A question about moving.

[Antarion]

You know, I've started to realize that the majority of my posts as of late have revolved around college and complaining... Guess that's my generation in a nutshell! -Satire-

For those of you that don't know, I am a college student studying prepharmacy/biochemistry in Montana. If any of you have ever been to Montana for more than a month, you'll know where I'm coming from when I say I hate it here. Now let me clear that statement up a bit. I don't hate it in the 'I want to be free and my own man!' Kind of way, I hate it in the...

No matter where I go, everyone knows my name. I live in the biggest city in Montana, by the way. My sister (Whom I detest) has her fingers in enough pies that even though I don't ever talk to her, she knows exactly what I'm doing and my mother always finds out. You can drive in one direction through the city and not see a single person on the sidewalk in miles. We're nearly the last to get any tech. We're not big enough to have any fun stores here. In my few months of being a member (And few more years of being a lurker) I have seen a total of three Montanans on this site, all of which male. On a slightly more superficial note... We are the 47th sexiest state in the USA.

Kind of way.

So, therein lies the question "Where should I move?" I'm going to have a few opportunities to move in the forseeable future.
1: When I apply for a pharmacy program in 3.75 semesters.
2: When I've graduated from pharmacy school and am looking for a job
3: When I flunk out, and am forced to live a life of transience.

I'm pretty positive I asked this before a few months ago, but some additional questions of mine have arisen.

If I move in a couple years for pharmacy school, will I be able to adjust to the city life or at least life on campus?
Will I be able to successfully live life on campus with minimal traveling while I get used to the city?
Will it have opportunities for a pharmacist to get work?
Will I be able to move there from Billings, Montana without having to sell my kidneys?
and on a side note is the tickling scene good there?

I've always thought that I'd love life in the city. I was thinking about NYC for a long time, but then I thought "Wouldn't you die of culture shock from moving from a city of 100,000 to a city of many million?" I'm not sure, but I know most of you live in big cities. Help a bro out, guys!

 

[Mitchell]

Antarion, as a resident of the NY area for almost 31 years, I can answer this.

As you may know if you read my posts.. I lived in Lancaster PA, from 1999, until shortly after my mom died, in 2012. Before that, I lived in various places in the NYC area, including NYC, Fort Lee,NJ, which is just across a bridge from NYC, and Westport, CT.

Where you live in NYC makes a huge difference as to what the situation is. Manhattan is the most expensive boro in NYC, and probably, the most busy, even though in recent years Brooklyn and Queens have more residents than Manhattan,,. due to people moving out of Manhattan, as a result of cost.

Pharmacy is a good field. Salaries might be higher here for you then anywhere else, simply because your cost of living will probably be the highest in the country.

You will feel the culture shock. You mentioned Montana being rural. NYC is the most hustle/bustle place in the world. People all over, crowds.

Where I live in Forest Hills, Queens, is a very nice neighborhood. It has a great deal of shopping, resturants, etc. My alcove studio. (Studio Apartment with a separate sleeping area, behind the wall), is $1700 a month in a doorman building. If my apartment were in Manhattan, it might be double the amount.

If you do decide to move to NYC, look around carefully and compare costs. The other issue is transportation options. One thing I love about Forest Hills, is that the subway system here is frequent, and gets you to midtown Manhattan, or anywhere else, in 20 minutes or less.

Another issue in NYC is ethnic area. My original plan when I was going to move back, was to have moved to a section called Riverdale, Bronx, because I wanted a country like area. I quickly nixed that idea, when, right after my mom's funeral, my dad and I took a ride around Riverdale, we saw its large concentration of Hasidic Jews, and I decided against it.

The costs here are astronomical, for eating out, food shopping, transportation, rent, etc. If you choose wisely, you can get a "Good Deal" (For New York) for rent, that will be much cheaper than if you live in Manhattan.

Good Luck. I hope you find what you seek.

 

[Antarion]

My god, 1700 a month?!?! Maybe I don't know anything about buying/renting a house, but my parents only payed 800 a month on their house! That said, i still think NYC might be a cool place to go to.

 

[Mitchell]

Yes, 1700 a month, for one room, in Queens. Apartments in Manhattan, as I've stated, are much more.

I understand about you being used to lower rents. The three bedroom that I lived in with my mom in Lancaster, PA started at $750 a month in 1999, and was $971 by the time I left PA. One of the reasons we left NY, is that we wanted lower rent and cost of living.

If you want low cost, buddy, NYC is not the place to look. EVERYTHING here is astronomical.

 

[Druidici]

I understand the everyone knows everyone concept..try living in a town of 15,000 like me. Same problem.. No fun stores,nothing to do...gotta drive to either Saratoga or Albany for fun shit to do. For yourself though Antion,I see you in a more busier place with down home feeling so I would recommend like the Virginias, Carolinas andiwn that way even Alabama or Georgia. Heck maybe even look at Texas. I went to visit my in-laws in San Antonio last year..so much to do down there. Good cuisine too if you like Mexican and good BBQ.

 

[WorkInProgress]

Based on how you describe your desires, I don't think you'd have any problem adapting to NYC at all. I think the culture shock would be temporary. Lots of the people I know in the city came from somewhere else that was very different, and they get used to the rhythms and the way things work; they figure out the most efficient way to navigate the often-annoying subway system, and everything else that goes with city life. I think you'd be a New Yorker within weeks of getting here.

But, as Mitchell notes, apartments have gotten expensive. Back a decade ago, I was paying $650/month for a studio in Queens. When I moved, the landlord jacked it up to $850. When I came back, I wasn't able to find anything for even that price. I'm living in New Jersey, in a town close enough to the city that it's as good as living in Queens when it comes to travel time, paying $800 for a very no-frills one-bedroom apartment.

So, if you do move here, you need to be lucky and get a good deal, or a well-paying job, or you need to be willing to share or to live where I'm living.

Another city where I think you'd do fine is Boston. I've never lived there, but I always feel at home when I'm there, and there's always been some kind of connection to Boston in my life.

And, I'm sorry to hear that you're at odds with your sister. I hope that doesn't last forever. I don't have any siblings, but I can still tell you that, when you do have them, good relations with them are nice to have.

 

[Antarion]

I understand the everyone knows everyone concept..try living in a town of 15,000 like me. Same problem.. No fun stores,nothing to do...gotta drive to either Saratoga or Albany for fun shit to do. For yourself though Antion,I see you in a more busier place with down home feeling so I would recommend like the Virginias, Carolinas andiwn that way even Alabama or Georgia. Heck maybe even look at Texas. I went to visit my in-laws in San Antonio last year..so much to do down there. Good cuisine too if you like Mexican and good BBQ.

I'm from a town with 3k, I know that feel bro.

 

[General Zod]

I consider myself a well traveled man. I moved around a lot when I was in the USAF. North Dakota.England. California. Georgia. One thing I found out was,there are places where jobs pay real well. However,the cost of living is expensive. With the internet,it will be a lot easier to check what kind of wages you can make in a certain area,as well as what rent and utlilities,etc will cost.

No matter where you live,some people just can't min their own business.