Need some info about Living/Studying in NYC

[mac_kin]

So I'm in the process of applying to med schools this summer. For the most part I haven't been thinking about moving to a large city like New York but lately the idea has grown on me. I know that NYC has some of he best med schools in the States and the experience in the hospitals would be priceless.

I've never lived in or even visited NYC and I think it would be exciting to live there for 4 years. However, some people say that its not only too costly but too chaotic of a place to live and study.

I would like to hear from some of you who have lived / studied/ or worked in New york. How did you find the city life? Was it as expansive as everyone says and how did you deal with the costs? I'm assuming that finding a job would not be a problem.
Particularly if there's anyone here who moved to NYC from a small town, how did you find the new lifestlye? and would you recommend moving there?

Thanks a bunch!

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[Schaden Freud]

So I'm in the process of applying to med schools this summer. For the most part I haven't been thinking about moving to a large city like New York but lately the idea has grown on me. I know that NYC has some of he best med schools in the States and the experience in the hospitals would be priceless.

I've never lived in or even visited NYC and I think it would be exciting to live there for 4 years. However, some people say that its not only too costly but too chaotic of a place to live and study.

I would like to hear from some of you who have lived / studied/ or worked in New york. How did you find the city life? Was it as expansive as everyone says and how did you deal with the costs? I'm assuming that finding a job would not be a problem.
Particularly if there's anyone here who moved to NYC from a small town, how did you find the new lifestlye? and would you recommend moving there?

Thanks a bunch!

New York is great but extremely expensive. Lots of cockroaches, too. Bring the Raid.

 

[n3ur05ur930n]

So I'm in the process of applying to med schools this summer. For the most part I haven't been thinking about moving to a large city like New York but lately the idea has grown on me. I know that NYC has some of he best med schools in the States and the experience in the hospitals would be priceless.

I've never lived in or even visited NYC and I think it would be exciting to live there for 4 years. However, some people say that its not only too costly but too chaotic of a place to live and study.

I would like to hear from some of you who have lived / studied/ or worked in New york. How did you find the city life? Was it as expansive as everyone says and how did you deal with the costs? I'm assuming that finding a job would not be a problem.
Particularly if there's anyone here who moved to NYC from a small town, how did you find the new lifestlye? and would you recommend moving there?

Thanks a bunch!

I am not from a small town. However, if you like small-town life or even mid-size city life (yards, space, driving, Wal-Mart, etc) you will hate NYC (at least Manhattan for sure). NYC is a sprawling urban megalopolis that is noisy, dirty, and intense. It has a lot to offer but if you value the quality of life available in a small town or city you may be in for quite a shock. I'd take a weekend to visit if I were you to be sure it is something you are willing to experience, as medical school will be full of its own stresses as well.
I lived in Dallas growing up and did undergrad on the west coast (SF Bay) and personally absolutely adore the grit of NYC. Yes you sacrifice wide open spaces, yards, and Costco, but you gain a rich plethora of exciting opportunities for cultural and social adventures. And yes, the medical experiences here are, in my opinion, unparalleled in any other part of the country. However, yes it is very expensive to live in Manhattan and space is limited. There are tradeoffs. I came here to do a Postbacc program and count it among one of the most formative experiences in my life -- I feel I've gained a level of maturity and depth of character that I would otherwise never have developed anywhere else in the U.S.
My two cents.
A great place to study medicine? Absolutely. Livable/enjoyable/beneficial to you? That's something you will have to decide once you visit/interview here. Go with your instinct.

 

[sneaker7]

So I'm in the process of applying to med schools this summer. For the most part I haven't been thinking about moving to a large city like New York but lately the idea has grown on me. I know that NYC has some of he best med schools in the States and the experience in the hospitals would be priceless.

I've never lived in or even visited NYC and I think it would be exciting to live there for 4 years. However, some people say that its not only too costly but too chaotic of a place to live and study.

I would like to hear from some of you who have lived / studied/ or worked in New york. How did you find the city life? Was it as expansive as everyone says and how did you deal with the costs? I'm assuming that finding a job would not be a problem.
Particularly if there's anyone here who moved to NYC from a small town, how did you find the new lifestlye? and would you recommend moving there?

Thanks a bunch!

ditto on expensive. finding a job may not be difficult, but finding a job that pays enough to live in manhattan can be tough (use any connections you might have!). it's cheaper to find an apt with friends - if you don't believe me, check craigslist for an idea of how much a studio in a nice part of town goes for. a lot people right out of college with non-business jobs choose to live in queens or brooklyn. despite the cost, it's hard to beat all the great things the city has to offer.

 

[snobored18]

Don't get me wrong NYC is a great place, but I think looking at it from the eye's of a tourist or one that hasn't lived there is going to present a very romantic view of the "city". The expense of living in Manhattan is oppressive...food is cheaper than you think if you stay away from tourist centers, but everything from taxi rides, to metro cards to the cost of entertainment is ridiculous and we won't even start on housing. Even rent controlled places are expensive not to mention impossible to obtain, although with subsidized university housing and a placement office at the medical school of your choice it would be easier. I personally wouldn't want to go to school in NYC for medical school...it is an already expensive proposition and the fact that I would be living in a great city without the time to really enjoy would really make me angry...especially since I would be paying an arm and a leg for the convenience of living in Manhattan. Life long New Yorkers tend to have a different view, but those of us who are transplants (which would be what you would be) will generally tell you the cost and hassle isn't worth it. best of luck.

