allie's: the truth about living in nyc

Follow Allie HERE

My girlfriend Allie and I are constantly discussing blogging and topics/content that we share- however until this weekend I had never really “followed” her. I mean, she is one of my best friends, so of course I already knew she was awesome- but when I started reading through, I found myself laughing hysterically and thinking to myself “OMG- so true” . What I hadnt realized about my friend is what an amazing writer she is! Thanks, Allie- for these words of wisdom.

1. You will pay more than your parents mortgage for a TINY studio apartment. Unless you get bunk beds or put up a makeshift wall- living with roommates can be even more expensive.  Your dorm room will seem like a mansion compared to your city corridors.  The kitchen will be in your living room making it nearly impossible to cook. Bed sheets smelling like whatever was festering in the oven? No thanks.

2. You will have to date in order to survive on all of the major food groups. When I moved to New York, I joined match.com just to get a meal. The $40 monthly fee more than made up for the nightly meals and drinks. There are enough men in the city that you can also get creative with lunches and coffee dates.  Don’t get me wrong-I dated to find an amazing companion. However being a budget conscious girl in the fashion industry- the numerous dinners were always a perk.

3. You will drink way too much. True story. Every activity in the city is centered on some sort of cocktail. Since we work hard, we play hard. Apartments are too small to entertain, so we all meet at the bar.  We also brunch every Sunday. It is a sport. Endless mimosas are a common occurrence. 

4. You will notice that all of the girls around you are obscenely skinny. Thanks to numbers 2 and 3 mentioned above, you must figure out a way to work off the “city 15” that everyone seems to gain. Champagne and martinis seems to be the diet of choice.

5. You will realize that dating in the city is HARD. There are twice as many single girls as guys. To guys in the city, the world is their playground. They make the money, they have the fun. Just be sure to get a good wholesome meal every now and then from them in return for spending time with your beautiful self.  (please note- there are some good ones out there).

6. You will count your pennies. You will get paid nothing for a job that works countless hours, creates countless stresses and countless sleepless nights. However, you will love what you do.

7. You will always have bags under your eyes. While the New York women always seem “chic”, check out the working girls on the subway at 7pm. We all have dark circles, matted hair and are usually sick with whatever virus we picked up at the gym that week.

8. You will invest in a gym membership that is obscenely expensive and rarely used. Apparently, the gym is THE place to see and be seen. Every New Yorker is training for the marathon, perfect body, or perfect date that they are expecting to have next weekend. However, no-one ever works out as much as they advertise. Half of the city carries around yoga mats purely for show.

9. You will live out of your purse.

10. Hunter wellies are not just a fashion statement. They are a necessity when there is a forecast of any precipitation.

11. You will start to yell at tourists.

12. You will realize that city life is hard. Carrie Bradshaw is not living the New York dream. There are days when you will bawl your eyes out for being so alone. There are days you will want to rip your hair out on the subway. There are days where checking your bank account will make you nauseous. However, this is the price that we pay for living in one of the most magical places on earth.