Moving to New York, even from another city within the United States, is a huge culture shift.  Once you’re done unpacking, you’ll be thrown into the so-called “metal jungle” and it’s easy to get lost – both literally and figuratively. Here are a few tips to help you with the adjustment process:

• Apartments come in several flavors.  If you’re on a budget, look for a walk-up or elevator building, or even a roommate.  If you prefer more luxury, and have a larger wallet, look for doorman buildings which usually offer amenities such as a gym, and up to 24×7 security.
• You do NOT need to pay a broker’s fee for an apartment!  Brokers often charge up to 1 month’s rent for their services.  That can amount to several thousands of dollars, depending on the price of your apartment, and that money could go a long way towards furnishing it instead!  There are several ways to avoid paying this fee, even beyond searching the “NO FEE” listings on the internet or the newspaper.
• Grocery shopping is not as obvious as it may seem.  Prices vary immensely, as do expiration dates!  You will find everything from inexpensive to gourmet, and it’s important to understand the differences to get the best prices and produce.
• The New York Subway is a culture onto itself. Get familiar with the unwritten rules, and the ones that can cost you a hundreds of dollars $$$ if you aren’t aware of them.
• The local social and professional cultures may be very different than your own.  Not only in terms of where New Yorkers socialize, but in terms of habits and traditions that can quickly leave you feeling isolated and frustrated if you’re not careful.
• New Yorkers are not at all as rude as their reputation!  I have seen many a New Yorker rush to the aid of people who fall (yes, people miss the step off sidewalks on occasion, or trip onto the subway, etc) or hurt themselves, and are eager to help with directions and advice

** For some amazing insider tips on living in New York – including everything you need to do to find and furnish your apartment, figure out the social and dating culture, understand professional expectations and more – click here! **

A couple of weeks ago, I was stunned, amazed, and thrilled to see a train indicator at Canal Street!  Finally, they’ve taken one of the best features of the metro/underground in London and Paris and implemented digital panels to tell you when the next train is coming! 

One of the most frustrating parts about the subway has been that you never know when the next subway is coming, or where it is, and when announcements are made, it’s impossible to understand voices over the intercom.

What will surely follow next is an important change of culture.  One of the things you see on a daily basis if riding the subway are people standing at the very edge of the platform and leaning over, hoping to catch a glimpse of the headlights of an oncoming train, and be reassured it’s on its way.  If New Yorkers become accustomed to these new panels, and actually trust the information is correct, then there won’t be anymore crowding and leaning over the platform edge!  I know it seems trite, but I think the potential is fascinating that our behavior may completely change.

However, I’m sure there are many parts of the subway culture that won’t change:

• crowding on the subway at rush hour
• rules that seem insane for which you can be fined – like placing your bag on an empty seat next to you!
• pushing and shoving
• standing by the subway door entrance

If you plan to live in New York, you gotta get used to the unique environment of the subway! 

* For great insider tips on living in New York, check out www.howtoliveinnewyork.com ! *

I played tour guide recently for some lovely British tourists around Manhattan.  Now, International travel is always a bit of an effort, but these guys get a GOLD STAR.  There were some horrible wind and rain storms in New York over the weekend of their trip, so their total travel time ended up being roughly 36 hours due to delays.  On top of that, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldridge were traveling in first class!  I wonder if the pilot felt any pressure – apparently he tried to make a landing at JFK twice, getting within 100 feet of the runway, but then pulled up because of the high winds – all this while the Apollo 11 space crew is sitting behind him!

For me, New York is about neighborhoods.  My guests agreed that it’s fairly amazing to spend an afternoon walking from SoHo to Wall Street, and experience such a variety of architecture, people, and landscape, all in the same city.  I think one reason many people can feel at home here is because there is something for everyone – little pieces of foreign culture, places that feel like Europe, people outdoors, people indoors, etc.

The other charm was that it was raining and cloudy.  I’ve mentioned before that weather has a huge impact on a relocation experience.  The fact that the weather was, well, a typically British day, made my guests feel right at home!

Moving to New York, even from a place that’s nearby, or that you think is culturally similar, will come with a lot of bumps and altered expectations.  * For some helpful tips adjusting to New York, visit www.newbieinnewyork.com! *

I recently had the pleasure of being a volunteer Big Apple Greeter for two lovely new friends from France.  We spent much of the weekend together, saw lower Manhattan, the snow in Central Park, complete with skiers, snowmen, and sledders, a rare treat!

One of the great things I love about this volunteer opportunity is how it allows me to see New York with a fresh pair of eyes, getting to see someone else’s perceptions, what they find different, funny, weird, etc. and this visit helped me see some new cultural differences, some I knew, some were new.  As I think about it, these are also some of the “little” things that your mind takes in when you venture to a new place, and often have a huge impact on you initially.

1. France does not have “doggy bags”.  If you don’t finish your meal and ask to take the rest home, they will either laugh, or literally dump it into a bag! My guests made me take the takeout container out of its plastic bag so they could see it, and were amazed that we have containers prepared expressly for this purpose.  Imagine if you’re an American, and move to France, and ask for your food to go, and are met with this reaction, what would you do?
2. Subway entrances come in different shapes and sizes.  At some Manhattan stations, the only entrances available look like revolving doors.  My friends thought they were exits only, so left the station, but then saw other people going down and not returning, so figured out the doors were entrances, too.   What if you came to New York, needed to use the subway, and found you couldn’t get in because it seemed there were no turnstiles!  And, you’ve already bought your metro card!
3. Metro Cards are confusing.  If you don’t swipe them perfectly, you actually won’t be allowed into the subway.  And, if you don’t read English, you won’t be able to interpret the error message in front of you.  Did you know you could ask the subway agent for help?
4. There really is a Starbucks on almost every corner in Manhattan.  France only has one.   I prefer French coffee but my new French friends actually didn’t have disdain for the Starbucks coffee!

* For more ideas on adjustments to expect after relocating, *click here! *

It’s rare, but once in a very, very, very long while, New York gets hit with a real snow blizzard that actually leaves snow on the ground – enough of it that driving is impossible without regular road plowing, and enough for building snowmen in the park – I mean GIANT ones – I’m petite, but wow, these guys are huge! Private schools were even closed – and that almost never happens!

Snowstorms like this in New York really show how it is true it never sleeps.

Plowing went on all night and even though blizzard conditions continued the next day, the roads were clear. Some people trekked off to work, but they missed the winter wonderland in Central Park! Shown here are amazing photos of the most amazing night sky I’ve ever seen in Manhattan, snowmen – and a snow WOMAN that’s a true work of art – buried cars, people skiing, and more.

It’s amazing when a city offers you activities you normally can’t do – snowball fighting, snowman building, cross-country skiing, and downhill sledding. There’s something very exciting and fascinating when it happens. Everyone seems happy (at least those participating in said activities), families and friends come together, and it has a very special feeling overall. It also shows how much impact weather has on our day-to-day experiences. Especially when you relocate, weather affects whether you can be indoors or out, and temperatures affect what activities are available.

However, New York is notorious for being “the City that Never Sleeps”. The snowstorm made me wonder, why is it New York can’t shut for one day and play in the snow? Happily, we made up for it on Saturday, but it’s a shame we can’t bring everything to a halt and enjoy the snow as it happens.