How to Move to New York: The Guide

The time has finally come. I'm excited to share my first ebook with you.  ?

This book is the first I've ever written and it's meant to answer a question I receive on an almost daily basis: How do you move to New York City?

Let's Go to NYC is a step-by-step guide to help you move to New York from outside the States. It covers everything, from finding a job, calculating the cost of living, getting the right work visa, finding an apartment and planning for all the little details that come up when settling into a new city.

Th ebook isn't so much a city guide nor is it about personal stories, but it's about everything that I wish I would have known when I first came to New York. My goal was to write a book that I would have loved to purchase myself.

To get a quick chapter overview, go to:

→ letsgoto.nyc

For those who don't know about me and my story, here is a little intro:

A bit over six years ago I decided to move to New York City. I was born in Germany but lived in Austria at the time, where I ran my own design studio. Like many who moved to New York before me, I packed my bags without a plan but with big dreams. Fast forward to today and I’m still living and creating in NYC.

As you can imagine, moving from a small town in Austria to one of the biggest and most expensive cities in the world wasn’t easy. One of many obstacles I had to overcome was the language barrier, because my English wasn’t great. On top of that, the only traditional education I had was high school, and I dropped out at the age of 15. I knew without a degree it would be harder for me to enter a new country known for its demanding immigration procedure.

But I did, and it was worth it. I learned a lot from my move to New York and even more in the years I’ve lived here since. Now I’m sharing everything I know with you, with the hope of making your move as easy and enjoyable as possible (in case you ever dreamed of living here, even if just temporarily).

Most of this information is available in some form on the internet but it’s either scattered, outdated or written in complicated language that is difficult to understand. In this guide I’ve provided all the information you need when planning your move, collected in the simplest form possible. No bullshit, no fluff.

A few fun facts behind the book

1. It took a year to write it and it ended up being a little more than 150 pages long, but I ultimately managed to cut it down to just 106 pages. I wanted to keep it short and snappy, so it's an easy reference for you.

2. I didn't do all of it myself; I had a wonderful team who helped me. My editor Lizzy who basically saved me from the occasional depression (thank you for that). Then my designer/illustrator Lu who worked with me on the beautiful city illustrations of Manhattan & Brooklyn. And then of course, my lawyer friends who helped me go through the information multiple times to make sure I don't spread any bullshit. It was a big challenge, especially given that U.S. immigration law is changing constantly. So please, always consult a professional, especially when it comes to visas.

3. I designed the ebook myself in InDesign, for those who are wondering. I first started with a pretty fancy layout (I'm a designer after all) but slowly realized I needed to simplify to make it work for ebook reading on a Kindle, for example. The cover is inspired by those classic pink, green or grey legal forms you probably know. As romantic as it might sound, moving to New York will essentially come down to filling out forms, hundreds of them. I've always had a little obsession with forms, so it felt right.

A few words on the price

I thought long about the pricing of the guide, especially considering it took me almost a year to finish and the hard work of a couple more people. I settled on $39 which is a little more than two cocktails in New York ($15 each). This might be expensive for some, but ultimately it will save you hundreds of dollars in the process. Please do NOT purchase the ebook if you are NOT seriously considering moving; it would be a waste of money for you.

Questions?

Check out the FAQ section on the Let's Go To NYC website. And please do forward this page to anyone who you might think is interested in moving to New York.

In any case, thank you so much again for supporting my writing. All money that will be made on this ebook (well, at least what's left after taxes) will be reinvested in this blog, which I currently keep alive independently.

Stay awesome & keep creating,
Tobias