Most of us have probably only ever dreamed of upping sticks and moving to another country, it's not for the faint hearted. But that's exactly what journalist Natalie Evans did when she made an impromptu move to the Big Apple back in 2015. We caught up with her (between her super long working hours) to talk all things New York.
First of all, tell us a bit about yourself?
I've been a journalist for 13 years and I'm currently an editor at News Corp in New York. I moved to Manhattan seven years ago in June 2015 to launch the Daily Mirror US operation. After a year at the Daily Mail, I now run a team of around 100 from our News Corp offices in Midtown with staff across the US and in Europe. In my spare time, I'm a Les Mills gym instructor, a cat mom (I rescued my cat Delilah from a lift in Soho five years ago) and a new plant parent (I have 15, it's becoming a bit of an obsession).
Every girl who watched Sex & The City must have imagined themselves living and working in New York City, was it always a dream of yours or did the opportunity just come up?
I'd been to New York on holiday once before and, as much as I enjoyed it, I didn't necessarily dream of living here before I got the opportunity to. My move to NYC came around pretty quickly - I was asked to go and about four weeks later, I was here. I was supposed to be moving for six months - seven years later, I'm still here, still loving it. As a journalist in New York, a lot of people compare me to Carrie Bradshaw (especially as my apartment is on the same street as hers in the West Village) but it's not quite as glamorous as it looks. As much as I do love going out for cocktails with my girlfriends, I wish I could afford to go out every night or get by on as little sleep as they seem to. Dating is as awful as it looks on the show though - seven years here and I've still not got it right!
Tell us the best and worst thing about living in NYC / Manhattan
The best thing about living in New York is how magical the city is. You feel like you're in a movie scene everywhere you go. I love nothing more than exploring, whether it's a walk in Central Park, wandering around finding hidden street art or strolling along beautiful, tree-lined streets looking at gorgeous townhouses I hope to be able to afford one day.
New York is also a very friendly city - far more so than London where no one really talks to one another. You can walk into a bar or a store, a gym, wherever and just get chatting to someone. If you look lost in the street, someone will stop you to help you. Like any big city, you have to be careful and stay safe, but I don't feel like it's worse than other places I've lived.
The worst thing is probably the cost of living - everything is so expensive here. My rent is about 3-4 x higher than I paid when I lived in London, a weekly grocery shop can cost $150 and a glass of wine is about $10.
Describe your perfect day in the City.
I'd love a lie in but I wake up at 5.30 every morning so 7ish is a rest for me! I'd get up, go to a gym class, grab a coffee or a smoothie while wandering the scenic way home, maybe through the market at Union Square. Shower, change then maybe grab brunch. If the weather's nice, a picnic in Central Park is gorgeous and it's a great place to people watch (everywhere in New York is to be honest). New York has so many amazing restaurants so in the evening I'd maybe go for dinner then see a show (Broadway or a comedy set) then have a few drinks (I tend to go out downtown but the Upper West Side has some cool bars).
What, if anything do you miss about the UK?
My family and friends, especially all the little ones that have been born since I left. And chocolate. American chocolate is terrible.
What advice would you give to anyone who wanted to pursue their career in a different country?
Be brave - It's scary leaving everyone and everything behind but if you find the courage, it's also exciting and so rewarding.
Take risks - I'm proud to have followed my dream, even when it meant choosing a job with long hours that didn't pay well, or packing up my life and ending a relationship to move to a brand new country completely alone.
Believe in yourself - If you want something, go and get it. You make your own luck so put yourself out there.
Work hard - Success doesn't come easily so you have to put the hard work in.
Where next or is NYC home?
NYC is definitely home but I wouldn't rule out a move somewhere else. I think when you've moved once, you can do it again and again. I'd maybe try LA or somewhere on the west coast - I could get used to the sunshine. Or maybe even a different country altogether - News Corp has a base in Australia, it could be fun to spend some time down under!
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