Total BS. I lived in NYC for 22 years, and left in 2011. Here’s what I can relate to anyone thinking that this article depicts any semblance of reality:
1. Highest state taxes (marginal rate).
2. High local NYC tax (approaches 4%, on top of the state tax).
3. High sales tax of 8.875%.
4. Very high property taxes if you own. I paid $18K per year on my 1600 sq ft apartment.
5. If you own, very high maintenance fees. I paid $20K per year.
6. Incredibly high rents (1500 sq ft apartment in Manhattan = $5K-7K per month)
7. Incredibly high food prices, I would estimate almost 2X the national average in price.
8. Average to poor public schools, and very neighborhood-dependent. If you want to live in a neighborhood with a good school you play commensurately more in rent/cost to buy your living space. The price of private schools is astronomically high: average kindergarten tuition in Manhattan is now $36,500.
9. An extensive transit system that takes you anywhere, but incredibly CROWDED and unpleasant, and most commutes are over 30 minutes and many over an hour, especially if you live in the outer boroughs.
10. Very small living spaces, as everyone already knows. A family of 4 is literally on top of each other and with little to no storage space.
NYC is for single people (of all ages), and wealthy retirees who need less space. NYC is not for a family that makes less than $500,000 (and some would increase that number to $1 million). Most of your income goes to a government entity for at least half the year. After that point, you’re just trying to keep your head above water paying bills (utilities, tuition, etc.), rent/mortgage, maintenance fees, and groceries.
Yeah but the average ticket price for a Yankees home game is “only” $90.21 and a fairly good seat at the Metropolitan opera for “only” around $100.
You can probably tell, I do not like big cities.
“Total BS. I lived in NYC for 22 years, and left in 2011.”
I love to visit. It’s always a hoot when I go because I always ask the cab driver I get what is so great about NYC, if they speak English...
The answer I get are typically:
1. NYC is da best
2. You can see/do anything here
3. You can see Broadway shows
4. You have all the fashion/shopping areas
5. The food is da best
6. The best sports teams
All of this from some schlub working his ass off in a taxi making maybe 40k a year to live in some hovel of an apartment usually with a few other people to share the expenses with. He has never been to a Broadway show or shopping or to the sports events in his life.