Thinking of living in New York...

[Ol' Dirty]

I'm a senior in high school, but I'm taking a fifth year because I'm pretty young (17). I'll be taking some college course next year, but I really want to do something fun. I live in CT, so I though New York would be a great place to try out. I understand that I probably have some unrealistic romanticized notions about the city, but I would still like to try it out. If anybody in NYC would like to help me out, that would be great.

I don't feel like going to university or Comm. College is the best thing for me to do, because a) I'm not sure where my life is headed b) I'll probably blow my time away drinking, smoking and partying, which is not a great thing to do in college as I understand it and c) I've been in school for nigh on 12 years now, so i'd like to try out something new.

Firstly, I'd like to live somewhere that's not too gentrified, but not too criminally active. Rapes, murders and that sorta thing are baaad. :) I've been thinking about some neighborhood in Brooklyn or Queens, but I don't know the are very well. Help is appreciated.

Also, in a similar vein, I'm thinking of getting an assosciate's degree in paraproffesional work. I love working with handicapped kids because the appreciate what they have a lot more. My only real job has been working at the summer school program for the handicapped, but it's a great job. I'm also thinking of getting a bachelorate's in history or economics, maybe politics. I am deffinately thinking of being a teacher. :cool:

[Os Cangaceiros]

I used to live in New York for years, but I lived on a campus, so I don't think that I can help you, since you're not looking for that kind of thing.

I wouldn't worry about living in a bad neighborhood, though. My understanding has been that there aren't too many really bad areas left in New York City. There's also a lot of community in "bad neighborhoods", too...a lot of people would consider where I live now to be a "bad neighborhood", in that it's mostly populated by lower-working class people, but the first people to greet me and my friends and introduce themselves when we moved in were the cocaine dealers who live across the street.

[The pizza crazed Anarchist]

I just moved to NYC and I really like it. I would suggest Jackson Heights as a good neighborhood to move too; if you are thinking about living in Queens. The rents are not too bad and not far from the Manhattan by the F or E trains (about 15 minutes).

[the last donut of the night]

yeah, it's not really that bad anymore. plus, the variety of cultures is amazing. i'd recommend astoria (which is part of queens), jackson heights, or washington heights too.

[Bright Banana Beard]

And you can visit Flushing Town (Korean version of Chinatown, which I love, it is the end of Route 7 in Queen), Chinatown, Little Italy, Little Odessa, etc. at just 5 dollars on home-to place and place-to-home public transport. New York City is a pretty cool guys. eh have everybody and isn't afraid of anything. So yeah, check it out before moving.

[Tablo]

From my experiences in New York it is expensive and has heavy air pollution, but I'm not real used to living in cities so I feel like that is the norm based on the places I have been. (Denver, Birmingham, Atlanta, London, Paris, Barcelona, Houston, San Diego, etc..)

Other than my sill complaints I feel like it is a nice place with lots of interesting people. Plenty of Leftists from my understanding.

[Sendo]

From my experiences in New York it is expensive and has heavy air pollution, but I'm not real used to living in cities so I feel like that is the norm based on the places I have been. (Denver, Birmingham, Atlanta, London, Paris, Barcelona, Houston, San Diego, etc..)

Other than my sill complaints I feel like it is a nice place with lots of interesting people. Plenty of Leftists from my understanding.

I'll tell you that Seoul is insanely cheap for a major metropolitan city. Less poverty than NYC, way more park space, amazing and constantly expanding subways, and rent for a studio can be as low as $400 US about. And the restaurants are cheaper too.

It's no third-world slouch or nice, small city. Just as big and more modern than NYC. I find NYC to be highly over-rated personally, but far better than the DC area. I don't much about the West Coast other than L:A went from streetcar central in the 20s to the most polluted city.

I don't know if you need NYC either. Albany is pretty alright and you can get into the city quickly by train. PRobably in the same amount of time it takes you from CT.

I understand your romanticized notions, but the bohemian neighborhoods of Rear Window's Manhattan are firmly in the history books. Friends in NYC say that Brooklyn is being turned into some phony bohemian over-priced hipster land. Queens sounds interesting. Not really mentioned by many people but I heard there's a second Chinatown of sorts in there. I fucking love ethnic neighborhoods.