One resident says their initial impression of the city came from movies, novels, and vlogs before ever visiting in person. (Reddit)
The city offers trail systems and state parks that give outdoor enthusiasts both easy and challenging hiking options. (Reddit)
“Raising kids in New York City presents a unique set of problems and opportunities” (a resident)
Who tends to love New York, NY
Foodies: The city offers many popular food spots, underrated gems, and award winning restaurants to explore.
Dog owners: Major parks offer off-leash hours and large areas for dogs to run.
Transit riders avoiding tourist areas: Public transit can offer a relaxed commute if you live outside tourist hubs.
Social explorers: Residents find a sense of community, small town feel, and easy conversations with strangers.
Seasons and weather
One resident thinks New York has terrible summers and disgusting winters but is still better in winter overall. we experience terrible summers, and disgusting winters(Reddit)
Getting around
One resident says public transit makes for a relaxed commute if you live outside the tourist hubs public transit makes for a relaxed commute if you live outside of the tourist hubs(Reddit)
One resident commuted for years from 60 miles away since few people drive in NYC due to traffic. Nobody drives in NYC, there's always too much traffic(Reddit)
One resident said fixing congestion means getting cars off the road since the city is too compact for more lanes. NYC is also super compact with no room for more lanes anyway(Reddit)
One resident is considering a folding bike for easy transportation and occasionally biking to work. considering getting a folding bike for easy transportation and occasionally to bike to work(Reddit)
Community feel
One resident felt New York had a different vibe due to the concentration of wealthy, well connected and well educated people. so many people here and so many of them are wealthy, well connected and well educated(Reddit)
One resident says community in New York requires intentional effort, like creating patterns and repetition to recognize familiar faces. you have to build community; create patterns, plans, and repetition to see the same faces(Reddit)
One resident feels that New Yorkers share a sense of community even though things are not perfect it feels like new yorkers (mostly referring to nyc) have this shared sense of community(Reddit)
One resident said people living in a part of the city often say it feels like a small town after a while it "feels like a small town" - or at least their(Reddit)
Shopping and errands
One resident clarified that a claim requiring ID to shop at city-owned grocery stores is false ID will be required to shop at city-owned grocery stores in New York City. THE FACTS: This is false(Reddit)
One resident said New Yorkers tend to do smaller, more frequent shopping trips at multiple grocery stores like Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, and Target. pretty much all new yorkers do smaller shops more frequently at multiple grocery stores(Reddit)
One resident said their friend treats the nearby supermarket like an extension of their fridge, shopping there daily. basically treats the supermarket like an extension of his fridge(Reddit)
One resident said Whole Foods, Fairway, and Target are the best grocery options nearby and that NYC actually has surprisingly low grocery prices. NYC has amazingly low prices for groceries(Reddit)
Dating
One resident said good connections are rare but people stay open to them given the constant stream of new people in the city. New York is an endless firehose of people that never ends(Reddit)
One resident said dating can be rough but is useful for meeting people and getting acclimated to the city. Dating here can be rough. Enjoy dating for meeting folks and doing things to get acclimated(Reddit)
One resident said dating is not easy but you can meet incredible people if you put yourself out there. dating isn't easy in nyc but you meet incredible people if you get out there(Reddit)
One resident said dating is hard as a guy because many events are money grabbing and prospects are not great. Dating in NYC is hard as a guy, and. NYC doesn't mean much. A lot of events are money grabbing(Reddit)
Arts and culture
One resident recommends the Folk Art Museum along with the Tenement Museum and the Museum of the City of New York. Highly recommend both the Tenement Museum and the Museum of the City of New York(Reddit)
One resident says Staten Island's art, music, and entertainment scene has declined and failed the local music scene The current quality of Staten Island's art, music, and entertainment scene(Reddit)
Outdoors and trails
One resident recommended the Erie Canal Trail as a top spot for both biking and kayaking. New York is the Empire/Erie Canal Trail which will scratch both your biking and kayaking itches at once(Reddit)
One resident described previously spending warm weather hours hiking, camping, BBQing, and swimming in lakes before moving to NYC. spend all my out-of-work hours hiking, camping, BBQ-ing, swimming in lakes(Reddit)
One resident expresses a common feeling of missing nature while living in Brooklyn. I've been really missing nature lately, which I know is a pretty common feeling here(Reddit)
One resident wants to explore more of the city outdoors and likes planning ahead for activities. looking to do more exploring and know it helps to have ideas thought out ahead of time(Reddit)
Cost of living
One resident says a decent one bedroom apartment can still be found for 1800 to 2200 in Hudson County with a bus commute into the city. You can still get a decent 1 br apt for 2200-1800 in Hudson County(Reddit)
One resident questions whether 4000 dollars for a one bedroom rental is just the new normal or a scam. $4,000 for a one-bedroom(Reddit)
One resident reminds themselves they have a good deal and that living alone would be financially unwise. I’m trying to remind myself what a good deal I have(Reddit)
Through the year
Winter: A local meteorologist's mid-winter outlook estimated seasonal snowfall could reach around 29 inches by the season's end.
What New York, NY is known for
New York Fashion Week (February): designers present couture and ready to wear collections
Chinatown Lunar New Year Parade and Festival (February): parade with floats, acrobats and dragon dances in Chinatown
Governors Ball Music Festival (June): music festival on Randall's Island with pop and indie artists
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (November): parade with giant balloons and floats through Manhattan
More on New York, NY
The full Varro guide adds rent and home prices, local taxes, schools, healthcare, getting around, weather by month, and a quiz that shows how New York, NY fits what you want.