Best way to move to New York City?

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.

Why is NYC called the Big Apple?

Q: Many cities have their original nicknames or are known for something special. Chicago is called the Windy City, Las Vegas is Sin City, and of course New York City is the Big Apple. The others make sense, but we wanted to ask you: Why is NYC nicknamed after a fruit?

A-1: The etymology behind "The Big Apple" actually goes far beyond the Jazz era. Keep Asking was on the right track. The phrase does come from literal apples. However, it can be speculated that the term actually comes from the "original" settlers of New York. That's right, the Dutch! Think about it. Dutch Apple Pie? The Dutch settled New York or New Amsterdam as they called it in the early 1600's. One of the things they brought over from Holland were apples and apple seeds. They then began to cultivate the land. A good portion of this land became occupied by apple trees. After New Amsterdam was seized by the British in 1664 the area became New York, after the Duke of York. The Dutch briefly regained control over the region and renamed it after a very delicious fruit. They called it "New Orange". But after realizing they couldn't really compare The Big Apple to the New Orange they permanently ceded the land back to the Brits. So, in conclusion the "Big Apple" was born from the love of the Dutch for apples and their longing to maintain and retain the area of New York City.


A-2: It was nicknamed “The Big Apple” thanks to a visit from President Coolidge in the late 1920’s who, on arrival, announced his desire for a nice, warm apple pie. The citizens of New York City, being very patriotic people, decided to impress him by making him such a pie. Such a numerous amount of people wished to please their leader with their pastries, it pushed apple sales through the roof. So many were sold, more of the fruit had to be brought in for stores, and when the President finally left (allegedly with a bad stomach ache) crates of apples still lined the streets, and household kitchens featured them in abundance. This lead foreigners and visitors to the city to refer to New York city as “one big apple”. This name stuck, and is still used today.


A-3: The phrase The Big Apple, came about in NYC around the 1930's and 1940's. The jazz musicans associated the phrase with the most happen spot or gig they would be playing in. The real truth about the nickname of NYC, is not name after a fruit, but the name is associated with the racetracks. One of many New Yorkers past time. John J. FitizGerald, a writer for The NY Morning Telegraph a racetrack publication, was the first writer to put the NYC nickname in print. The nickname became a regular column in the publication. John heard the phrase The Big Apple from Black stable boys who followed the horses. The boys were so glad to be in NYC because NYC was where the big money can be made. NYC was so huge to the stable boys and full of opportunity, they called it The Big Apple. New York City became The Big Apple.

Good places to live at In Harlem NY?

I just want to know what are some good area's to live at in Harlem.

My friend, that depends on how much you're will to pay per month. Harlem, like the rest of Manhattan is starting to get a bit pricey now a days, and rents are going up. If you don't believe, check out the news article at the link below, which is includes a video. Good luck Native New Yorker