 

[Dr.LeoSpaceman]

I agree with pretty much everything said here. I am at NYU Med right now, and I love being in the city. Originally from Cleveland, but always loved NYC. For me, it was a great change of scenery. I will say that the main drawback is the cost. Food is actually not too bad, if you are smart about where you eat, and you don't go to Times Square to get food. Use FreshDirect for groceries because the supermarkets are rather small and way overpriced.

Going out is expensive, but the tradeoff is the variety of things you can do. Yeah you don't have yards and things, but if you live in Manhattan, going to Park on the weekend is a good fix.

I think the major drawback for me is how inconvenient running day to day errands is. If you ahve to do 3 or 4 errands, thats an entire afternoon because there is no such thing as hopping in the car. You have to walk or take public transp, and that just adds time. Also, for all the stores and shopping, sometimes its difficult to find day-to-day items that you are looking for.

 

[LizzyM]

So I'm in the process of applying to med schools this summer. For the most part I haven't been thinking about moving to a large city like New York but lately the idea has grown on me. I know that NYC has some of he best med schools in the States and the experience in the hospitals would be priceless.

I've never lived in or even visited NYC and I think it would be exciting to live there for 4 years. However, some people say that its not only too costly but too chaotic of a place to live and study.

I would like to hear from some of you who have lived / studied/ or worked in New york. How did you find the city life? Was it as expansive as everyone says and how did you deal with the costs? I'm assuming that finding a job would not be a problem.
Particularly if there's anyone here who moved to NYC from a small town, how did you find the new lifestlye? and would you recommend moving there?

Thanks a bunch!

There are so many medical schools in NYC: Cornell, Columbia, NYU, (all in Manhattan) Albert Einstein in The Bronx, and SUNY Downstate in Brooklyn. NYMed College is out in Westchester County (more suburban) as is SUNY Stony Brook (on Long Island). Each is located in a different neighborhood with a distinctively different feel. I don't know what to make of the word chaotic. I've lived in the vicinity of NYU, Cornell & Mt. Sinai over the years and never found anything to be chaotic.

Housing in NY, particularly Manhattan, is expensive and subsidized housing is essential (IMHO) to make it possible to attend school in NY. From the outside, NYC looks very expensive but you can learn to live like a native and enjoy the freebies including free days at the museums, Central Park (including free concerts with 500,000 of your closest friends <g>), discounted theatre tickets, and ethnic restaurants, it is a wonderful place. There are also the school-based social activities such as the "Christmas Shows" at Cornell and the rugby teams (and their wild social events) at each of the medical schools.

If your stats are within striking range and the curriculum appeals to you, make an application and check out the school when you interview.

 

[macadamianut]

Cornell is located on 69th and 1st (Upper East Side). However, rent in subsidized and 1st year housing is under 600 (dorm style) and 2nd through 4th year housing is around $750 (apartment style). There's also a CVS, blockbuster, supermarkert, Micky D's, KFC, sports bar, and basically anything you need to run errands nearby. The convienience of the immediate location as well as the luxuries of NYC as a whole (sports, museums, musicals, restaurants, plays, etc., bars) won me over (as well as the fact that there are so many young people in NYC [rest assured that if you go to school on the east coast, a lot of your class will end up in NYC]). I think you need to ask yourself where you imagine yourself for the next 4 (and possibly 9 years since many people choose to do their residency in the city where they went to medical school) and whether you want to be in a big city like NYC or a smaller town. I chose the former, you might like the latter.

There are so many medical schools in NYC: Cornell, Columbia, NYU, (all in Manhattan) Albert Einstein in The Bronx, and SUNY Downstate in Brooklyn. NYMed College is out in Westchester County (more suburban) as is SUNY Stony Brook (on Long Island). Each is located in a different neighborhood with a distinctively different feel. I don't know what to make of the word chaotic. I've lived in the vicinity of NYU, Cornell & Mt. Sinai over the years and never found anything to be chaotic.

Housing in NY, particularly Manhattan, is expensive and subsidized housing is essential (IMHO) to make it possible to attend school in NY. From the outside, NYC looks very expensive but you can learn to live like a native and enjoy the freebies including free days at the museums, Central Park (including free concerts with 500,000 of your closest friends <g>), discounted theatre tickets, and ethnic restaurants, it is a wonderful place. There are also the school-based social activities such as the "Christmas Shows" at Cornell and the rugby teams (and their wild social events) at each of the medical schools.

If your stats are within striking range and the curriculum appeals to you, make an application and check out the school when you interview.

 

[mac_kin]

Thanks for the great feedback everyone!
I think I'm going to spend a couple days in the city this summer to see if it feels right.

Good luck all.