Essentials

πŸ™οΈ City New York City, often called NYC, is the largest city in the United States, known for its influence on culture, finance, and fashion.
πŸ‘₯ Population Approximately 8.4 million
πŸ’» Internet Speed Average speed of 100 Mbps with options for gigabit services in some areas.
πŸ’Έ Currency & Banking 1 USD = 1 USD; widely accepted credit cards and numerous ATMs.
🚰 Tap Water Drinkable and considered some of the best tap water in the US.
πŸ”Œ Power 120V, 60Hz, πŸ”Œ Type A/B sockets.
πŸ“Ά SIM Card Major carriers include Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint.
πŸ’³ Banking for Expats Popular services include Chase, Bank of America, and online banks like Ally.
πŸ›Œ Accommodation Options include short-term rentals (Airbnb, Vrbo) and long-term apartments via websites like Zillow and StreetEasy.
πŸ’³ Cashless Friendly Yes, cash is less common; cards accepted widely.
🏠 Short Term Rentals Airbnb and Vrbo are popular for short stays.
πŸ›οΈ Budget Accommodation Hostels like HI New York City Hostel and budget hotels like Pod 51 Hotel.

Working and Networking

🏒 Best Coworking Space WeWork locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn; also good options include Spaces and Knotel.
β˜• Best Cafe for Work Bluestone Lane and Birch Coffee both offer work-friendly environments.
πŸ’Ό Networking Events Meetup.com hosts various remote worker and entrepreneur gatherings.
πŸ₯‚ Social Events for Expats Join the New York Expat Meetup group on Facebook for community events.

Transportation

πŸš• Best Taxi/Ride App Uber and Lyft are the most popular ride-sharing apps.
🚲 Bike/Scooter Rental CitiBike NYC provides bike-sharing services throughout the city.
πŸ–οΈ Best Beach Nearby Coney Island Beach, approximately 40 minutes by subway.
✈️ Top Regional Airline JetBlue Airways and Spirit Airlines serve regional connections.
✈️ Top International Airline Major carriers include American Airlines, Delta, and United.
πŸ›£οΈ Highway Access Interstate 95, I-87, and I-278 provide major access.
πŸš‰ Main Train/Transit Hub Penn Station is the primary transit hub for Amtrak and Long Island Rail Road.
🚍 Public Transport Passes Monthly MetroCard for unlimited subway and bus rides costs $127.
✈️ Regional Travel Metro-North and New Jersey Transit provide service to nearby areas.

Health and Wellness

πŸ₯ Best Hospital NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital is ranked among the best hospitals.
🧘 Yoga & Wellness Centers Y7 Studio and CorePower Yoga offer classes across multiple locations.
πŸ‹οΈ Gyms & Fitness Centers Options include Planet Fitness and Equinox, with various membership plans.
🧺 Laundry Services Laundromats are widely available; Tide Cleaners offers pickup and delivery.

Food and Drink

πŸ“± Best Food Delivery App Grubhub and Uber Eats are popular for food delivery.
🍽️ Best Local Dish to Try New York-style pizza and bagels are must-tries.
🍱 Vegan/Vegetarian Options Superiority Burger and Dirt Candy offer great veggie options.
🍫 Best Dessert Spots Levain Bakery is famous for its cookies; Lady M for crepes cakes.
πŸ›’ Affordable Shopping Spots Chelsea Market and Smorgasburg for budget eats.
πŸ›’ E-commerce/Online Store Amazon and eBay are widely used for online shopping.
πŸ›’ Grocery Delivery FreshDirect and Instacart serve grocery deliveries.
🍸 Bar/Nightlife Area Williamsburg in Brooklyn and the Lower East Side in Manhattan are popular nightlife areas.
🍻 Local Brewery Brooklyn Brewery and Other Half Brewing Company offer brewery tours.
🍷 Wine Bars Vine Wine and City Vineyard serve great selections.
🍲 Street Food Stalls The Halal Guys and Smorgasburg food market feature popular street food options.
πŸ• Popular International Cuisine Katz's Delicatessen for deli-style sandwiches and Xi'an Famous Foods for Chinese hand-pulled noodles.

