New York is the capital of the world for many things. It is attractive to people from all continents, all religions, all nations and all fields of interests. Regardless of what and who you are, we can tell you that New York has much for you to offer. Sounds like a magic? It is. New York is a magical city. That’s why millions of people come to visit it every year. That’s why many of them stay here. The top destination for New York newcomers in recent years is Brooklyn. We already discussed why in our text prime reasons to move to Brooklyn. Therefore, we won’t waste too many words on that. What we were interested in preparing for this article was how Europeans manage to blend in New York, specifically Brooklyn. So here we are with the information on what it is like to be European moving to Brooklyn.
What to expect as a European moving to Brooklyn?
Here are the most obvious differences between the kind of things Europeans are used to, and what those things are like in NYC
- More working hours, fewer vacations– It is known worldwide that the Americans are overworking
- Very expensive healthcare– Healthcare is not something people of New York are happy about
- Housing is completely different – Renting a home in Brooklyn is more expensive per squared meter than in Europe, and homes are commonly much smaller
- Tax, fuel– Europeans would be shocked once you realise how ridiculously low the sale tax is in New York
- Sports– The kind of sports that Europeans like is completely different here in New York
- Moving around– Everything concerning this matter is different comparing Brooklyn to Europe.
Moving from Europe to New York you will give up commonly 4 weeks of vacations a year.
In Europe, almost all of countries have 4 or more weeks of vacation guaranteed by the law. Relocating from the European country to Brooklyn, NYC, USA, you are relocating away from the vacation. Not literally, but in practice, you haven’t got not a single day of guaranteed vacation in the states! The fact is that there is no law requiring a business to close on a public holiday. If they do close, there is no law that requires them to pay staff for the hours not worked. Besides that, you will be probably working more hours a day, and probably more often working on weekends. It is true that the salary for your job would be higher when you relocate to Brooklyn from Europe, but you will be working for it.
Relocating from Europe to Brooklyn takes extra money for your health care
Don’t neglect this important matter. Relocating your home from Europe to Brooklyn, be prepared to spend much more money for your health treatment when needed. Also, in higher costs, you may include the dentist, insurance and almost everything else you might think of when it comes to health. As we said, once you commuted from Europe to the states, you will probably be making more money, but you will also spend more than back in Europe.
Housing is not something that will make European moving to Brooklyn happy
Europeans are commonly used to what in New York is considered comfort. Mostly living in big houses and apartments, paying for that just a fraction of a price Americans do back in the states. That is why, once you relocate your home from a country in Europe to Brooklyn, European like you finds him/herself desperate. Here in
Brooklyn, people are used to living with couple other people, in a flat not bigger than European kitchen. It might be a problem for you, get ready for that. Since you probably wouldn’t be able to buy or solely rent a home straight away when you immigrate to the USA from Europe.
Prepare to make compromises. You know why you are undertaking relocation from Europe to New York. Give yourself a chance to become successful. If it takes to move from a big house in Europe to a micro flat in Brooklyn, with 7 roommates, just think of all the opportunities New York offers, and motivate yourself to use them! It’s not the end of the world. Most of Americans have experienced that situation at least once in their life.
The sales tax in NYC is 4,5%, comparing to around 20% what is the average in Europe!
How would it feel if the sales taxes in Europe were reduced 5 times? It would feel like moving from Europe to New York! Try telling citizens of Brooklyn about the sales taxes in Europe, and try to see the expression on their faces. It is priceless. Also, the price for different kinds of fuel is so low that it represents only a fraction of the price European pay back home.
Top sports differ between Europeans and citizens of NY
Top sport for almost every country in Europe is football. Football is not even in top 4 major sports in New York. Also, in Europe tennis maybe comes next for popularity after football. In the USA tennis also comes after football(soccer) – in place 6! But what makes living in Brooklyn so great is that you do have a chance to watch your favourite sport at the highest level of competition, and to watch it live! Being that New York has teams in all major leagues of the most popular sports in the world!
What makes relocation from Europe to Brooklyn even greater is the fact that makes every basketball fan smile- New York has two NBA clubs! The New York Knicks and the Brooklyn Nets (former New Jersey Nets). Also, New York is home to one of 4 grand slams in tennis. This means that in spite of that the taste for sports differs between you and the citizens of Brooklyn, you are still able to watch live your favourite sports. That is one of the facts why New York is the best place in the world!
Everyday commuting is gonna freak you out at the beginning of your life in Brooklyn as an expat from Europe
First of all, people in New York are not walking. Never. Even when they go for a walk. It is some kind of a slow run. Be careful, you might get injured, unused to the way of walking here. Another thing you would mention is- almost no one rides a bike! Another fact for New York is that rarely anyone owns a car. So, the transportation here is completely different than the one in Europe. There is nothing else you can do but to adjust. Be prepared to lifestyle speed change after Europe-Brooklyn relocation.
Conclusion- European moving to Brooklyn, once you got used to life there, you shall never leave!
So, we realised, getting used to life in Brooklyn, after relocating from Europe, is not possible momentarily, but it is reachable soon after. You would be shocked negatively when you realise how much you work, and that you don’t have a vacation as much as in Europe. But contrary to that, you would experience a positive shock paying the bill for the fuel, for example.
Therefore, some you win, some you loose. Commuting to New York from Europe is not the matter of living with 2 or 4 people, or are you going to pay less for fuel. It is about the lifestyle. It is about enriching your cultural and sports life. Furthermore, it is about having a better chance to succeed in your life in the most various ways, doing the most various jobs. Yet furthermore, it is about enjoying life with wide spread wings. In the end, moving from Europe to the states is about living your dream, here in Brooklyn, here in NYC!