DEV Community

Discussion on: I'm the maintainer of Babel, ask me anything!

Collapse
 
hzoo profile image
Henry

Yeah haha, I honestly didn't know anything about NYC before moving over (other than media/movies), and don't remember the last time I visited before that. It was pretty surprising to everyone I knew since I'm someone who seems like I would just stay in the same place?

I've never really liked driving that much/traffic so I appreciate being able to walk most places in NYC (other than that it's super cool at the moment πŸ˜›), and taking the subway if I have to. I'm lucky to live pretty close to work and various things as well so that kind of convenience is great. I like that there's a nice JS community here: various meetups (like BrooklynJS which I went to a lot when I first moved), tight-knit church community, and a lot of things to do/eat.

I was in the suburbs near ATL, so really that just means missing peace/quiet, having actual space, etc but I try to visit every so often πŸ™‚.

Collapse
 
tiffany profile image
tiff

Every time I talk to my mom about moving to NY, she tells me it is "too fast" for me. I live in Pittsburgh currently, which is similar in size and scope to ATL. How are you adjusting to life in the Big Apple? Is it really, "fast" and if so, how do you cope with the pace?

Thread Thread
 
ben profile image
Ben Halpern

I'm from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, which isn't unlike Pitt or ATL in these ways and I definitely had an adjustment period when I got here. And you never really adjust fully, but you can learn to embrace the different areas of New York and how the city isn't homogeneously "fast". There are lots of personalities to the areas.

But it's not easy and coping with the city can be a challenge for everyone here at some point.

Thread Thread
 
tiffany profile image
tiff

Thanks for the reply @ben . I am very hyper-aware, so it sounds like a BIG adjustment would need to be made.

Thread Thread
 
hzoo profile image
Henry • Edited

Yeah I don't really feel like a "New Yorker" yet, and personally feel comfortable with that πŸ˜„, I walk pretty slow, don't rush to things, try to just look around and maybe act like a tourist. I think @ben makes a point in that NYC has many parts to it (I didn't even understand any of the boroughs before. Definitely can give off an impression of being fast-paced, with everyone "doing" something and always having plans, but I try to keep myself open and not plan too methodically. Maybe I haven't put too much emphasis on the location I'm in? I think finding a consistent, welcoming community is super important to me especially in a big city/new place so that's the first thing I had looked into after moving. As much as the culture/pace is moving all of us, it's important to think about what keeps us going forward, and for me patience is a big part of "doing" as counter-intuitive as it can feel.