25 Things You Need To Know About Manhattan Before You Move There:
1. It’s A Proven Fact That Manhattan Is The Center Of The Universe
Everything you’ve heard is true. The egos of most New Yorkers are bigger and more inflated than the Yankees’ salary cap. But they’ve earned it. So just deal. If you live there, you’ll end up with one, too. After dealing with all the downsides, it’s only natural to take advantage of the perks. And that’s a pretty big one.
2. Never Call It The Big Apple
Go around calling it something lame like the Big Apple and you might as well have a “Kick me, I’m a tourist!” sign on your back. Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and The Bronx are all part of New York City, too, but Manhattan is the only borough that is referred to as just The City. Because, again, it’s the Center of the Universe, so there’s no need for further explanation.
3. No One Really Cares About What Everyone Else Thinks
The people in Manhattan have heard their share of opinions about their borough and themselves. And they couldn’t really care any less. You don’t like New Yorkers? Join the club. Don’t like New York? Good. Have fun in your small town in Idaho that just got a dial-up connection and stay out. It’s already crowded enough.
4. Welcome! Now Get Out Of The Way
If you’re good to their city, Manhattaners will welcome you with open arms. It’s the beauty of living in such an open, diverse place. Everyone is welcome. But while you’re taking everything in, they’re also trying to get to work or get home from work or get to an appointment. You know, life. So, stopping for no reason or taking up the entire sidewalk with a group (keep it single-file, people) is more than mildly irritating and might get you run over.
5. Better Yet, Speed It Up
Manhattan has one speed and that’s running late. Living in the City That Never Sleeps means that everyone is overworked, sleep-deprived, and habitually up against a deadline. As this has just become the status quo, everyone is always in a rush, even when they don’t have anywhere in particular to be. You don’t have to win the marathon overnight, but know how to order your coffee before getting in line is all I’m saying.
6. The Neighborhoods Are Like Mini Countries
Midtown. Upper East Side. West Village. Chelsea. Greenwich Village. SoHo. The list goes on, but you get the idea. Manhattan is huge –it is an island, after all- and broken up by different neighborhoods with very distinctive demographics. Depending on your personality, you’ll come to visit certain neighborhoods all the time and avoid others like the plague.
7. Don’t Take Any Attitude Personally
You’re probably catching on that Manhattan can be a bit bipolar. It’s nothing personal. Have you ever seen how many people are there? It’s difficult not to get annoyed sometimes. But overall, Manhattaners are nice people and perfectly willing to be helpful. If you need directions, ask anyone and guaranteed you’ll get a detailed guide. Show them respect and they’ll give it right back to you.
8. Make Sure The Sticker Shock Is Worth It
However expensive you think Manhattan is going to be to live in, double it. Everything is more expensive here, and not just the rent. Make sure you’ve got some padding in your budget for unanticipated expenses which will absolutely occur. Like replacing the soles on your shoes, or going through shoes three times more frequently than you used to and paying a city income tax.
9. Be Prepared To Consolidate
So, you think your small house has no closet space? Wait until you see an apartment in NYC. Prepare yourself for maybe one closet that could barely hide Slenderman. And get ready for no dishwasher, and no washer or dryer to clean your clothes. It’s hand washing and Laundromats from here on out, kid.
10. Vet Any And All Potential Roommates Well
If you plan on offsetting the cost of Manhattan rent with a roommate, make sure you either have one lined up or you find one right away. If you don’t know your potential roommate, definitely be sure to ask plenty of questions and stalk them online before allowing them to move in – check their profiles, their updates, their photos and work history. Chuck anyone who has readily available pictures of their hangovers posted on social media straight in the trash bin. Chances are, their rent check isn’t as reliable as you need it to be.
11. Sex In The City Is A Bunch Of Bull
As is pretty much every other movie or television show based in Manhattan. Your apartment will will probably never be as big as you see, especially based on the jobs that are shown. You most definitely won’t get that cool balcony. And you and your friends will never have available hours in the middle of the day at the same time all the time to grab lunch and cocktails together because you’ll all be, you know, working.
12. Your License Will Essentially Just Become An I.D.
Don’t bother trying to keep your car. The traffic alone is enough to send you into the deepest depths of the Pit of Despair. But even if you could bring yourself to fight through the gridlock every day, parking the car might as well be a second rent. Tack the inevitable court-mandated anger management classes on, and it just doesn’t make sense financially.
13. Save Your Feet And Ditch The Heels
Since you won’t have a car, you’ll have to get used to walking. And since Manhattan is a rather large city, you’ll be doing a lot of it. But that’s all part of being a New Yorker. It’s great exercise and the best way to get to know the city. Just leave the heels at home. Flats are your best friend in The City.
