7 Things To Do Before You Move to New York City

For some people, moving to New York is a snap decision. There’s a kernel of truth to the stereotype of the wide-eyed kid from far away getting off the bus at Port Authority carrying nothing but a suitcase and a moxie-filled smile in pursuit of the ever-elusive “making it”. Or, more often, recent grads show up in New York after their mortarboards have been turned in and their diplomas framed because it seems like the cool place to be; there are tons of opportunities for success in almost any field; there’s always something fun going on.

However, upon arriving or very soon thereafter, practicality sets in, and you might realize you’re way out of your league–you can’t find a job without an apartment, nor an apartment without a job; your Craigslist roommates are crazy; no one at your job interviews takes you seriously. If this happens, prepare to find yourself drunk, phoning your mum at midnight crying and asking, “What the hell have I done?”

Fortunately, all this can be avoided by simply laying some groundwork. Based on my own experiences and some of my friends’, here are some of the most important things you can do to make your transition to New York as smooth as possible.

• Clean up your credit report. It’s commonly held that the hardest part of moving to New York is to find a place to live–and the fact that you’ll likely be applying for an apartment without a job won’t help your case one bit. If your credit score is high, it’ll be that much easier to get a landlord to take you seriously. If you’ve been paying your bills on time and avoiding overdrafts and late fees, you should be in the clear. However, if you’ve been sloppy with your finances and your credit report reflects it, you might want to take a couple of months to clean up your act before making the move.
• Get out of debt. I don’t need to tell you that things are damn expensive here. Nor do I need to point out that once you get here and get adjusted, there may be a ton of pocketbook-straining necessities–office attire, happy hours spent schmoozing with coworkers who might be able to get you a better gig, a doctor’s appointment when your seasonal allergies turn into a nasty flu. These unexpected items may add up to be expensive, but they’ll be downright impossible if you’re trying to balance buying necessities with paying the minimum on your credit card and your student loans.
• Sock money away. Even if you’re debt-free and have a sparkling credit report, coming to the city with $500 in your pocket isn’t a good idea. Most landlords (and even some sublets) require three months’ worth of rent up front–the first, the last, and a one-month deposit. In addition, there are credit check fees (you didn’t think that credit check would be free, did you?) and other incidental expenses. And after you’ve paid what might be upwards of five grand to your landlord, you still have to eat. Repeat after me: “The more money I have before I move to New York, the better off I’ll be.”
• Purge your belongings. Get accustomed to the fact that for the shockingly obscene amount you pay in rent, you might not actually have a closet. You also might have a bedroom too small to hold a kids’ bunk bed. Prepare yourself for the shock of this by arriving with as few belongings as possible. I have friends whose possessions fit into two suitcases. Full disclosure: this piece of advice was the hardest for me. I arrived with a 12-foot uHaul truck full of stuff that I planned to use to furnish a two-bedroom with a roommate. Now, a year and a half later, more than half of that stuff has been given away, sold, or abandoned on the curb to be freecycled. If you’re afraid of leaving behind something you need, just remember: we have Ikea in Brooklyn and New Jersey, and a burgeoning Craigslist community full of people selling stuff on the cheap (or even giving it away). Your stuff will not make or break your New York experience, I promise.
• Get as much experience in your field as possible. When you first move to New York to try to break into a profession, there are a ton of people here who have two advantages over you–they’re really well-known for being really good at what they do. If you can match or beat their skills, you’re going to be that much better off. Make sure your resume is sparkly-clean, and round it out with freelance work if you can. Line up glowing references, and polish your portfolio. If you’re talented and tenacious, being new in town won’t hurt you…but do your best to lay some professional groundwork before you arrive.
• Sell your car. Some people here have cars, and they do okay. But unless you’re using it for frequent day trips to remote locations, you won’t need it, and it’ll be more of a hassle than it’s worth. I haven’t checked on this, but I imagine that paying car insurance for parking in any one of the five boroughs will break the bank. If you really can’t bear to part with your four-wheeled baby, do yourself a favor: promise yourself you’ll try to go a month without it. After you’ve been here a month, you’re pretty well settled in, and you’ll be familiar enough with your neighborhood and your daily travel routes to decide if a car’s really a necessity.
• Catch up with old friends who are already here. Here’s the one place where social networking works to your advantage. Use Facebook or MySpace to search for old classmates, sorority sisters, alumni of your college, or family friends who already live in New York. It just might net you a job, an apartment, or both. Firsthand proof: I recently got a call at 9 p.m. on a Tuesday from a high school classmate whose brother had just come to town; said brother crashed on my couch for three nights while he looked for a place of his own. He left New York for a few weeks to tie up loose ends back in Kentucky before school starts, but he’ll be back for good in mid-August, and he’s already got a circle of friends he met through family and friends, myself included.

The move to New York is surrounded with myth and romanticism, but it’s seldom a smooth ride. Any New York transplants want to chime in with other pre-move advice?

Related posts:

1. 6 Things You Might Actually Love About New York City
2. Things You Might Forget You Loved About New York City
3. Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me Before I Moved to New York
4. Pre-Move Decluttering: Packing Without Screaming
5. Full Disclosure: New York, I Love You, But You’re Bringing Me Down