Moving to NYC in order to attend college is a dream of many. The City That Never Sleeps truly has a lot to offer whether you are an experienced professional or an aspiring student. Moving out of your parents’ home and living in NYC will bring many life lessons, the majority of which you cannot find in your college books. So, how can one prepare for what lies ahead? Well, one of the best ways to start is to read the following texts. It contains all the important student tips for moving to NYC for the first time. Buckle up, and let’s get to it.
Student tips for moving to NYC
Before you make a phone call to your Florida movers and schedule your moving date, it is advisable that you first find a place to move to. If you are not moving to a dorm, you really ought to put your efforts into
Choosing the right neighborhood
Forgoing dorm life means you now have dozens of neighborhoods to choose from. Finding the perfect match will require some thorough research. It is advisable that you first start with defining a budget, and look for areas that are close (or with easy commute) to your new school.
One more thing to take into consideration when choosing your future home is the activities you plan on having when you’re not hitting the books. In addition, if you plan on working part-time while taking classes, it would be nice to have a place that is not too far from neither your school nor your job. If you are an avid runner, for instance, living near a park would be a great feature. Crown Heights and Prospect Heights, both rather close to Prospect Park, are the options you ought to consider if Brooklyn is your borough of choice. This is especially convenient if you attend Pratt or Brooklyn College.
If you are enrolled in Columbia, any place on the west side will do great. Hell’s Kitchen, Upper West Side, Morningside Heights, and Harlem all have access to Central Park or Riverside Park. Also, living there will mean you have a quick commute to the campus.
To make it simple, know your budget, make your wish list, and then begin the search for your apartment. Keep in mind that location is key.
Now, before you call for packing services Florida, you ought to know what to bring to your new place. For starters, make sure that you stick with
Bringing only the bare necessities
When we say bare necessities, it is not just because of the wonderful song. We really mean just the bare necessities. In case you are not familiar with the NYC living accommodations, they are not that spacious. That is unless you are a millionaire. Now, for the small chance that you aren’t, you ought to know that there won’t be much room to go about. Especially if you plan on living with roommates. So, instead of shipping your whole walk-in closet to the Big Apple, we suggest that you pack solely the following:
- a suitcase of clothes and shoes for both work and play.
- necessary technology such as your laptop, cellphone and possibly a drawing board, if you need it for work or school. Leave the PS4 at home. You won’t have time for it, anyways.
- comfort items like your favorite mug and a coffee pot. You are going to use them more than you now realize.
One of the most important student tips for moving to NYC that will limit your expenses by large is
Finding a roommate
Unless you imagine your perfect loft having dimensions of a closet, living as a student in NYC means having to split living expenses. It is good to know that some schools provide a roommate match service. This can be quite useful for your search. However, if your school is not of the sort, try services like Perfect Strangers, Roomster or PadMapper. Having a roommate or two will enhance the space you can use, and allow you to lease a larger pad. It also comes with the reduces the stress of paying the rent yourself. Yay!
However, keep in mind that even with roommates and a larger apartment, space in NYC loft will still be limited. For such situations, you can consider renting a storage unit, and allow yourself some extra room in your new place.
Now, apart from refusing to live anywhere, that is longer than a 5-minute walk to the nearest subway, we suggest that you also
Get familiar with the public transport and learn all there is to it
One cannot claim to have stated all the student tips for moving to NYC if there wasn’t the biggest money saver on the list. And that is the NYC subway. This is by far the cheapest and most efficient way to get around town. Don’t be a snob and learn how to use it. Apart from saving you money, it will save you time, and we can all use more of both. If you have never taken the subway before, try not to worry. It will only take you but a few rides to get your way around it, and after this brief adjustment period, you will be able to ride the trains in your sleep. And, apart from the subway, do not restrain using other means of public transport. Buses, CitiBikes, and even your own two feet are way better than cabs and other car services. Nothing will break the bank quicker than getting used to being driven around via Uber or anything else. Besides, can you really have a true NYC experience without riding a subway? We don’t think so.