14. Learn The Subway Quick
When it’s too far to walk, the subway will get you there. It’s not without its faults, of course, but it’s an easy, comprehensive, and cheap way to get from one end of the city to the other, including the other boroughs. And the smells eventually wear on you. Don’t worry, tomato juice takes it right out.
15. You’re Either Going To Love Or Hate “Showtime”
http://videos.nymag.com/video/Subway-Dancer-Head-Camera/player?layout=&title_height=24 Source: New York Magazine When you hear the words “It’s showtime!” on the train, it’s not a joke. You really are about to get a show. Whether or not you’re happy about that is up to you. Some people love the subway performers. Other people find them unbelievably irritating.
16. Hailing Down A Taxi Is So 2004
If you do need a car, forget the old taxi system. It’s still fine in a pinch, of course, but it’s outdated and no longer necessary. Sign up for an Uber account where you can request a car right from your phone that will pick you up within minutes, providing you with a tracker of where your driver is and the ability to pay digitally.
17. It Takes A Special Talent To Get Lost Here
Manhattan might be big, but it’s one of the easiest cities to navigate. You never have to worry about getting lost if you hop on the wrong train or miss your stop. The streets are laid out in one of the most awesome grid systems in the country consisting of mostly all right-angles and a fool-proof numbering system. So if you’re phone battery dies, all you need to know to get home is simple math, no long division required.
18. You’ll Rarely See Times Square
The most iconic sights of Manhattan – Times Square, Broadway, the Empire State Building – these are the places you will more than likely see the least of in the city unless you happen to work near one of them. That’s because they’re congested tourist traps filled with obnoxious people and blaring horns. It’s impossible to get anywhere efficiently near any of them and just isn’t worth the hassle. And Times Square on New Year’s Eve? That’s hilarious.
19. But You Will Be At The Bodega Quite A Bit
Bodegas are small convenience stores where you can load up a bag or two of groceries and necessities. You’ve also got Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, and some great farmer’s markets to shop from, but bodegas tend to get a lot of business because you can find one anywhere and they usually carry a little bit of everything. Walking back to your apartment and up your steps with bags of groceries isn’t everyone’s favorite pastime, surprisingly, so you also have the option of getting an account with FreshDirect and having your groceries delivered right to your door.
20. It Really Is A Concrete Jungle
Growing herbs on your windowsill is about as close to a garden as you’ll ever have here. Make sure you’re ready for a future with no yards, no lawns, and very little green in general. Sure, Central Park is huge, but commuting every time you want to see some kind foliage isn’t for everyone.
21. Just Ask The Locals
When in doubt over anything, ask a local. You don’t have to have been born in the city in order to be considered a local, although lifelong Manhattanites will argue that point to the death. But really, it’s all semantics. Just find someone who has lived there for a while and they will be more than happy to give you the inside scoop on everything you want to know, including the best coffee spot and where to go if you need new shoelaces.
22. The Bad Is Outweighed By The Food
Sure, Manhattan living is no picnic. But you’re free to stage a picnic at any time and, as luck would have it, you’re in the city with the best food in the whole world. Although a bit opinionated, that statement is filled with only slight hyperbole. The restaurants, bakeries, farmer’s markets and food trucks here are some of the best and most diverse you can find anywhere. And perhaps you’ve heard of New York style pizza. It’s like a Ron Burgundy big deal.
23. Leaving The City Feels Like Leaving The Planet
Once you have lived in Manhattan for a length of time, you’ll be amazed at how strange leaving feels. It does actually feel like you’re traveling to another world. You become so accustom to the crowds and the noises, the fun and the liveliness, the good and the bad, everywhere else could ever compare.
24. You’ll Know About Everything Before Everyone Else
Manhattan almost always knows what’s up before everyone else in the country does. It’s just another perk of being the Center of the Universe. Fashion that is trendy in The City will be the same fashion trends that are picked up in Boise a year –or more- later. You’ll rarely be behind the times, earning you an infinite level of cool points to make up for that time you tripped over the cat sleeping on the floor of the bodega and sprained your ankle.
25. All Your Out-Of-Town Friends Will Use You As A Free Hotel And Tour Guide
All your friends who told you that you were crazy for moving to Manhattan will be the same people who will be calling you up, eager to visit. And when they do, they’re going to want to crash at your pad and expect you to take them everywhere. Literally, everywhere.
26. If You Can Make It Here, You Really Can Make It Anywhere
Manhattan is an eclectic, amazing, overwhelming and sometimes tiresome city. Sometimes you will want to yell that you live in the world’s greatest city from the rooftops. Other times, you’ll feel defeated by it and wonder why you ever wanted to be a New Yorker. It’s normal. But the feeling almost always passes and when it does, it builds a little more Manhattan character. And that’s when you can officially call yourself a New Yorker. Maybe even Superman. Feature Image Source: Gossip Girl Facebook
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