Monday, August 27, 2018

Life Lesson: When You Don't Get What You Want, No Matter How Well You Planned

I struggled with how to express what I have to share because up until today, I haven't been able to put into words how to say it.

So, let me just say it...

I'm not moving to New York City.

Why?

Because in one simple sentence, "I can't afford it."

Even with the raise in salary I would have gotten once I transferred, the reality is that I'd constantly be wrestling to keep my head above water when it came it to living there month after month.

I used to live in New York, so I'm not naive to how costly it can be. However, the price of rent has escalated so high that it's incomprehensible.

Now mind you, I prepared very well for my move to New York - I saved money for a year; I paid off all my credit card debt; I got my credit score up to almost 800; I streamlined my personal belongings down to just the basics; and I had all the required paperwork in order.

Yet, it didn't happen.

Let me just give you a few examples of what I came across while trying to score a simple studio apartment. Oh, and just to let you know, I not only searched in Manhattan, but also Washington Heights, Harlem, Brooklyn, Long Island City, Queens, and Jersey City.

#1)  I found an absolutely charming-looking studio apartment in the West Village that had exposed brick walls, a cute kitchenette, a bed loft, and hardwood floors. But it had NO bathroom. I would have had to SHARE a bathroom with other tenants on my floor. Are you kidding me??? Also, it had NO laundry facilities in the building, which means I'd have to walk to a laundromat anytime I needed to wash my clothes. And that's the only amenity I insist upon wherever I live, it must have laundry facilities within the building.

Now here's the real clincher. Guess how much the rent was?

$1,675.00 per month, not including utilities (water, heat, gas, electric, and trash removal). *please note: $1,675.00 is considered cheap rent in New York.

#2)  I found another studio apartment on the West Side of Manhattan (West 71st Street) that initially seemed to be a good fit for what I was looking for, but it meant that I would have to streamline my personal belongings even more because of its size. The apartment was 145 square feet. Yes, you heard me right....145 square feet (the size of a prison cell). It had a tiny shower in the corner of the room, a tiny sink next to the shower, a tiny toilet in the another corner of the room, and a bunk bed. It had NO kitchen (just a tiny refrigerator), NO closets and NO windows. But it did have laundry facilities.

Guess how much the rent was for that apartment?

$1,475.00 per month, utilities included.

#3)  I also thought that I would look into renting a room in someone's home/apartment, so I checked out several shares.

One room was in Soho, New York. The room was the size of a postage stamp. The rent was $1,500 which did not include shared utilities, and had NO laundry facilities.

The other room was in Brooklyn. It was a bit larger than the one in Soho, but not by much. The rent was $1,575 which did included utilities. However, the room was in a FOUR bedroom apartment, which I'd be sharing with THREE complete strangers.

Oh, and everyone kept suggesting that I try Jersey City because it was cheaper and so close to New York (only a 15-minute ride on the PATH).

HA!......I. DON'T. THINK. SO.

Every apartment that I considered in Jersey City was just as expensive as New York; some even MORE expensive (like over $2,000 a month for a studio apartment). I even tried looking outside of Jersey City, but the commute would have been over an hour.

And listen to this...

New York City and Jersey City apartment rentals require that you make 40 times your monthly rent in order to qualify for an apartment. That means that if I am applying for a studio apartment that is $1,675 per month, I would have to make $67,000 annually. Sorry, but I don't make that kind of money.

So, I had to make a decision. Do I move to New York and worry about finances, or do I continue to live in Philadelphia and visit New York City twice a month, which is only an hour and a half away?

After much contemplation, I decided on the latter.

And truthfully, I am 100% okay with that decision. I did go through a brief mourning period of realizing that as much as I had hoped and planned for this move, it would not be possible. So, I had to let it go.

At least for right now.

Again, this is one of those times in life when you have to accept and adjust to an outcome.

Nevertheless, this experience has not in the slightest bit lessened my adoration, passion, and love for New York City. No way. I mean just because I can't live there physically, doesn't mean that my love can't.

Because it does. And it always will.

I 💗 you, New York....

Have a FANTABULOUS week, everyone!

X