I’ve been living in New York for two years

• Dana Giles lived in NYC for two years before moving out last September
• She believes that there are ‘super cool things’ about living in the city 
• But she complained about not having any peace and quiet or being able to drive

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.

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.’

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.’

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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.’

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.’