Q: I want to move to NYC after I graduate high school next spring(2013). I have an idea of what I want to do , but I'm sure there's a lot more to it. Save money, find a place to live, find a stable job, etc. I would like to attend college there but I've lived in Houston TX my whole life. I realize that moving from Texas to NYC is a big, and extreme change . I have no family there. But moving away for college isn't that unusual. So I would like to know: what should I do before I get there, what to do , and the little details matter to. Help? Thanks.
A: Is your family wealthy? Do you have a large stash of savings you can tap into right away?
First of all, you need to understand that New York is one of the single MOST EXPENSIVE places in the U.S., if not on the entire planet. The taxes are pretty much the highest in the country (there state and city income taxes as well as federal taxes). The cost of living is beyond the reach of most people.
Colleges and universities there are also very expensive. New York University, one of the more popular schools in the city, costs about $20,000 *per semester* for tuition. That's not counting application and enrollment fees or living expenses. There aren't a lot of schools in the major NYC area anyway.
Rents in New York are...well, they're the second highest in the nation (right behind Honolulu). A decent studio apartment (which is basically a medium-sized single room with a tiny bath and maybe a small kitchen) will run you a minimum of $1500-2000 per month (plus utilities). You might be able to save a few bucks on rent by living in the boroughs (Brooklyn, Queens, etc.), but anything you save will be eaten up by travel expenses on the MTA. ($104 per month for a 30-day MTA bus/subway Metrocard).
Then you have to eat. No, food isn't cheap there, either.
The current unemployment rate in New York is at 10%, which is about 2% higher than the rest of the country. The rate among high school and college students is probably closer to 15%.
So, unless you have a source of income that's going to just get you *started* up there, you'd probably want to reconsider. New York's a great town (I'm a native of the area and lived there for many years), but it's just not the ideal place to just move into and start school. Unless you're folks are loaded.
This is a big, big nation. There are a lot of really great places you can go to college and live a lot cheaper.