Thursday, December 9, 2010

E. Fae

What brought you to NYC?
writing opportunities, queer community, a childhood love of the city, earnest involvement in action 
Why are you leaving NYC?  
I lost my job(s), my partner and I couldn't really afford the lifestyle (apartment, MTA, nightlife) without doing something illegal 
Where are you moving to?  
Bar Harbor, Maine 
Why did you choose that location?  
I got a job. Weirdly, they're hiring writers here. 
What will you miss LEAST about NYC?
The cost,
The bright nighttime
lack of stars
lack of "nature"
consumerist crap
apartment bullshit
exhaustion
self absorption 

What will you miss MOST about NYC?  
queer community
ability to do anything i'd imagine that i'd want to all of the time
walking downtown uptown and uptown down
the people
the coffee
friends
being on the brink of trendiness 

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Lauren Woods

What brought you to NYC?
I moved here to go to grad school at the New York Academy of Art. I come from a smaller southern city and wanted to experience something completely out of my element. I felt that all of this city's resources were also amazing for an emerging artist to learn from.


Why are you leaving NYC?  
I have had no luck finding a job that would provide me enough of an income to not have to work another.  I can't afford to work a temporary job to find another one, and I also don't want to stop making art just to make ends meet.  Mainly it is lack of security and opportunities to someone who is highly educated with very little networking connections.  I suppose my introverted nature is to blame for the last part.  I can't compete with the constant self-promotion needed to make it here most of the time.


Where are you moving to?  
Mobile, Alabama


Why did you choose that location?  
It is my hometown and where my entire family lives, I need to get some balance before I can start up my post-graduate life. I can have my own place for a reasonable price and begin making a body of work in peace.  It is also a beautiful place to live.


What will you miss LEAST about NYC?  
The noise, lack of space, cost of living, having to live in an apartment with strangers to afford rent, seeing the disparity of the super rich and super poor so blatantly every day.  On my less inspired days all I can see when I walk around the city is how much everything revolves around power and money. Even the contemporary art here.


What will you miss MOST about NYC?  
My close-knit group of artist friends, being in a place where people are educated about art, museums, seeing different people everywhere everyday, wandering into interesting places, walking instead of driving, the sense that anything is possible while riding over the Williamsburg bridge from a night out with friends in the Lower East Side.

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Anonymous

What brought you to NYC? 
I moved to NYC after grad school because I have friends nearby, my family lives an hour away, and I had to decide between NYC and LA - Los Angeles at the time seemed like the more expensive of the two, simply because of the need to own a car and also because I would be friendless there. 

Why are you leaving NYC?

I didn't move to New York to 'make it big' as an artist. I felt pretty realistic about how much work that would be, but I feel like my quality of life would be better if I were living somewhere that is not as expensive. I am tired of having 5 roommates, a studio that doubles as my bedroom, a general lack of creature comforts, for what? My work is not in galleries here, I'm working 6 days a week at my 'job' job just to make my student loan payments! Plus, I feel that for 26, I am not as far along professionally as I should be, it's hard to move up the job ladder here, I spent a lot of time when I moved here just waiting tables and working odd jobs, that really got me nowhere as far as getting a job that I would like to turn into my career. It seems like people here feel ok with paying their employees the absolute lowest they can get away with. Living wage here is $10, and I earn more than that, but it's never enough money. 

Where are you moving to?

I am not sure, Philadelphia maybe? 

Why did you choose that location?
 
It's not very far, I am also pretty familiar with Philadelphia, the art scene seems a bit less formal, and apartments are much cheaper. Plus moving myself there would not be as expensive of an undertaking as say, moving to the west coast. I've started applying for jobs there, but I don't actually plan on moving until I get a better job then I have here. , I don't earn enough here to save up to move and be unemployed. 

What will you miss LEAST about NYC? 

MTA Fare Hikes - -I've been ticketed for beating the fare before. 
It can be very hard to relax here, it seems like people drink heavily, which I am not in to. 
Having to buy clothes at Forever 21 because it's the only place in my budget! 
Being hit on in the street by random dudes. 
The messy rainy winter days. 

