square but it's quite easy to avoid those areas.

If you live in the outer boroughs it's quite easy to own a car get to nature - I used to love taking weekend trips to the Catskills or Adirondacks, which are about a 3-4 hour drive upstate. Even without a car there are really nice / large parks around Park Slope, Red Hook, etc. Or you could take the Long Island Railroad (LIRR) and be in Montauk or other beach areas within a few hours.

[Elegiaque]

There are definitely options for everyone no matter what your lifestyle. I personally despise the HK party scene so I avoid Wan Chai and LKF like the plague... I had my fair share of partying in NYC.

That being said, there aren't any true party districts in NY (no LKF equivalent) - rather nightclubs and bars are fairly spread out so you run a low risk of living in a super loud / drunk district. The exceptions to this is around Turtle Bay (mid-town East), K-town (32nd street between 5th & Broadway), the Meatpacking District and of course Times Square but it's quite easy to avoid those areas.

If you live in the outer boroughs it's quite easy to own a car get to nature - I used to love taking weekend trips to the Catskills or Adirondacks, which are about a 3-4 hour drive upstate. Even without a car there are really nice / large parks around Park Slope, Red Hook, etc. Or you could take the Long Island Railroad (LIRR) and be in Montauk or other beach areas within a few hours.

Interesting insight...

I'm curious, though, here in Hong Kong I can literally walk out of my home and be on a trail in 10 minutes. Obviously you're not going to get that in NYC. How is it on the weekends? People wouldn't have time to drive 3-4 hours to somewhere nicer every weekend. How close are weekend day trips for hiking/walking in the countryside? And if you own a car, isn't parking a huge pain and the traffic heading out on the weekends bad?

In London, in comparison, there weren't trails on your doorstep, but there is the London LOOP which offers a network of trails all within access of public transportation. And in London, if you were going to drive "3-4 hours" to go somewhere nice for the weekend, you could sometimes expect that to really be 5-10 hours with the Friday evening traffic out.

[merchantms]

If you prefer the outdoors, you can consider living in a suburb and commuting into the city instead. If you think you'll stay for more than a few years you should consider this as the school situation is much better in the suburbs - very good public schools with lovely grounds and nice facilities. But you'd be looking at 30-45 min on the train each way and you'd need to buy a car. In NYC the public schools are very hit and miss and the race to get into a good private school makes HK international hustle look like amateur hour.

Do you know where in NYC your office will be? Makes sense to choose a suburb where the train station terminus is closest to work.

[shri]

OP - Have you lived in the US? These days it is less so, but Brits and esp Brits whose only experience of living (not visiting) overseas has been in Asia / Hong Kong have to deal with a fair bit of getting used to some American ways.

NYC does amplify a few of those Americanisms and has its own "fuck you" attitude that can take a bit of getting used to.

Never lived there .... but spent a fair bit of time in New York in the very early 90s.

[tf19]

OP - Have you lived in the US? These days it is less so, but Brits and esp Brits whose only experience of living (not visiting) overseas has been in Asia / Hong Kong have to deal with a fair bit of getting used to some American ways.

NYC does amplify a few of those Americanisms and has its own "fuck you" attitude that can take a bit of getting used to.

Never lived there .... but spent a fair bit of time in New York in the very early 90s.

American attitude can of course get a bit of getting used to but I would argue that New Yorkers are far more polite when it comes to social interactions with strangers such as holding the door open, orderly queuing, helping out strangers, giving directions, making small talk, etc.

Some of the downsides that I can think of - people walk very fast but are also more spatially aware of their surroundings. The culture, while very international, is much more homogeneous so tolerance for outside cultures is probably less. Americans in general are much more confrontational and likely to speak out if you've somehow crossed them.

[tf19]

For the OP, the other lifestyle consideration I would add is that it's far easier to live a healthy lifestyle in the US. Finding a diet that meets healthier standards (organic, gluten free, vegan, whatever) is easily achievable. Fitness clubs and group fitness activities (e.g., marathons, classes, etc) are much more numerous and around the same price range as HK options. And the air and water quality is also way better.

[huja]

OP - Have you lived in the US? These days it is less so, but Brits and esp Brits whose only experience of living (not visiting) overseas has been in Asia / Hong Kong have to deal with a fair bit of getting used to some American ways.

NYC does amplify a few of those Americanisms and has its own "fuck you" attitude that can take a bit of getting used to.

Never lived there .... but spent a fair bit of time in New York in the very early 90s.

Many would argue NYC is not the U.S. That is neither a boast nor a criticism.