24 things we wish we’d known before moving to New York City

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New York City is a great place to live — once you get the hang of things.

There’s a reason New York City is the most populous in America: It’s full of great food, beautiful sights, and endless things to do.

But it’s also a place of inflated prices, tiny apartments, and a less-than-perfect public transportation system.

Take my word for it: Moving here is equal parts amazing and terrifying. So for anyone courageous (or foolish) enough to think about packing up and heading to the Big Apple, I asked my Business Insider colleagues to share what they wish they’d known before moving to New York.

Here’s what you should know.

Is there anything we missed? Let us know in the comments.

“It is almost never in your best interest to take a taxi over the subway if you want to get somewhere faster. Especially during rush hour.” —Ellen Hoffman

“Have your checkbook READY when looking at an apartment. If you like it, TAKE IT — because it’ll be gone when you come back. Pay the extra few bucks to get an apartment a little closer to the subway. You won’t regret it.” —Dave Marshall

“Hiking trails and other outdoor adventures are easy to find — even without a car. You can take subways and buses to reach beaches, forests, lakes, and neighborhoods that feel like fishing villages. Metro North will take you even further.” —Lauren Friedman

“It will always, always, ALWAYS take you 15 minutes longer than you THINK it’s going to take you to get somewhere via subway. You need to factor in time spent waiting and waiting.” —Dennis Green

“Waiters and bartenders expect a higher tip than the rest of the country.” —Chris Buckley

“Bicycling is a great way to get around the city, but don’t lock your bike to scaffolding. Even in broad daylight, thieves will dismantle the scaffolding to steal your bike.” —Stephen Parkhurst

“I wish I knew that living in Manhattan is overrated, and you get a lot more space for your money in Brooklyn. Plus, it’s cooler than Manhattan anyway.” —Sarah Schmalbruch

“If someone approaches you on the street, there’s a 99% chance they’re trying to sell you something (or scam you or ask for money); just pretend you didn’t hear them and keep walking. Simple rule: Don’t give people on the street money.” —David Torres

“My advice is always to sign a short-term (three months or so) sublet. Use that time to find out which neighborhood you want to live and search for an apartment you’d want to spend more than a year in.

“I’ve heard too many horror stories of people signing a one-year lease on the first place they find or worse, sight unseen.” —Kevin Reilly

“In a nutshell: Asking for directions really isn’t scary, and people are happy to help!” —Kim Renfro

“I wish someone had told me that the subways straight up don’t work on the weekends.” —Ian Phillips

“Never go to Trader Joe’s on a weak soul.” —Jenner Deal

“People spend almost no time in their apartment. Unlike the towns I had previously lived in, the focus is outside your apartment. People work late, go out, and simply spend most of their time outside their apartment.  I rented an apartment expecting to be in it far more than I was and I chose an apartment in the absolute wrong part of town.

“The city is really a collection of small neighborhoods.  When I moved to NYC (20 years ago!) I thought about utilizing the entire city all the time.  In reality, the ten block radius to my apartment was my real city most of the time. Once you figure out what you can (almost) afford, spend time in the 10 block radius to those apartments and see if you will be happy in that area.” —Peter Spande

“There’s 0% reason to drive here. Unless you’re a cab or Uber driver there’s no need. Not driving is half the fun.” —Randy Lewis

“I wish I’d realized the prices aren’t the only reason city life is so hard to afford!

“I lived in midtown Manhattan for five years, paying through the nose for rent on a lovely apartment where the windows didn’t fully close in the winter and buying $7 tubs of yogurt with a pang of horror.

“But after some time, I realized it wasn’t just the cost of living that makes life in Manhattan so hard to afford — it’s the constant, unyielding pressure to spend.” —Libby Kane

“Even streets go east and odd streets go west (mostly). Super helpful for finding a cab (or biking)!” —Arielle Berger

“Avoid tourist areas! They’re always crowded and things are more expensive.” —David Torres

“You used to be able to drift around New York, making your own luck and disappearing into the city, and you could enjoy several different acts.

“But now, if you move here, you have to focus on a career, and focus hard. If you’re not planning to do that, I don’t think NYC is worth it anymore.” —Matthew DeBord

“If you have any time at all and are not in a complete rush, walking aboveground between Port Authority and Bryant Park is a much nicer way to change trains, and way less confusing.” —Chris Buckley

“Use Streeteasy to find an apartment without a broker’s fee. And to get used to ridiculously high rents.” —Rachel Levy

“If you’re going to be taking the subway daily to commute, the auto-refill EZpay metro card is a life saver. It’s like EZpass for the subway.” —Jana Meron

“It rains in New York more often than I thought it would. You can never have too many umbrellas.” —Hayley Hudson

“When I first moved to NYC, I lived in FiDi (the Financial District) in lower Manhattan and I wasn’t very familiar with my neighborhood. As you might know, there are parts of FiDi and Battery Park City where the subway isn’t an option.

“About a year and a half into living in the area, I found out about the Downtown Connect bus system. It’s free and clean and gets you to all the places where there are no trains. It made my life much, much easier!” —Jamilla Pipersburg

“Never commit to an apartment without physically seeing it first if you can help it; finding an apartment is harder than finding a job.” —Alyson Shontell

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