Hi Jake,I’ve been living in Manhattan for almost eight years now, and I’ve been kind of in denial about how expensive it is.
I feel it’s especially hard being a gay man, because if I want to dress good for the New York scene, go to all the “it” restaurants and bars, and live in a trendy neighborhood.My friends are always inviting me to things and it ends up being hundreds of dollars for a random night out, but I never really say no, because I don’t want them to think I can’t afford it.
Add on top of that the timeshare in Fire Island, trips to P-Town this summer, and other jaunts around the world (Tel Aviv Pride this year, for instance), and it’s an insane hit to my pocketbook. I have a pretty well-paying job, but I think my friends kind of see me as a “power gay”.
What they don’t know is that it’s a charade. I just added up my debt, and over the last eight years my credit card deficits and loans have climbed to the six figures.