Escaping Reality

New York City. Many people come here to make it big, in hopes to see their name in flashing lights. Little do they know what living in New York is an adventure of its own. Surviving in the Big Apple takes a lot more than you’d think. Sure the city is often bustling with fun and entertainment, but often times, the only who get to enjoy this excitement are the tourists. So, what newcomers need is a certain edge to live in the Big Apple. It takes a combination of street savvy and well as some book smarts to survive living in New York City.

Money is the most important factor around living in New York City. To live in New York City is quite expensive. The rent alone on a decent place in New York would start at around 600-700 dollars, which doesn’t include utilities. So, between spending money on rent, food, and entertainment, and the unlimited metro card that most New Yorkers live by, it’s easy to see where your money goes at the end of the month. This is why although having money in the beginning helps, it takes a truly savvy person handling the money, to have each dime spent, reach its’ full value.

A true New Yorker knows where to catch the best deals for food. They have been around enough to know which restaurants offer lunch for fewer than 5 dollars, or where to get dumplings for a buck. This is where streets meets book smarts. Because the cost of living in New York is so high, each dollar spent is a dollar wasted. Therefore, saving a few bucks on lunch helps the average New Yorker in the long run.

Also, since you need to be on top of your expenses, a true New Yorker is able plan out their leisurely activities with a budget in mind. This includes taking advantage of many of the free entertainment that the city offers. By simply keeping up with local ads and events around your neighborhood, you will certainly find out about free shows in the park, movie screenings, and concerts. Moreover, you will be able to experience the New York life, while keeping within your available spending needs.

These are the attributes that make is necessary to survive in New York. New Yorkers are rough around the edges, and often tend to have an attitude, to keep tourists on their toes. But in all honesty, this is part of the appeal. That edge and confident attitude is what many people coming to New York seek. Although they won’t find that actualization until they go out and experience the city for themselves. Those who don’t posses this end up failing, and as Theodore Dreiser had said about New York. “The thing that impressed me then as now about New York . . . was the sharp, and at the same time immense, contrast it showed between the dull and the shrewd, the strong and the weak, the rich and the poor, the wise and the ignorant . . . the strong, or those who ultimately dominated, were so very strong, and the weak so very, very weak– and so very, very many. “