Aspie moving to New York

Post Reply New Topic

Well advertising is an industry that is big in NYC so you won't hurt for talent. You are going to work hard to break into that industry for sure though! There are lots of office spaces that could handle 4000 people ( 8 million+ people live in NYC and many more than that work there, and some of the largest companies in the world are headquartered there). You would have no trouble finding a space like that, but it may cost more than you expect depending on what kind of building services are included, where it is located etc. The traditional Ad agencies are located on Madison & 5th Ave which is prestigious but very high rent. A lot of startups are located in SoHo & other neighborhoods where it's a little bit cheaper.

Move in advice is similar to moving to any city - find a place to stay in a nice, safe neighborhood. Don't get scammed by Craigslist, suspicious moving companies, etc. As a newcomer, people can and will take advantage of your ignorance and lack of insider knowledge about NYC.

Now for the good and bad about NYC (in no particular order):

Bad: very cold winters; very very hot and humid summers; rats; bedbugs; homeless people; noisy (especially if you will be living in Manhattan, you might need earplugs to sleep at night); people are always in a hurry; jaywalkers; potholes; traffic; crowded; expensive (you will likely be living in a much smaller place); tourists; old; piles and piles of garbage

Good: diversity; food; schools; jobs; night life; 24/7 city (but this can also be bad - see above about noise); art and culture; public transportation; proximity to other large northeast cities; major airports / transportation hub; startup companies

Personally, the good things about NYC can be found in most major US cities but not the bad. Overall, if I were in your position, I would probably choose another big city, perhaps San Francisco or Seattle since there seems to be large start-up scene in those cities, and the climate is a lot more hospitable too.

Edit: I thought you were starting a software company. Since you are in advertising/marketing, NYC might be better, but I am not familiar with the industry so I have no clue.

I will PM you with my email, but you need to understand that I have only told you some very general things about NYC that anyone who lives in this area knows. I am not an expert in any of them. Others here have also given you some great advice that you may be missing because of the way it's said sounds kind of like a challenge. In particular, AdamDZ has some very valid and true points and is somewhat typical of the type of people and attitude you will encounter in NYC. Skepticism is an artform here and you will be challenged in his same unvarnished manner in all areas of your life from getting a sandwich to renting office space. You should get to know him a little. He likely has better advice than I do on neighborhoods having lived in the city for over 20 years and knowing it more intimately. Don't be put off by how he speaks his mind freely, that's common here. You have to be tough and skeptical to survive the scammers that are everywhere and 20+ years of it makes you not very shy about saying it like it is Most of the people who are really polite and nice to you in NYC are just trying to get something from you. Adam seems like a down to earth guy to me who is trying to help you too. Don't miss the opportunity just because he asks you to justify your position. Saffron, Angelknight and Fiooo also have lived in NYC and you should be asking all of these people for any specifics you want to know about NYC. It's a huge place with many kinds of people, you will need to meet lots of different kinds of people to get where you are going.

Have you ever been In a big city before? I remeber the one time I was in one, the sheer amount of sensory input was overwhelming, be prepared of bright signs, brightly dressed people, talking, car horns, tall buildings and a thousand other things at once. Personally I would lose it if I tried living there, but I can think of one positive. With all the people, it's easier to go unnoticed and not have to talk to people.