From Business Insider · Natasha Silva-Jelly · · 3m
Twelve years in New York: the expensive dream
An Australian family chased the New York dream in 2014. The rent, the moves, the college bills and the distance from home have cost them dearly.
In brief
An Australian family chased the New York dream in 2014. The rent, the moves, the college bills and the distance from home have cost them dearly. Natasha Silva-Jelly moved her family from Australia to New York City in 2014 and has spent twelve years there despite mounting financial and emotional costs from rent…
A lifelong dream takes shape
Natasha Silva-Jelly grew up in a small rural Australian town but always felt drawn to New York City. Shows like Friends and Sex and the City deepened that pull as she entered her late thirties.
The move happens in 2014
In two thousand fourteen, on the cusp of turning forty, Silva-Jelly moved her family to New York.
Twelve years later, still there
That one-year adventure stretched into twelve years. Silva-Jelly remains in New York City, though she describes the experience as ridiculously expensive and filled with regrets alongside the rewards.
The rent shock hits hard
Silva-Jelly traded a three-bedroom cottage in Sydney with a mortgage of less than four thousand dollars a month for a two-bedroom Tribeca loft costing eight thousand dollars a month.
The first apartment fails quickly
The Tribeca loft was a fifth-floor walk-up with windows only at the front.Angry downstairs neighbours complained about children's noise, and Silva-Jelly struggled carrying a toddler and stroller up five flights.They left in under a year.
A pattern of moving begins
They moved to another loft nearby, even more expensive, and lasted just over a year before the building was condemned.Between separation, growing children and landlords raising rent, Silva-Jelly has moved about ten times since arriving.
Buying felt too risky
Silva-Jelly and her husband considered buying property with their nest egg but felt lost in the competitive real-estate market.They feared they could only afford a tiny apartment for their budget, so they kept renting instead.
Free schools, then college shock
Both sons got into a highly regarded public school in Manhattan, sparing the family expensive private education.
The college gamble backfires
Silva-Jelly and her ex-husband took out student loans for the first year, covering tuition, dorm setup and frequent flights to visit. The son left after one year, meaning loans came due far sooner than planned.
Going home costs thousands
Round-trip airfare to Australia for four people costs upward of four thousand dollars. The journey takes over twenty-two hours across two flights, and Silva-Jelly needs three weeks to visit loved ones in two cities.
Distance from family weighs heavy
Silva-Jelly watches her mother age from ten thousand miles away.She has missed milestone birthdays, weddings, funerals and family events she can never get back, while her sister carries the burden of caring for their father.
Yet she would do it again
Despite the financial and emotional pain, Silva-Jelly says she does not regret the move. New York's energy, diversity and culture, plus deep friendships and the ability to reach the Caribbean in four hours, make it…
“Not for a New York minute.”
New York is home now
After twelve years, Silva-Jelly considers New York City home. She acknowledges many costs came from choices she made to give her family a certain kind of life, but the city's feeling that you can do…
“New York City is home.”
At a glance
Natasha Silva-Jelly moved her family from Australia to New York City in 2014 and has spent twelve years there despite mounting financial and emotional costs from rent, education and distance from family.
