Moving from Seattle to New York City is a huge move; for one thing, the two cities are on opposite coasts. For another, they are considerably different culturally. That said, there are also similarities. We’re going to dive in and take a look at what to know when moving from Seattle to NYC.
New York is expensive to live in
Let’s look at what the two cities have in common. Both have a strong intellectual presence with many educated people. Both cities have a counter-cultural community: people who dress liberally and may choose alternative lifestyles. Both are expensive cities to live, although NYC is the more costly of the two. Politically, both cities tend to lean toward the left-wing side. So it’s not exactly like they are polar opposites.
Transportation is a challenge in New York
Now, let’s look at the differences. To start, Seattle is less ethnically-diverse than NYC. For those moving from Seattle to NYC, be prepared to meet a lot of people you may not have encountered before. NYC has a population of over 8 million while Seattle’s is around 706,000, meaning NYC is over ten times the size of Seattle. Adjusting to a bigger city may take some time depending on your life experience. Also, NYC is not a very car-friendly place, so if you live there, you’d better get comfortable with taking the subway (fortunately, this is not that difficult).
New York life is fast-paced
Like most bigger cities, New York will be less personal than Seattle. The social scene will be comprised of more different kinds of groups. Many people have mentioned on message boards that Seattle is a rather tight-knit community which can be tough to break into. Many people say that if you don’t already know people who live in Seattle, it’s hard to meet anyone new. The social scene is very closed-off from newcomers. While New York can be a hard place to make friends as well, it is for a different reason; the city is just so darn big it can become impersonal.
There’s a lot of snow in New York
Weather-wise, there are definitely some similarities, like large amounts of rain. However, in Seattle is notorious for its rain, and you will see more there than in NYC. NYC has, on average, more sunny days as well. That is not to say NYC has much sunny weather, though. In the last few years, NYC’s winters have been pretty rough, with lots of snow and icy sidewalks. Seattle can also receive a heavy amount of snow at certain times, but generally speaking has less snow and more rain than NYC.
You’ll need movers
In Seattle, more people live in suburban neighborhoods than in downtown buildings. In most parts of NYC, people tend to live in high rise buildings and more urban areas – the idea of NY suburbs only really exists in the remote reaches of the city. For this reason, handling a move on your own is more difficult in New York City. Not only is street parking for a moving truck an issue, but often, people moving are faced with small (or no) elevators in their buildings, narrow hallways, and other issues. Even if you would typically use a U-Haul to move, you’ll want to reconsider on your cross-country trek to NY. Either hire a Seattle moving company that offers interstate moving services or NYC apartment movers who are familiar with the ins and outs of New York relocations.
Conclusion
Overall, NYC and Seattle are both similar and different. There are similarities politically and culturally, as well as comparable trends in real estate. However, the social scenes have contrasting vibes in many respects, and Seattle has less ethnic diversity. However, if you have the open-mindedness and the patience to get the most out of the experience, living in NYC has a lot to offer. If you feel the desire to go to New York, you should go for it. It will be broadening and exciting.