- Ignore any person who tries to talk to you in the subway or on the streets.
- Walk briskly on the streets, everyone is in a hurry.
- Stand to the right on escalators, walk up on left.
- Hustle, Hustle, Hustle. New Yorkers on average spend half their income on rent alone. Be prepared to work, and work a lot.
- Don't live in Manhattan. There are places to live in Queens and Brooklyn for half the price, and twice the space, with the same or similar commute depending on the area.
- Network! Knowing the right people can get you jobs, free meals, free drinks, and invites to some amazing events.
- Don't give money to homeless people or anyone begging for money. If they're really going to spend that money on food, they'll accept your offer to walk with them to the nearest restaurant/street food vendor to buy them a meal.
- Keep everything in your front pockets, keep your purse zipped.
- Never carry large amounts of cash, but enough to pay for dinner if the restaurant doesn't accept cards.
- On the tops of cabs, if only their cab number is lit up, they are empty and available. If "OFF DUTY" is also lit up, they won't stop for you. If nothing is lit, someone is already in the back.
- Subways are pretty easy to figure out, grab a map and be sure to double check that the train you are about to get on is headed in the proper direction.
- There are tons of $.99 pizza slice places, don't pay $5 for a plain slice in Times Square.
- Be prepared to walk a lot and use a lot of stairs. Get in shape first, our your legs will be sore.
- Wear flats during your commute, change into heels outside of your destination.
- If you are standing in the middle of a packed subway car, you may need to shout "excuse me" in order to get let off at your stop.
- Always try to barter, especially in shops in china town, with non-yellow cabs, even haggle-down your broker-fee on your apartment.
- If you're carrying large bags/luggage on the subway, use the service door, not the turnstiles.
- Always allow extra time to get everywhere. You never know when a subway delay will happen. You can only get away with blaming the MTA so many times.
- Men can't get into any nice clubs/bars/restaurants in shorts or sandals.
- There are more women than men in NYC. 41.7% of women in NYC have never been married, the highest percent in the country. Average age of first marriage for women is 28, men 30.
- If you get lost, ask for directions, New Yorkers are actually nice when it comes to giving directions for the most part.
- Don't bother driving in Manhattan. Too much traffic, expensive parking, and tolls, not worth the stress. Take a train or bus instead. If you are moving here, sell your car.
- There's always a ton of free things to do, from summer outdoor movies in Bryant Park, to food festivals, parades, and museums. Do your research. There are websites dedicated to free things going on everyday.
- If visiting, you can save hundreds by staying at a hotel in Queens or Brooklyn instead of Manhattan. Some hotels are only a 10-15 min subway ride to Manhattan.
- Consider unlimited MetroCards for subways and buses. Sold in monthly or weekly values.
- Make friends with locals. If you know people who already live in NYC, they can help show you the best places to go.
- This might be the most important: there are very few public restrooms! McDonalds and Starbucks are unfortunately your best bets.
That's all for now, I'm sure I will add more as I remember them, or think of new ones to share. Good luck on your visits or if you plan to move here.
xo
