The BEST (And Worst) Parts Of Living In NYC
I cannot believe our adventure in New York City is coming to a close this weekend. 2025 was truly one of the quickest years, and I’m so thankful we spent it in the city. I give a lot more detail about our time in the city and our decision to move to Charleston over on Substack, so head over there if you want a deeper dive. Paid subscribers get weekly long form content!
We had the absolute time of our lives in Manhattan. It was such a fun chapter in our family, and I’m so grateful we decided to do it! I will miss it so, so much. It would never feel like enough time! But I thought it would be nice to share the best and worst parts of living in NYC from my perspective as we wrap up.
Being a parent to a young child here paints a bit of a different picture, so if you are single or have no children, take my list with a grain of salt! My final verdict is NYC is easier without babies, but certainly not impossible.
The Best Parts About Living in NYC
The sheer amount of things to do all the time
Central Park & Carl Shurlz Park (was a few blocks from our apt and we were here every day)
The people and diversity
The variety of museums and historic sites. Natural History Museum was Shep’s favorite!
Christmas time is truly so magical. It is New York at it’s best!
Summer escapes Upstate or to the Hamptons. I cannot want to go back!
THE FOOD. The pizza. The Thai. The Mexican. The greek. The Italian. Haven’t been to one bad spot, and so appreciative of the melting pot of culture here.
Endless events and connections for work. Every brand is here, so it was such a blessing to meet so many people in my industry.
Being able to get nearly anything delivered within an hour
Spring time. Almost just as good as Christmas
Snow days are so much fun
Lower humidity (my hair actually held a curl)
Speakeasies
John was in heaven with all of the sporting events
NYC style + fashion is so chic, and has taught me so much.
Exploring different neighborhoods, each with its own distinct feel and culture. It’s so beautiful.
Church Of The City was truly one of the best churches I’ve ever been to. So thankful to be taught by Jon Tyson! Shep got dedicated here last fall.
As a parent, it was comforting to have so many hospitals and urgent cares close by just in case! Came in handy when Shep went to the ER for Croup.
Everything is cool here. People are just living their lives, doing their own thing. It’s busy, but still refreshing in many ways.
Anything feels possible
Walkability
The subway and the bus. I loved them both! Keeping a few metro cards for memories since they retired it at the end of 2025.
Cafes, flower shops, and little restaurants everywhere you look.
Macy’s Day Parade was a highlight
It is so easy to find community here
Being near the water. Our corner apartment overlooking the East River never stopped feeling special.
Doormen. Our building was the best, and they all felt like family very quickly.
All the jazz clubs, tea rooms, and cocktail bars. Hotel bars were especially my favorite! There is no place like Manhattan.
Broadway shows
Serendipitous things just happen so much here. I can’t tell you how many people I happen to strike up conversation with that connected me to something/someone, had a mutual friend, or was a covert famous person.
The Worst Parts About Living in NYC
The sidewalk is the bathroom for dogs. Especially rough in summer IYKYK
Even in our apartment on the 21st floor, you can’t go more than fifteen seconds without hearing a siren or horn at pretty much all hours.
Not really being able to drive
Everywhere is tight with a stroller
Having to make conversation with 4+ people just to take the dog out or get the mail every single time. Sometimes I don’t want to get fully dressed to walk outside my ‘house’.
Travel time. It’s either an expensive Uber or long subway/bus rides. Pick your battles as a parent!
Ice cold wind in the winter can be brutal
Just generally living in an apartment with a toddler was not my favorite in the winter months
Shlepping
Reservations being competitive for the trendier restaurants. Still never went to the polo bar or the corner store. Can’t wait to come back!
Obviously, everything is expensive
It takes more planning + effort to do things here with friends
Storage Units
Not being able to let the dog out in a backyard
It’s cold and pretty gray for a handful of months, so less time outside with kids
Bikers
Weed lol
Laundry in the basement or at a laundromat if you don’t have one in-unit (which we did not!)
No garbage disposals in most apartment buildings
And this may be a personal one, but I also found it challenging to balance real-life parenting and work with the constant pressure to experience everything. Because our time here was finite, it often felt hard to slow down without guilt. Daily life isn’t nearly as glamorous as it can appear online! This was a unique tension I hadn’t experienced anywhere else.
The positives certainly outweighs the negatives, so if you’re considering a short term or long term move to the city, I hope this was helpful! We are headed to Charleston, South Carolina next, and as much as I can’t wait to be back in my home state, New York City will always be my very favorite chapter. I can’t wait to come back to visit Manhattan often, and to bring Shep back to the place he spent most of his time as a baby! What a gift.
Thank you for everything, New York City! I miss you already. Follow along our next adventures in the Holy City on Instagram and my blog! And subscribe to my Substack.
You might also like:
Read my Charleston Travel Guide from a few years back. I will be updating this soon!
Our 2 week Europe Itinerary – All questions answered!
My Perfect Fall Day in New York City
Montauk Travel Guide – one of my all-time favorite summer vacation spots
