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New York City is romanticized like no other, and it’s easy to see why. Who wouldn’t want to work the job of their dreams like Carrie Bradshaw, spend their time hanging out with a group reminiscent of the “Friends” cast or dress like they’re Blair Waldorf sitting on the steps of The Metropolitan Museum of Art?

At Syracuse University, NYC is one of the most desirable places for students to move to after graduating. The reality of the city is that it’s only achievable by giving up a huge portion of your starting salary.

With rent prices at an all-time high and inflation rates rising, NYC is ranked the No. 1 most expensive city in the world with the highest cost of living. Kinara Orozco, a senior at SU who spent most of her life living in Manhattan, recently moved to California. The uptick in the cost of living was a main reason why her family moved.

“I liked the independence and responsibility of living in the city as a kid, but the rent prices became abnormally high for no reason, especially in downtown Manhattan, ” she said. She would see hundreds of people lined up outside to see studio apartments for thousands of dollars just for the chance to experience living in NYC, no matter the price.

The starting salary for recent college graduates in NYC is $55,100, while the median rental price for studios in the city is just under $3,300. With an average salary of $51,008, native New Yorkers are struggling to keep up with rent, forcing them to leave the city and retreat to places with a lower cost of living. More and more native New Yorkers are being pushed out due to the high cost of living.

Tia Poquette, a junior policy studies major, has lived in different parts of the city throughout her life, from the Upper West Side to Brooklyn. She’s seen NYC change immensely.

“As prices are rising, I’m curious to see whether or not these family owned businesses I’ve known for years will still be standing in 10 years,” Poquette said.

Senior animation major, Luiz Guiterrez, prides himself on being a native New Yorker from the Bronx. He’s worried about how gentrification will impact the culture and people of the place he loves so much.

“In Brooklyn and Manhattan, it’s already happening. It hasn’t quite happened in the Bronx, but it’s getting there. I mean, they just started gentrifying chopped cheese,” he said.

NYC is an alluring post-grad destination for many reasons, and the plethora of job opportunities only makes the city more appealing to us students. But when considering a move, we should first seriously consider how draining the cost of living may be.

SU students who want to move to New York City should serve as an ally to its already existing communities. Supporting family-owned businesses rather than large corporations or taking time to get to know your neighbors’ culture and learn from their lived experiences are just a few ways to live out your NYC dream while being respectful to those who have been there all their life.

Kaitlyn Paige is a junior studying Public Relations. Her column appears bi-weekly, and she can be reached at kipaige@syr.edu.

Published on September 27, 2023 at 11:41 pm