Working in New York United States of America

Airport

New York has three primary airports:  JFK InternationalAirport (JFK), Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and La Guardia Airport (LGA). Regional rail systems connect to JFK and Newark.

JFK International Airport
JFK is the primary entry point for international arrivals into the US. Direct flights operate to JFK from about 100 airlines from more than 50 countries. Around 3 million travellers take the route between JFK and London Heathrow each year making them the leading airport pair. The best ways to reach the airport are by bus or shuttle.

Newark Liberty International Airport
New York’s second biggest airport, Newark Liberty International Airport is located on the boundaries of Newark and Elizabeth in New Jersey. The airport handles about 34 million passengers each year. To reach the airport, explore the numerous shuttle buses available for this purpose, which are often the most reliable service.

LaGuardia Airport
The smallest of NYC’s three major airports, LaGuardia Airport is located in the borough of Queens on the waterfront of Flushing Bay and Bowery Bay. The airport handles about 24 million passengers each year. There are several ways to reach the airport, with shuttle bus or taxi the most efficient.

Railway Station

Grand Central Terminal
One of the most recognisable rail stations in the world, Grand Central was opened in 1871 and now handles almost 22 million passengers each year. While the station services the NYC Subway and local and regional rail, it is also one of the city’s major tourist attractions. The station has an extremely attractive main concourse and ceiling, a dining concourse, a classic display board and a huge number of boutique shops.

Transportation

With its grid system, New York City, and especially Manhattan, is a reasonably simple place to get around. That is, if you aren’t stuck in horrid traffic. The city’s public transport system features an extensive bus and subway network that can be accessed with a MetroCard.

The most efficient way to get around the city is by the Subway, which operates 24 hours a day. It consists of about 470 stations and is quite reliable despite being one of the oldest underground systems in the world. It is also reasonably safe and has been thoroughly cleaned up in recent decades. The bus system is best used outside of peak hours and often in areas where traffic is known not to be heavy. Taking the bus is also a good option for those harder-to-get-to places outside of Manhattan.

Outside of the Subway and bus network, travel around New York City can also take place by car, ferry, taxi or foot depending on your needs. As a tourist, walking around certain areas by foot is often the most rewarding form of transport.

Cost of Living

The cost of living in New York City is average to high by western standards for expats. Rental prices in the NYC are particularly steep for working holidaymakers wishing to spend an extended time in the city. According to online cost of living database Numbeo (http://www.numbeo.com/), prices for typical items on current exchange rates (June 2013) are as follows:

Accommodation

Accommodation in New York City can only be described as expensive. Unless you are blessed with ample income it is suggested to start saving early. However, once you have overcome the cost of being in New York City the fun of choosing where to stay begins.

From north to south, Manhattan is covered with hotels and hostels. Areas to look at include Inwood, Upper East Side, Upper West Side, Midtown, Madison Square Park, Times Square, Chelsea, East Village, Greenwich Village, Tribeca, Chinatown and SoHo. For something different, there are also many options in Brooklyn, Queens and on Staten Island.

A few options to consider include:

Budget
The Bowery House
Carlton Arms Hotel
The Harlem Flophouse

Mid-range
Hilton Garden Inn
The Belvedere Hotel
Four Points by Sheraton Manhattan

High-end
The Plaza
The James New York
Trump SoHo Hotel Condominium

Shopping

Shopping in New York is like heaven for some. Basically everything you ever wanted can be found in the city. This includes high and low end fashion, electronics, sporting goods, jewellery, toys and the list goes on. There is great shopping potential throughout Manhattan, with these areas boasting the following shopping districts or department stores:

Lower Manhattan: Century 21 department store.
Chinatown: Bargain products.
Lower East Side: Orchard Street shopping district.
SoHo: J. Crew, Old Navy, Bloomingdale’s and many fashion outlets. Lafayette Street.
East Village: St Parks Place
Greenwich Village: Blecker Street
Chelsea: Sixth avenue department stores.
Union Square: Fifth Avenue.
Midtown: Macy’s.
Times Square: Electronic stores.
Uptown: Madison Avenue
Upper West Side: Columbus Avenue.

Emergency

Emergency numbers
Police / Fire / Medical emergency            911

Australian Consulate-General, New York
150 East 42nd Street, 34th Floor
New York, New York 10017-5612
Telephone: 1 212 351 6500
Facsimile: 1 212 351 6501
Website: www.newyork.consulate.gov.au/nycg/home.html

Insurance and Healthcare

Health care in the United States consists of public and private sectors. The public sector is generally provided by the government and funded by taxes. Public health care programs in the United States include Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. The system is rated highly on a global scale by the World Health Organisation, but there is a high percentage of Americans not covered by health care. The WBO also rates the quality of health facilities in the United States as excellent.

There is a higher focus on the private sector than public in the United States. This provides expats with a large number of options when choosing a health care plan in the country. Costs for private health treatment in the United State are comparable to those in Australia.

Despite a high standard of health facilities in the United States, DFAT recommends all Australians travelling to the country take out comprehensive travel insurance to cover any overseas costs.