What will you miss MOST about NYC?

I will miss BedStuy and my friends, 
Being able to get on a train any time of day and go somewhere. 
Not needing a car. 
Prosperity Dumpling. 

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Tom Russotti

What brought you to NYC?
Born and raised in Brooklyn.


Why are you leaving NYC?
Its hard to be objective- Ive been here most of my life so i take a lot of new york for granted so I understand people really loving the city. For me however its just not a stimulating place to be an artist anymore. There are so many amazing places in the world that I'd like to see rather than spend another predictable year in New York.


Where are you moving to?
Going nomad


Why did you choose that location?
Technology is allowing people  to move around and still have a sense of connectedness and continuity. Why not?


What will you miss LEAST about NYC?
The New York State of Mind- obsession with work and money (including within artistic communities) New York-centric attitudes, large hordes of philistine professionals and professional philistines, Fashion, and of course, the rent


What will you miss MOST about NYC?
Friends and family, Denny's Steak Pub, Pizza
  

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Michael Konrad

What brought you to NYC?
I grew up near NYC in Essex County, NJ and visited often when I was a child, so I always felt like NYC was my home. I came to live in NYC for school, and then got a job and a studio here after graduating.


Why are you leaving NYC?
Cost of living and new job opportunities. My wife & I wanted to purchase real estate which wasn't really possible for us in NYC even with our combined incomes. Also, I wanted to quit my full time job for more studio time, which I could not afford to do in NYC.


Where are you moving to?
Philadelphia, PA


Why did you choose that location?
My wife is not in the arts, and she had better job opportunities in Philly. We were able to find a house with enough space for me to have a starter studio at home and work there full time. Philadelphia also has an active art scene and is close to NYC.


What will you miss LEAST about NYC?
Subway fair hikes. Overpriced bars, restaurants, groceries. Working a full-time job just to pay rent and then having no energy for my studio work.


What will you miss MOST about NYC?
My friends. The excitement & activity on the street. Museums and galleries of course. Central Park. Riding my bicycle through the city every day.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Claire Waters Marcus

What brought you to NYC? 
I've always loved New York. 
I came here because there's so much opportunity for artists. 

Why are you leaving NYC?
 
It's too expensive. It's impossible to afford both a studio and rent, and I feel 
that for the money I spend to live, I should have a better quality of life. It can
be difficult and expensive to transport materials like large panels, tools, etc - 
things an artist needs to have. Too much of my time is spent getting places, 
either walking a mile to the train or being on the train - it's exhausting. That  
time would be better spent in the studio.

Where are you moving to?

Pittsburgh, PA

Why did you choose that location?
 
I chose Pittsburgh because I have family there, but also because it's affordable,
has a vibrant art scene for its size, is pretty close to major East Coast cities,
and will be low-stress. I'll have the time and energy to make work, as well as
balance the other aspects of my life. 

What will you miss LEAST about NYC? 

The cost, the lines/crowds, the subway, garbage in the summer.

What will you miss MOST about NYC?

The galleries and museums, and other cultural venues. The conveniences like 
having a bodega on every corner, most things being open all night, taxis every
where, etc. The talent and thoughtfulness of the artists here. People are 
usually working at a high level in New York and that's exciting to be around.

Lola Ladida

What brought you to NYC?
art

Why are you leaving NYC?
greedy real estate developers forced me out of my studio. 
Where are you moving to?
Detroit Michigan
Why did you choose that location? 
no one else wants it
What will you miss LEAST about NYC? 
greedy real estate developers
What will you miss MOST about NYC?
art

Melissa

What brought you to NYC? 
All of it.  Just thought it would be an interesting place to go as an artist.

Why are you leaving NYC? 
MONEY.  Teaching job opportunities are so limited.  I found I had to start from
the bottom all over again, and grew exhausted with the immense amount of 
effort involved in trying to get the measliest of jobs.  Tiny apartment for 
ridiculous amount of rent - very little space to paint and trying to rent a studio 
was out of the question (too expensive!!!!).  Not too many alternative art 
spaces - very surprised by that.  There's so much more for artists in places like
St. Louis, and other midwest cities in terms of opportunities to exhibit, and 
studio space, as well as cost of living in general, not to mention a very strong 
community of artists.

