Manhattan, anybody lived there?

[funklab]

Well I have a professional degree also but my starting salary was 25k (1983). An attorney starts @ 90k now a days, but if you don't want to say what your profession is, that's fine. I'm not sure why you don't think you'll make 65, I'm a C5/6 and I made it. I didn't think I would in 1977 when I broke my neck, but here I am. And I've done enough drinking, smoking and drugs to kill a whole herd of horses. I'm retired now and I'm bored stiff. Anyway good luck.

Maybe a better way of putting it is I can't envision still being alive at 65. If it happens by accident it will be purely by virtue of something not killing me by then and I plan to live a reasonably dangerous life as I probably place a much lower value on continuing to breathe than most other folks do (which probably has something to do with why I tried to fly a motorcycle off a 40 foot sand dune and ended up landing in a wheelchair). So I guess it's better to say I don't plan to live to 65 and if I make it there and I'm dead broke and homeless I'm also okay with that as long as I spent my time living a somewhat interesting life in between.

[Random]

I have heard that for many, the appeal of longevity increases with age.

[Crashbang]

United Spinal Association offers a free monthly magazine, New Mobility. The latest issue has at least two great articles about postSCI people and resources in Manhattan and Brooklyn...it looks like they're thriving up there: http://www.newmobility.com/2018/01/2...amin-elegudin/
http://www.newmobility.com/2018/01/a...ogram-expands/
Funklab, I'm turning 62 soon and had my SCI at age 14. Don't underestimate your possibilities for the future, there's a lot to enjoy if you cultivate your creativity.
Read the article about Yannick Benjamin and Alex Elegudin and the rest of the New York Wheeling Forward group and enjoy some new perspectives.

[stephen212]

United Spinal Association offers a free monthly magazine, New Mobility. The latest issue has at least two great articles about postSCI people and resources in Manhattan and Brooklyn...it looks like they're thriving up there: http://www.newmobility.com/2018/01/2...amin-elegudin/
http://www.newmobility.com/2018/01/a...ogram-expands/
Read the article about Yannick Benjamin and Alex Elegudin and the rest of the New York Wheeling Forward group and enjoy some new perspectives.

I know both Yannick and Alex from my years in NYC. Yannick is a beast. Not sure where he's living now, but he would wheel himself from the Bronx into lower Manhattan where he works. He also climbs stairs in his wheelchair in the subway (not recommended).

Funklab, I'm turning 62 soon and had my SCI at age 14. Don't underestimate your possibilities for the future, there's a lot to enjoy if you cultivate your creativity.

You're scaring the shit out of Funklab! At the time of my injury (I was 23) I never thought longevity was in my future. I just turned 58 and recently completed treatment for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). I'm in remission and feel 100%. Dying doesn't come easy and if you've learned how to manage your SCI reasonably well, don't expect it to shuffle off your mortal coil for you. Best to plan to stick around a while.

[RollinPositive]

So this probably isn't quite the right forum to put this in, but I figured the travel forum might get me more helpful comments.

I'm finishing up my training in the South East where I've pretty much always lived. I've got 2.5 years left before I finish, so right now this is just purely a theoretical exercise. When I graduate I'm thinking about taking a job in NYC, nothing specific lined up, but my field is reasonably well paying and in high demand, so it wouldn't be hard for me to find a job there, and I could afford to live in Manhattan on the salary I would be making.

I have been to NYC probably a half dozen times in the past, but not once since my injury 10 years ago. I know full well the subway is minimally accessibly and what elevators there are tend to be out of service more often than they are working. Also I can accept that a good 30-40% of ground level shops/restaurants/offices/etc are gonna have steps that preclude me from actually getting inside and 95% of the apartments aren't going to work for a para. Still the city intrigues me. There's no way I would want to live there forever. In fact if I stayed more than 12 months I would be shocked. It's almost like I want to do it just so I can prove to myself that I could do it... you know the whole "if you can make it there you can make it anywhere" type of vibe.

Plus eventually I'm planning on traveling my ass off, and from what I can gather (being very, very poorly traveled prior to my injury) the rest of the world aint nearly as accessible as most of the United States is, so a little exercise in learning to deal in NYC could be a valuable skill building exercise. Plus there's a lot of super cool stuff in New York.

I'd love to hear anyone's opinion on living in NYC in a wheelchair. But even if you've just traveled there, I'd like to hear your experiences. I'd guess that a bus is gonna be 90% accessible, but maybe I'm deluding myself. I certainly wouldn't bother with a car in Manhattan, and I'd be making enough money to take a cab everywhere if I absolutely had to... and knowing that cabs (in my experience in other cities) are quite reluctant to stop for wheelchair users, nowadays we've got uber so they pretty much have to accept the fare before they see the wheelchair I don't think transportation would be that much of a hassle.

But anyway I'm rambling now, any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

We dont live in New York but have traveled often for years and have many wheelchair power chair friends that love living there. I think some of your numbers are off...1st getting around the city is easy! You have challenges but what city doesnt?

But subways are a great way of getting around and we really doesn't have a lot of issues with elevators.

Buses and Uber are great also along with Wow (wheelchair accessible cab app).

http://accessibledispatch.org/

Never heard of free cabs?

The biggest challenge might be a rental that will work for you with space to be accessible.

Some of the newer buildings going up mid town might be more accessible then some of the older grandfathered buildings.

Love your excitement its an amazing city and once you get comfortable you learn what stores, restaurants, buildings etc you can get in and out of comfortably.

Also New Yorkers area really helpful with offering ideas, support and encouragements to use there stores, restaurants etc!

To the person that questioned salaries??? I have a friend that started his 1st year attorney out of Duke well ahead of $90,000

Its New York they pay for talent so be the best you can in the field you are entering and keep up your excitement!!