Aja Nisenson

New York can be a pretty tough place to live. But sometimes, the struggles that we encounter every day can actually be blessings in disguise. 1. The speed at which you're required to walk can count as a workout. A good "brisk" pace might be considered "running for your life" in other cities, but in New York it's just the norm. Sure, it's no easy feat to run a marathon or outrun a bear, but neither is parting a sea of tourists during rush hour while in heels. 2. You can learn a lot about yourself when dating someone just for their apartment. Come on, don't tell me you haven't done it too? It's cheaper to break someone's heart than your back working to pay a ridiculous amount of rent. And even if it doesn't work out (it never does), you'll at least have the opportunity to reflect on your priorities.  3. Having friends in far away boroughs puts your organization game on point. Getting together for a drink involves weeks in advance of planning and scheduling when you live downtown and your friend lives in Astoria. It's rare if not unheard of to just "pop in" on a friend at home or at work. 4. The amount of money you spend on rent gives you amazing budgeting skills. You're spending 70 percent of your income on rent? There's no problem with that, at least not when you manage to spend as little money as possible on everything else while still enjoying yourself. 5. Your super successful friends are actually inspiring. Does your circle of friends include writers, lawyers, real estate

With a population of more than 8 million people, there have to be some single people in New York, right? I mean, not everyone can be married or engaged or in a serious relationship. But once you're in your 30s and all your friends are pairing off or getting hitched, you start to wonder if there’s still hope for you. It can be sort of infuriating, especially when your mother calls and starts asking when you’re finally going to settle down. If you're single, in your 30s and living in New York, life can be a bit taxing. In the rare case that you temporarily forget your age and relationship status, here are 10 experiences that will definitely remind you that you're aging and alone in the greatest city in the world.  1. Instead of being carded at the liquor store, you get mistaken for someone’s mother. 2. You’ve given up on online dating and have decided to just date Jack Daniel's (after you get rejected by your local bodega owner for the umpteenth time). 3. You bought a dog even though you know it’s impractical. And you can’t afford a pet walker, a leash or a collar—but you need companionship, dammit. That, and dog parks seem to be the only sensible place to meet another lonely person. 4. Going out to a bar on a Saturday night now seems terrible, so you find weekend companionship in a blanket, a jar of peanut butter and your Netflix account. 5. Your friends are always trying to fix you up with that “cute” guy from their office. You know, the one who has a unibrow and went to the

Ah, tourists—the strange creatures who are the subject of both jest and ire by New Yorkers. If you live in the city, you've probably had at least one encounter with a family from North Dakota who asks you to take their photo while they block the entire sidewalk. Tourists don't get New York and, while it's not their fault, their naivety is simultaneously frustrating and hilarious. Here are 19 moments that every one of the city's 50 million annual visitors definitely experiences. 1. Getting excited about an empty subway car, only to be extremely disappointed upon entering. 2. Honestly thinking that rush hour on the subway is exciting. 3. Justifying a trip to Times Square, even though your local hosts tell you to skip it. 4. Feeling an overwhelming sense of rage that your cocktail costs $14. 5. Wondering if a trip to Brooklyn or Astoria requires a ferry. 6. Waiting to cross the street until you have the walk sign. 7. Assuming that Duane Reade locations are few and far between, only to realize you were very much mistaken. 8. Being surprised when bars stay open past 2am. 9. Getting worried that good food won't be available past 11pm, and being pleasantly surprised that nothing has closed. 10. Pointing at and petting the horses on the street. 11. Lamenting the fact that the $10 you put on your MetroCard only lasted a day. 12. Having all of your friendly looks and nods met by confused looks. 13. Getting way too excited about discovering “Famous Original Ray's Pizza.” 14. Discovering

New York is one of the most expensive cities in the country, and the cost of living here is only increasing. Sometimes it's easy to wonder why you don’t just pack up your bag (yes, bag—that wasn’t a typo—I can only fit one bag in my tiny apartment) and move somewhere else. I love the city as much as the next guy, but sometimes you reach a point when you say, "Gosh dang it, for the price I pay monthly on this shitty apartment I could own a whole farm!" Here are nine signs that you're ready to leave New York for a rural, country setting. 1. Every time you get a Tinder message mentioning “cock” you think of roosters. Because you want one to wake you up in the morning. Tinder is a site for finding firewood, right? I mean, that’s why I joined—I thought these were people selling tinder for my fire pit. I was sorely mistaken. 2. You hang out on the subway platform waiting for the subway to pass, just so you can feel a fresh breeze across your face. This phenomenon may also be followed by rush-hour pushing and shoving, which reminds you of holiday dinners at home. 3. The closest thing to “country” you’ve found in the city is “Fresh scent” detergent, which you pour on everything. You mean that’s NOT actually what a fresh scent smells like? 4. You start feeding pigeons in the park because you’re secretly hoping they’ll lay eggs you can eat. There's nothing quite like chowing down on a pigeon omelet in the morning while reading the paper and watching pigeons poop on your windowsill. 5.