Culture and Attractions

🎟️ Must-See Landmarks Statue of Liberty, Central Park, and Times Square.
πŸ›οΈ Museums & Art Venues The Metropolitan Museum of Art and MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) are notable.
🏰 Historical Sites The Tenement Museum and Ellis Island offer historical tours.
πŸ• Religious Sites St. Patrick's Cathedral and the historic Trinity Church.
πŸŽ‰ Annual Events New York Fashion Week and the Tribeca Film Festival are major events.
🎨 Cultural Districts Chinatown and Little Italy showcase vibrant cultural experiences.
🎭 Theater Venues Broadway theaters offer top-tier performances.
πŸ›οΈ Local Markets Union Square Greenmarket features local produce and goods.
🎼 Music Scene Live music at venues like Carnegie Hall and the Apollo Theater.
🎨 Street Art Bushwick is renowned for its street art scene.
πŸ§‘β€πŸ³ Cooking Classes The Institute of Culinary Education offers various cooking classes.
πŸ‘©β€πŸŽ¨ Art Galleries Chelsea is known for its numerous art galleries.
πŸ•°οΈ Historic Buildings The Flatiron Building and Brooklyn Bridge are iconic structures.
🏴 Local Heritage The diverse cultural heritage reflected in neighborhoods and festivals.

Nature and Outdoor Activities

πŸŒ… Nearby Nature Escapes Central Park provides green space and outdoor activities.
🏞️ National Parks Nearby The Gateway National Recreation Area offers nature trails and beaches.
🚲 Cycling/Walking Paths The Hudson River Greenway provides scenic cycling and walking paths.
πŸŒ„ Scenic Viewpoints Top of the Rock offers stunning views of the Manhattan skyline.
πŸ¦‰ Birdwatching Locations Central Park and Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge are good for birdwatching.
πŸ”₯ Bonfire-Friendly Spots Limited bonfire areas; check local parks for regulations.

Other Services and Amenities

πŸ“¦ Parcel Delivery Service FedEx, UPS, and USPS provide parcel delivery services.
πŸ› οΈ Tech Repair Services The Apple Store and uBreakiFix offer tech repair services.
πŸ“ Table Tennis Spots Local parks and community centers often have ping pong tables.
πŸ§‘β€πŸ« Language Classes Instituto Cervantes offers Spanish language courses.
πŸ“š Libraries & Study Spots New York Public Library serves as a study resource with beautiful spaces.
🏘️ Community Centers Neighborhood houses and borough-based community centers offer cultural programs.
πŸ•ΉοΈ Gaming Lounges Gaming areas include eSports Arena NYC in Times Square.
🎰 Casino & Gaming Halls Resorts World Casino in Queens is a popular destination.

Business

🏒 Studio Purchase Price (City Center) Approx. $1,500 per sqft (e.g., 500 sqft = $750,000)
🏒 Studio Purchase Price (Outside City) Approx. $1,000 per sqft (e.g., 500 sqft = $500,000)
🏠 1-Bedroom Purchase Price (City Center) Approx. $1,700 per sqft (e.g., 600 sqft = $1,020,000)
🏠 1-Bedroom Purchase Price (Outside City) Approx. $1,200 per sqft (e.g., 600 sqft = $720,000)
🏑 2-Bedroom Purchase Price (City Center) Approx. $1,800 per sqft (e.g., 800 sqft = $1,440,000)
🏑 2-Bedroom Purchase Price (Outside City) Approx. $1,400 per sqft (e.g., 800 sqft = $1,120,000)
πŸ’Ό Corporate Tax Approximately 6.5%
πŸ’΅ Dividend Withholding Tax No federal tax; state tax varies.
🏦 Tax System US citizens are taxed on worldwide income.
πŸ“ˆ Highest Income Tax Bracket Up to 10.9% for high earners in New York State.
🧾 VAT New York City sales tax is 8.875%.
🌐 Controlled Foreign Company (CFC) Rules Yes, the US has strict CFC regulations.
🏠 Property Tax Annual property tax rate varies but averages around 2% in NYC.
🏠 Property Transaction Tax Buyer pays a city transfer tax of 1% on transactions above $500,000.