Rafaela is from southern Brazil. Before New York, she spent time living in California. She is now based in Queens, NYC, and has been a SharedEasy resident since arriving in the city. This is her story.
Why I Chose New York After California
I’m from southern Brazil, and when I decided to move to the US, I wanted to experience both coasts. California came first. It was beautiful, warm, relaxed. I loved it. But something kept pulling me toward New York.
I wanted to see what the other side felt like. So I came.
And nothing prepared me for what this city actually is.
The Size Shock Is Real
I knew New York was big. I thought I was ready for it. I was not.
I came from a city that felt large, and New York made me feel like I grew up in a small town. The buildings, the streets, the scale of everything. If you walk out at 3 AM, there are still people everywhere. The city doesn’t stop. Ever.
I was expecting a shock. The shock was bigger than anything I expected.
What Living in New York Actually Looks Like
I’m currently living in Queens, which puts me in a perfect spot. I go to Manhattan when I want energy and movement. I go to Brooklyn when I want a different kind of scene. Every day is different because every borough is different.
My favorite place in the whole city is Washington Square Park. There’s always live music, always young people doing their art, always something happening. It’s the kind of place that reminds you why you moved here.
New York made me an active person. You walk everywhere. You’re always outside. You meet different cultures every single day. In California, I was more relaxed, more at home. Here, I’m always moving, always engaged. The city got me more motivated than I’ve ever been.
Finding a Place to Live in New York as a Newcomer
This is the part nobody talks about enough.
Moving to New York without knowing anyone is one thing. Finding housing in New York without a US rental history, without knowing who to trust, is another. There are a lot of scams. A lot of listings that don’t match reality. A lot of places that look fine online and aren’t.
When I found SharedEasy, the thing that mattered most to me was simple: I knew the place actually existed. I knew someone would be there when I arrived. For someone moving alone to a new city, that’s not a small thing. That’s everything.
What SharedEasy Is Like Day to Day
Living at SharedEasy means I don’t spend energy on the things that drain you when you first move somewhere. Cleaning supplies, toilet paper, someone coming to clean regularly — it’s all handled. The apartment is furnished. WiFi works from day one. There’s nothing to set up, nothing to figure out, nothing to chase.
What I didn’t expect was the people.
Most residents at SharedEasy are coming from different countries, different cultures. A lot of them arrive alone, just like I did. And then you put all of these people in the same space, with events once or twice a month where you actually meet each other, and something real happens. You build a community without trying to. There’s always someone new arriving, always someone to meet, always a chance to make a friend you wouldn’t have made any other way.
That has been my best experience here. Not just the apartment. The people.
What I Would Tell Anyone Thinking About Moving to New York
Come. But come prepared.
Don’t trust the weather, always bring an umbrella, especially in summer, because it will rain when you least expect it.
Find a place to land before you arrive. The NYC rental market is overwhelming even for people who grew up here. For someone arriving from another country or another state, it’s a different level of stress. Having a furnished room, a real address, and a community waiting for you changes everything about how your first weeks in the city feel.
New York will do the rest. The city meets you where you are and pushes you further than you thought you could go.
I came from Brazil wanting to experience something new. Two years later, I can’t imagine being anywhere else.
Watch Rafaela share her experience in her own words below.
Rafaela lives at SharedEasy's The M at Ridgewood, Ridgewood, Queens. Resident status verified by SharedEasy. Story told in their own words, edited by Sofia Alvarez, Content Editor at SharedEasy.
