In the previous post I discussed, in the abstract sense and a social sense the considerations behind a potential move to New York city. Here we'll discuss in more real way what it would mean to move, and how it will probably not make any sense (or maybe it will!)
I'm writing a separate post on my friend SST's amazing apartment in Chinatown, the likes of which I found tomorrow I would break the lease here and move to the city immediately. No questions asked. That's like winning the lottery and unlikely to happen, we'll keep the discussion for the later post.
If I find a reasonably cheap apartment in a good neighborhood, all other factors become irrelevant. Give me a single-bedroom, non-infested apartment for $1700 or lower, and I'm on the flight next week. Single bedroom because well I'd get a space for my hobbies and be able to live my vision. Cheap because...that's the reason I'm in Seattle already, to be honest. If my apartment were not as affordable, I'd have begun looking for alternative arrangements a long time ago.
Ignoring that, if I can pay 1100-1400 in a decent neighborhood to share it with one person, that too becomes an amazing deal. My rent won't have gone up at all, and if it's convenient to cook, my expenses will remain about the same. Thanks you, the generosity of national grocery chains! I will still have space for my hobbies, have a person whose social networks I can hopefully leverage, and life will remain much the same as here, except the social reset.
If my partner moved to NYC, I'd moved in a blink. If I got a much better-paid job that absolutely required me to be in the city, that too would be an excellent reason to go. It would also get me a free entrance to a wonderful social club ('the work!') and I'd be grateful.
Actually, that helps me think through things so much better. My priorities are social connections, money, and the opportunity to explore my hobbies (and discover new ones)! A well-paid job with diverse workforce, a gregarious roommate with many friends, and a club or four would make all the considerations simple: the jump would be easy. As it stands, finding the appropriate apartment takes a lot of time and energy I don't have, apartments fitting my requirement are far too expensive to afford and roommates hard to find out, and I don't have an extended social circle there, nor the social capital to be a part of one.
That...sort of...answers the question, doesn't it? Unless I want to take a big leap, an adventure where my goal is to socially punish myself, or find a partner magically who works there and I must move in with them, the reasons for the move get less stronger my the moment.
To summarize, this is what I would need to move to NYC:
0. A partner who already lives there, or must live there. All bets are off here.
1. More money (better job) OR luck with good / cheap apartment in a great neighborhood.
2. Social capital through work and existing clubs, or roommate and gregarious outgoing people w lotsa friends
3. Opportunity to expand my existing hobbies and branch into new ones, which can be fulfilled through various combos of 1 & 2, but this is quite important! I won't live in a crappy tight apartment, even if points 1) and 2) are fulfilled, unless I find a partner (which is implied point 0 anyway)
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