$75k - $135k salary is middle class in NYC for family of 4 (New York: rent, lawyers)
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Middle class flight has actually been discussed my entire life (read more than 30 years as an adult)!
An occasional latte does not make for broke!
And, yes it is the working middle class like the police, fire men, city and state employees that fall into that category. The average salary in the NYC government is a tad higher than the NYS worker, approximately $50,000 (for middle management).
And, with differing values and defined needs vs. wants separate us all enormously.
I stand by what I said. Also, I am not from PA (where did anyone get that idea). I have spent the last 29 years of my life in Queens in the same rent stabilized studio apartment for the last 12 years. And according to this article, I am on the low end of the middle class spectrum at just under$80,000 for a single person.
Whenever I look into moving to a bigger place, I see rents are double for an equivalent apartment in the same neighborhood. Some how I wonder how all these 20 & 30 year olds coming to NYC are able to afford it and live the high life. Probably all from extremely affluent parts of Long Island & NJ. Are they spending all their money on rent which can be between $30,000 - $50,000 a year at market rents, Are they all in five figures of credit card debt??
This is really a sad story for New York. There was a time when NYC was for the average Joe. Now the only people who can afford to live in the city are the super rich.
Well making $89,000 as a single person in NYC would probably only get you a tiny studio apartment well out in Queens and you probably would have to rely on the MTA (Subways & Buses) to get you around. But still just because he has a 'beautiful home' & 'BMW' doesn't mean that he is getting ahead in life. Looks & appearances are deceiving and everyone seems hellbent in keeping up appearances.
You sound just like another shallow, materialistic individual who judges people by what they 'have' (or don't have) and more importantly what degree of plastic wealth they can display to others (aka conspicous consumption).
He has a BMW?? So F**king what.. The lady in front of me at Pathmark paid with WIC food coupons for probably over $100 worth of food (much of it junk food) then went right to her Lexus SUV in the parking lot. I am so sure she is working a $300,000 job on Wall Street.
We have been in a massive credit bubble for the past seven years and it shows no sign or indication of slowing down. If things slow down, the federal reserve will just lower rates back to 1.00% again or maybe lower all the way to 0% to reinflate the housing bubble across the country.
No as a matter of of fact I'm not shallow at all. I married my husband and he didn't have a dime to his name. Gosh, he didn't even have a place to live. As a matter of of fact he was homeless when I decided to marry him. He begged somebody to sleep in this families camper till he found a job. LOL! This post is making me laugh hysterically!
I'm not like that at all. I am just glad for my neighbor because he was able to be happy. He is one of the few people I've seen around here with a smile on his face. I was happy for the fact that he moved into a much nicer home. Down here many people can't even afford a home. So, when I see somebody with a smile on their face, that just moved into a home, it makes me happy.
I used to be homeless. I know what it's like to not have anything. I always wanted a home. That was my dream. When I was little I was abused and had to go to court after court. I had to go from home to home. Then when I was sixteen, my mother threw me out of the house. She was mentally unstable. Do you know what it's like never to have a place to rest your head? That's how I grew up. I know what it's like to not have anything.
And when you can finally find a place to sleep at night that belongs to you...a place that nobody can take from you. Yeah, that does make you happy. It gives you peace. See, I could have been another statistic of society gone wrong. But, I rose above all of it. I graduated High School..even though I had to spend the 11th and 12th grade homeless. Have you been able to do that. Then when I was 25 was able to build my first home. How does a homeless person go from nothing to getting their first home? Well, I put my faith in God. That's how. I know God loves poor people. I love them too...I am in no way materialistic..How can I judge a person who has nothing... when I myself had nothing???
I don't even equate a man's integrity based on how much he has. I'm the total opposite of that. However, if you had a child or good friend, wouldn't you be happy for them if they moved into a new home? I mean should I be upset that he moved in? Should I say he is materialistic that he has a nicer home? What the heck? Should I accuse him of being materialistic cause he has a nice car?
Man...you have no idea who you are talking to.
Last edited by Angelrocks; 04-04-2007 at 08:28 PM..
AngelRocks said: "I never heard of anybody living with a total household income of 49k. Does the husband and wife work at Burger King? That means that they make under 25k a person...what the heck...never heard of that in NYC."
I stand by what I said. Also, I am not from PA (where did anyone get that idea). I have spent the last 29 years of my life in Queens in the same rent stabilized studio apartment for the last 12 years. And according to this article, I am on the low end of the middle class spectrum at just under$80,000 for a single person.
I think the article defined the salary range of 75,000-135,000 for a family of four, not a single person.
Why is everyone looking at this like living in NYC with little money is a great feet. Even with a family. Its not as hard as its made out to be, yes manhattan, but can we please remember there are 4 other boroughs. Even if you count out parts of brooklyn you still got tons of neighborhoods to look into. I have cousins in Queens who just bought a 4 bedroom house in Broad Channel and have a single income source who only makes about 50,000-60,000 a year. It can be done. Hey they are happy.
I am shocked by the notion some of you have that $89K would only get you an apartment by the airport. Allow me to debunk this myth. You do not have to have and "upper strata" income in order to live a nice life in nyc. With the exception of wall streeters and highly skilled financers, I sincerely doubt that a recent grad (BA) in any field could yield a 80K salary here or anywhere in the US- nor would they really need it to enjoy a comfortable living here. I live in a very nice neighborhood in Brooklyn. We have 3 star restaurants, upscale/trendy shops, trees, parks, cafes, families. I dine in nice restaurants, occaisionally buy myself something nice, pay all my bills on time and save money (yes, save money). I have a professional graduate degree and earn 50K/ year. My husband, who is an artist, earns signifigantly less than I do. We have one child who receives a good education at our local public school. She may not get everything she wants, but she doesn't need for anything. So yes, we fall into the 79K-135K it takes to have a middle class standard of life here. While it may be true that we won't be investing in any of these luxury condos popping up everywhere- even in "less desirable" neighborhoods, we are quite happy with what we've got. I personalized this only to paint a picture for those who may have been discouraged by previous posts. All you have to do is not be a total idiot with your money or busy yourself with trying to impress others who probably don't deserve the effort in the first place.
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totally exagerated incomes in nyc
