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Life in New York, Cost of Living, Taxes, Salary and General Life???

Hello I live in the UK in Manchester. I work as a Retail Manager on £25k a year (around $40k) plus bonus. I have recently become single out of an 8 year relationship and am dreaming of a life in New York, and cant stop thinking about it. I have always had a thing about New York and just want to know about life there, working etc such as: When you get paid what deductions come out of your salary in taxes ect? in the uk we pay one tax and one insurance which covers healthcare, in total about 25% of total salary. How much do people in retail managers jobs earn? as a sales or department manager in a big store or a deputy store manager in a smaller store. How would a single 26 year old woman fit into a new york lifestyle? How do you get a green card or right to work there? And finally realisticly how do people afford to live in the city if they are not top high flyer business people? The more information you can give me the better...I need to get this out of my system!!! Thanks!

Public Comments

1. Your healthcare is cheaper than here. On avg, healthcare can cost anywhere from $250-600 a month. 40k a yr means you either need to live with a roommate or live in the outer boroughs, or wayyyy uptown Manhattan (not so nice areas). If you want to come, i'm pretty sure you need to apply for a visa and a green card is not easy to come by but if you get a good immigration lawyer, it makes it a lot easier. there are many single women living alone or with roommates living in NYC.
2. (I recently moved to NYC last year and understand your concerns). To live in Manhattan...for a nice/safe place (which is recommended for women living alone) rent will run you anywhere between $1800-$5000 or more. If you plan to make $40,000-$50,000 you would probably need to get a roommate or live in another borough, like Brooklyn. I live in Brooklyn but work in the city (near Wall Street)...29year old female. The commute to downtown Manhattan from where I live in Brooklyn is only 30-40 minute by train. (Some really nice and safe areas in Brooklyn are: Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Park Slope...) If you have the money for a broker, they can find you a great place...but their fee is usually $3000 - $6000 dependant on how much the apartment is. I found my apartment on Craigslist with no Broker fee! As for taxes, ouch! Living and working in NYC, I have New York State tax AND New York City taxes deducted from each paycheck...not to mention the government taxes. (Honestly, it's about 30% of my gross pay...NOT included benefits). I'm not sure how much retail managers make, but if you can get your foot in the door at a high-fashion store...you'd probably make some good money. I'd guess $40-$60 range. Trust me though...it's ALL worth it!!! This city is amazing and there is so much to do!! I had dreams to live here too and it's one of the best decisions I have ever made! Definitely a great experience. :) Let me know if you have any more questions. (I'm not familiar with the green card process...sorry). Hope that helps!