A user on TikTok is spilling the tea on what it’s really like to live in New York.
Dana Giles lived in New York for two years before moving back home out of state last September and brought up all the ‘super cool things about living in New York.’
She said: ‘The food is amazing, the people are super cool, they’re not judgmental… The accessibility to everything – I could go on.’
However, despite the ‘super cool things,’ Giles spoke about things she misses but could not do in the city that’s hell on Earth.
‘I miss the peace and quiet, I miss having space, I miss not having to deal with annoying management… I miss having my car,’ Giles stated.
Dana Giles lived in New York City for two years before she moved out of state last September. She loved the city, but pointed out things people should consider before relocating
The TikToker stated that the food in New York is amazing and the people are ‘super cool’ and ‘not judgmental’
New York City is an expensive living location – Giles said that she and her roommate needed to pay almost $5,000 a month for a 600 square foot apartment in Manhattan
Giles talked about New York living expenses and said the cost of a small apartment space is more than most people are willing to spend, even with a roommate.
‘Everyone knows New York is expensive,’ Giles stated.
She continued: ‘My roommate and I pay a lot… Almost five grand a month for a 600 square foot apartment.’
Giles said in a separate video that she lived in the Chelsea area on the West Side of Manhattan, paying more for what she considers to be a prime location in the city.
‘On top of that, I think people that live in New York deal with things that people don’t wanna deal with in other cities.’
Mice had been a constant problem for Giles and her roommate despite management and exterminators being aware of the situation. Giles’ opinion of the city is that it’s ‘kinda dirty,’ and also crowded and loud
Giles mentioned a few examples that, in her opinion, weren’t great to deal with, starting with the extreme difficulty of apartment hunting.
According to Giles: ‘When I tried to find this apartment, it was like hell on earth. My roommate and I had to wait in really long lines, people were doing bidding wars on the spot while we were touring.’
Other things Giles mentioned that were hard to deal with include a broker’s fee, paying a lot of money for a small place, and mice problems.
‘We contacted management, they brought exterminators, and even when they fill all the holes so the mice can’t get in, the mice keep coming back,’ she stated.
New York City is also not the quietest city and, according to Giles, it could be cleaner.
‘You just don’t get a lot of peace and quiet – like it’s kind of dirty, it’s crowded, there’s sirens when you walk outside.’
She added: ‘It’s very loud and it kind of like, raises your cortisol.’
New York City is a popular tourist destination, and many areas are known to be crowded due to the millions of locals and those visiting New York
Giles believes the city ‘really makes you grow,’ but that it is ‘super glamorized’
Many resort to getting their groceries delivered, so they can avoid going shopping.
Giles, on the other hand, likes to grocery shop in person, and found it challenging to do so in New York City.
‘I just wanna be able to go into a grocery store, pick out the produce myself, put it in my car, and drive home,’ she stated.
It is possible for New Yorkers to grocery shop in the city, but Giles said that people may have to order a taxi to do so.
People living in New York City going to a grocery store may end up carrying ‘two heavy bags home’ or ‘having to taxi’, she complained
Giles concluded: ‘I think this city really makes you grow… There’s so many great things about New York, but I do wanna be honest on a few things because I know it’s super glamorized.’