Where are you moving to? 
Washington, D.C.

Why did you choose that location? 
I'm inching my way out of the east coast.  Plus, there are more opportunities 
for teaching, I picked up an adjunct position within 3 months of moving there, 
something I had tried for 4 1/2 years to do in New York.

What will you miss LEAST about NYC?  
Upper east side snobs, and the provincial attitude in general.  
The Stockholm Syndrome effect of living in New York.

What will you miss MOST about NYC?
I truly love the people, and the neighborhood I lived in, so much so that moving
 was an incredibly difficult decision, although this may have been part of the 
Stockholm Syndrome I speak of.  But I truly loved the diversity, the honesty, 
the expression - they are the most interesting, funny, self deprecating people
in the world.  They will always have a piece of my soul.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Jeremy Szopinski

What brought you to NYC?
I came to get my MFA in painting at Pratt Institute. 


Why are you leaving NYC?
Money is a big issue. I have a job that is flexible and pays enough to allow time in the studio back in Minnesota. There is not enough green space in NYC. The fast, loud pace and crush of humanity is wearing on me. The money I save not living in NY will go toward visiting NY. It is also pretty easy to stay connected to NY people via the internet.


Where are you moving to?
Minneapolis, MN USA


Why did you choose that location?
My wife and I own a house (it's in a beautiful location and the mortgage is cheaper than rent in NYC).I have a large community of friends and family. I can have a large studio space for relatively cheap.



Life, in general, is easier and quieter.


What will you miss LEAST about NYC? 
I will not miss constantly hemorrhaging cash, the subway, the noise and constant crush of people.


What will you miss MOST about NYC?
I'll miss the large community of people that care and are educated about art. I'll also miss the diversity of people in NY and of course the fantastic galleries and museums. MN has some good museums and galleries, but in general it's slim pickins.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Ben Schachter

What brought you to NYC?
Life


Why are you leaving NYC?
A job


Where are you moving to?
Pittsburgh, PA, USA


Why did you choose that location?
I was offered a job


What will you miss LEAST about NYC?
Cost


What will you miss MOST about NYC?
The city itself

Monday, June 21, 2010

Confidential

What brought you to NYC? 
From NYC, moved to Atlanta then back to NYC.  Opportunities, art scene, business opps, etc.


Why are you leaving NYC? 
Cant afford the high rent for a SMALL apartment and cannot afford studio space
Worked in corporate America too, but without a corporate job, real job, can't afford much. 


Where are you moving to?
San Diego, CA


Why did you choose that location? 
Friends, weather, cost of living


What will you miss LEAST about NYC? 
rats and high rent 


What will you miss MOST about NYC?   
everything else, I miss it already and want to go back. Help. 

Friday, June 18, 2010

Bethany Allard

What brought you to NYC?
School. And "the art world.


Why are you leaving NYC?
JOBS! There was a hiring freeze for arts educators in the schools and there was little to no hiring for Teaching Artists. Many other people in my situation (certified to teach in NY State, have a Masters) were unable to find a job as well.


Where are you moving to?
Providence, RI


Why did you choose that location?
Great arts education non-profit scene. Family. And a job. I am working as an Americorps VISTA in the Arts Education field.


What will you miss LEAST about NYC?
People who do not care about you as an individual but instead are so focused on their career that they only see you as a potential implement, if that. Vermin and high rent are annoying but I can live with. Filth and poverty and air that could be a tad fresher. But overall, the biggest complaint is the lack of jobs for arts educators. I would definitely consider moving back if I get a good job here.


What will you miss MOST about NYC?
Good community. People who are passionate, intelligent and get things done. There are people who care about other people and are supportive of others, you just need to know how to find them. Cultural Capital. The libraries, the museums. Visual and mental inspiration. Lectures. Great arts and activist non-profits.