What Expats should know about New York City. USA?

by Jennifer
(NYC, NY, USA)

1. In which city are you living?

I am living in New York City

2. What is the spoken language, and how much local language do you need to know for daily living?

The official language is English. For expats from a non-english speaking country, intermediate knowledge of English is needed

3. How is the weather?

The weather is very cold in winter (snow) and averagly mid 20s(C) in Summer.

4. Is this a good city for families/singles/couples?

It's a good City for Families because there is so much to do there e.g. Centeral Park, Kids Clubs, Museums, etc.

5. Tell us a little about the education

Depending on where you choose to live the Pre-schools can range from excellent to appalling. The majority however are at a fantastic standard.

There are many International Schools and the state education is American.

There are a few top universities actually in NYC, including NYU and Brown.

6. How is the accommodation?

Accomadation is very exspensive and also very small, a SMALL apartment in the Upper East Side can cost $5,000/$4,000 a month.

7. How is the healthcare?

Health Care and insurance isn't fantastic, but the quality is generally good.

8. Is it a pet friendly city?

Yes New York City is very pet friendly, you'll find a variety of animals all around the city

9. How is the traffic and the public transportation (buses, trains, taxis)?

There is NO point in owning a car in New York City, traffic is ok but public transportation is advised.

10. How is the communication - Cell/land phone, T.V/Cable/Satelite, Internet connection, international calls?

There is FANTASTIC communication, but phone rates can be exspensive.

11. What is the dress code to work and in public?

Genrally, suits/smart wear for work but this depends on the work place. Casual wear is the norm in public.

12. How is shopping for groceries, household items and clothing?

You'll find a variety of supermarkets and so many clothes shops.

13. Tell us about sport, entertainment, night life, restaurants.

The night life is one of the best in the world (The City that never Sleeps)

Resteraunt wise, there are many family/romantic/casual/bars all over the city.

14. How is the expats community?

With one of the largest populations in the world, there are tremendous amount of expats in NYC.