I MOVED TO NEW YORK!

Hello there! It's definitely been a while since my last post and I do apologise for that. Today marks 10 days since I've moved to New York which is crazy to think. It feels like I've been here for way longer than that. I thought about which kind of post I wanted to do first, and I think the most appropriate one for the moment is to tell you how to move to New York and how I did it. I could tell you my thoughts on the city, but I feel 10 days is still a bit premature to form proper opinions and I'm here for a whole year, so there will be blog posts galore in which I will share all of that!





Moving to New York, or moving anywhere really is an incredibly exciting but daunting experience. I feel like for me in particular it was, as I had never lived away from home. Living at home was an easy way for me to save money for myself and I'm also very fortunate to be close with my family, so I loved being around them. But after hitting 25 years of age in April, I thought it was time to flee the nest. This bombshell was dropped to my parents the same week my brother told them he was emigrating to Australia. You can imagine my poor parents! I'm extremely grateful for them being so supportive and understanding of this next chapter in my life. I said it in my last New York post when I came here last January and I'll say it again. New York has always been a dream for me. Ever since I was young I've had a strange, indescribable attraction to this city. I don't know if it's because of being a romantic and seeing so many movies filmed here, the towering and gleaming skyscrapers or the electric and thrilling pace of the city. Coming here on a holiday last January solidified the fact I wanted to move here. So how did I do it and how can you do it?

The Visa

First you need to figure out what kind of visa you want and is most suitable to you. I had done a Masters recently and a big reason for doing it was so that I could apply for the 1-year Grad Visa. The company I went with is USIT, as I had a couple of friends who had used them for J1's in the past. The J1 Grad Visa is available to Irish college graduates and it allows you to work in the US for 1 year, while also allowing an additional 30 days of travel after the year is finished. To be eligible to apply, you need to have graduated within 12 months. So say if you graduated in November 2016, you have until November 2017 to apply. Try and make your decision early on, as there is quite a bit of paperwork and steps involved.

You can apply directly on the USIT website through the above links, and then you will get a call from a representative about your application if you left anything out. If you want to talk to someone in person, you can go visit the USIT offices which are found all over the country. However, I found the whole process very easy over the phone and through email. Once all the paperwork is complete, you then choose when you want to fly out and you book an appointment at the US Embassy in Dublin. I was very nervous for this but it's actually very straight forward, and USIT will send you all relevant documentation to prepare. The basics you need to know are your US human rights and what you will be doing when you get here.

The Cost

A question I kept asking people before I moved and a question I have gotten asked since I've moved here is: how much do you need to save to move to New York? Firstly, you need to save money to pay for the actual visa, which ain't cheap. The cost of a 1-year visa with USIT (including flights, insurance, etc) is around €2500. Once that's paid off, you need to start setting money aside for moving. It's not an unknown fact that New York is one of the most expensive places to live in, and it definitely is. When looking for an apartment, most places ask for first month's rent, a security deposit, a broker fee (if you decide to go with a broker) and most places come unfurnished so you will need to buy a bed and dresser. The amount you want to bring solely depends on your situation and what you're comfortable with. If you already have a job and apartment set up before you arrive, you won't need as much, but if you don't have either, you'll need a good bit. I would say to air on the side of caution and try to save around €3000-6000. You might not need that much, but another thing to consider is that, while you're living here, it will be very hard to save money. If you're planning on travelling while you're here or to come home with money, it's better to come with more.

Apartment hunting

This will be your first task when you arrive. I was lucky enough to know a few people in the city so I stayed with a friend until I could find my own place, but if you don't, there are a few reasonable hotels to stay in until you do. Finding an apartment in this city can be challenging. The city is just so vast, and you can truly find some awful apartments which you can tell were broom cupboards turned into bedrooms. Of course, it's all about how comfortable you want to be. If you want to live like Harry Potter, I won't stop you! A good starting point is Craigslist, although it is full of scams and also a lot of landlords here ask for proof of income/credit/guarantor which is not ideal if you don't have a job before you arrive. What I found to be the best solutions are 2 Facebook pages: 

1) Let's Make Our Lives Easier

2) Gypsy Housing NYC

There are a ton of new rooms/apartments being posted here every day, and not just that. They also post about furniture being sold and even jobs; it's a great community of people helping each other out. Manhattan is notoriously expensive to live in, so I'd suggest looking at Brooklyn and Queens, in places like Bushwick, Bedstuy, Crown Heights, Greenpoint, Williamsburg and Astoria. Any of those is a really good starting point, and you're typically 20-40 mins into Manhattan depending on where you are. Try and make a list of what it is you're looking for. I needed a place to be of relatively short distance to Manhattan, to not have any subway change-overs (i.e. a direct subway into the city), a budget of $900 max and I also wanted exposed brick (ridiculous, I know), and I managed to find all these things.

Job Hunting

This is something I can't talk about too much yet, as I'm only here a week and still have yet to find a job. However what I'm told are the most effective ways to look for a job are:

1) Networking - this is a BIG one here. NYC is an incredibly competitive place.

2) Indeed

3) LinkedIn

4) Recruiters

Basics

Once you have an apartment and job, there are also some basic things which you'll need to survive here:

A big one is a Sim Card. You need internet everywhere, but especially here. I can't tell you how confusing it is to get around Manhattan if you don't have Google Maps or Citymapper. The most cost-effective phone company is T-Mobile. If you decide to go with USIT, they will actually send you a Sim which you can activate prior to departing. I pay $50 a month and with that I get unlimited texts & calls, unlimited data & international calls.

For banking, I would go with Chase bank as they are literally all over the city.

There are also a few apps which you should download which will make your life here a whole easier:

1) Seamless - America's version of JustEat/Deliveroo.

2) Citizen - a frightening but useful app which shows various crimes happening all over the city and any that are near you.

3) Venmo - a wallet app in which you can transfer money to and send/receive with your friends. Everyone uses this here for eating out and even paying rent.

4) Google Maps

5) Citymapper - similar to Google Maps but more detailed.

6) Uber

Lastly, you will need a Metro Card for the subway. The subway is the easiest and cheapest way to get around the city, and it's really not as bad as it's made out to be. The card works similarly to the Leap Card back home, and you can add value or you can add days.

That pretty much sums it all I think! There will be lots of blog posts coming up where I talk about my thoughts on New York and life here. So far, I'm absolutely loving it and I have definitely made the right decision. If you have any additional questions, feel free to ask me and I'll be more than happy to help!

I hope this post was helpful if you're considering moving to New York. Feel free to share it with friends :)

Tom.