living in nyc | NEWYORKBRITS

Come on, admit it... you've always wanted to see what it'd be like being here longer than a two-week holiday. Is it like the movies or not.

Well, if it's in your plans, then NYBC is the place to get that insider information, or interesting background story [and there are many great ones we've written for you here]. And not from a Baedecker or a Rough Guide to NYC, but from us Green Card-holding, New York residing, Brits. We're on the ground, in the trenches, on the front line, so to speak. And there's around 250,000 of us (in the tri-state area)!

So, the hard work's been done. We've got our Social Security cards, New York State Drivers' Licences; rented our apartments, or got a mortgage and waded through the morass of NYC bureaucracy [... and you thought the French invented bureaucracy?]. We know the best places to watch the Premier League; where to get decent beer; the best shopping; the cutest non-tourist, tourist spots; and of course, the best gigs to go to. There is one caveat though....

You'll still have to do your own queueing at the Federal Building for your work permit; the DMV for a driver's licence; and the DSS for your Social Security card. But if you're still in the UK and contemplating a move to NYC, or marrying a US citizen, or maybe moving because of work - there's still the hurdle of the US Embassy in the UK. If this is your particular area of interest and want to cut straight to the Visas section on newyorkbrits.com, where all relevant [and anecdotal] information, forms, contacts, in fact, everything you might need when applying for a US visa, can be found.

But first, let's look at some background to this city and its surroundings. Read on...

The right area.... uhm, where would that be exactly? Of course it's going to depend on your desires - which kind of neighbourhood you're most comfortable with and (let's face it), dependent on the size of your wallet, right?

Manhattan for example, has a high degree of income disparity, with extreme wealth and pockets of poverty on the same small island. Overall though it's one of the highest-income places in the US, with zip code 10021 on the Upper East Side, having one of the largest concentrations of extreme wealth in the United States. In fact, currently 15% of New York City households earn more than $100,000 per annum.

Despite those statistics, Manhattan is obviously appealing and if you liked living in cities such as London, then Manhattan will be desirable for you. Ok, let's get real for a moment. Here's the good news: there are nine cities in the world you can live in that are more expensive [NYC is the 10th - London is 5th, according to statistics]. However, rental prices in the city have tripled in only the last five years, whereas salaries haven't - of course. [more>]

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There are not many cities around the world where enjoying at least part of the commute is a huge plus as you arrive into the city to work each day. But New York is one of them.

Although... only those living in Brooklyn and working in the city experience it - and of those, only the ones fortunate enough to ride the N, Q, B or D subway trains.

And that's because only those trains travel over the Manhattan Bridge that crosses the East River. This bridge gives spectacular views of the whole of lower Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridge to the south and the Williamsburg Bridge to the north. [more>]

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