Sarah Hill, an alumna from the University of Massachusetts, offered tips for moving to New York City to approximately 80 students in Memorial Hall Monday night.
Hill graduated from UMass in 2010 as a BDIC major with a degree in real estate and entrepreneurship. Six years later, she is now the CEO and founder of a company called Perfect Strangers of NYC, a matchmaking program for roommates looking to move to the city.
Hill delivered an enthusiastic and informative presentation on a topic that can be stressful to college students unfamiliar with New York City. She started off her presentation by asking the audience who was planning to move to the city, either this summer after graduation or in the future, and a sea of hands shot up in response.
“People find moving to New York City really exhausting and stressful because it happens so fast,” Hill said. However, she said there are things you can do to reduce this stress and prepare to move there.
Hill said that budgeting is an important thing to consider when it comes to moving. Having a monthly budget and living in the cheapest areas of the city can make the transition easier.
Hill talked about the most affordable places to live, such as Upper East Side, East Village, Lower East Side and Chinatown – with an average rent for a two-bedroom apartment at $3,200 a month. Her presentation also included video tours of apartments that are currently available, providing the audience with a better idea of what to expect upon moving.
Lauren Whitehead, a senior hospitality and tourism management major who is planning on moving to the city after graduation, said she found the information very helpful.
“There were a lot of things I hadn’t considered, such as all of the different neighborhoods and the prices that vary with them,” Whitehead said.
Allie Bush, a senior communications major, added that she found the presentation to be straightforward and accommodating.
“I think she presented it very realistically,” said Bush. “She didn’t try to sugarcoat things.”
Following the presentation, Hill made herself available to field individual questions from the attendees.
When asked about what people do for storage, Hill discussed the advantage of downsizing.
“What I love about living in the city is that you become very minimalistic. You really learn to downsize and value what is actually important,” Hill said.
Hill also revealed that some time periods are better suited for moving than others, saying, “Try and think about moving in any other season besides summer.”
She clarified by explaining that the summer is when college students are beginning to move into apartments for the new school year and people are preparing to start new jobs, which can superficially inflate the costs of living.
Hill said the slowest and cheapest months to move are March, April, October and November. She added that the best date to move is Jan. 1.
Jessica Valeriani can be reached at [email protected].
