About six months ago, I moved out of my parents’ home on Long Island. I had been living there since I graduated with my PhD in Psychology. About three years, I think. I was eager to have my own space and spent many hours looking at furniture, most of which I could not afford. My apartment is a studio, though it has two levels and separate bathroom and kitchen areas. It has a certain charm to it. (I did buy one piece of furniture over $150 or so — this dresser, in ivory. I love it, it’s perfect for my space.)

Anyway, this post is about things I found useful while living in NYC. Just as a disclaimer, I will link to the products I bought wherever possible, but I have not been paid off by any of these companies.

1. A small bag

A small backpack or crossbody bag is essential for traveling around in the city. Lately I’ve mostly been using a mini backpack from Timbuk2 that I picked up a few years ago, or a crossbody from Mokuyobi similar to this one. Avoid carrying anything with designer logos. They might make you a target for theft.

2. ANC headphones

As an autistic person, I wore these even in the suburbs, but the city is crazy loud. I highly recommend getting a quality pair of headphones with active noise cancelling (ANC) unless you’re in the minority of people for whom ANC causes motion sickness. I wear Bose QuietComforts. Wow, I’m eyeing that blue color!! Mine are just black.

3. Hiking shoes

It should go without saying that you need comfortable walking shoes in NYC. In the winter, however, sidewalks can get slippery. You’ll want a shoe with decent traction. Sure, you could wear boots, but most boots are rigid and difficult for me to get my foot into (due to my dyspraxia). But there’s a subgenre of sneakers with high traction: hiking shoes! I got (and love!) the Oboz Emma Low (in Charcoal).

4. Neutrogena City Shield

It’s important to keep moisturized, especially in the winter as aging heating systems make the air indoors very dry. It’s also important to protect your skin from the sun year-round. This is a product that does both, and it also contains antioxidants to protect skin from pollution.

5. Fan

Of course, having a fan to circulate air in the summer is a no-brainer, but if you don’t have space to air dry your clothing outdoors, you can use a fan to dry them.

6. Scooter

I know some people love their e-scooters but I’m talking about a manually powered kick scooter. I have a Micro Flex scooter, but an adult sized Razor will do. You can take it on the subway and you can ride on the sidewalk. Another option is a bicycle (or hybrid electric bicycle), if you’re confident enough to use the bike lane.

Note that the Micro Flex is discontinued; if you think you might use the 2 year warranty, or you weigh somewhere between 220 and 250 lb, I recommend buying a Micro Suspension directly from Micro.

7. Long johns

NYC doesn’t usually get extremely cold, but each year there will be a handful of days that are frigid to the bone. Most people in the city walk and/or take public transportation everywhere they go. That doesn’t change just because it’s freezing outside. I recommend layering; easy enough to do with tops, just wear a hoodie, sweater, or sweatshirt under your coat. Bottoms are a little trickier. That’s where cold-weather underwear like long johns come in. I bought a nondescript pair from Amazon; wherever you prefer to buy them is just fine, I think Uniqlo sells them.

8. Warmies stuffed animals

Another cold weather hack, especially if you’ve got kids. Warmies are stuffed animals that come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. They are scented with lavender, and have a pleasant weight to them, but that’s not the only thing they can do. Pop them in the microwave and they stay warm for quite some time.

9. Sun lamp

If you have bipolar disorder or depression, you’ve likely heard of these. You may be asking, do they really work? And the answer is… sometimes. The most effective ones are made by the company Carex and are 10k lux and 12″ wide. But they are ugly, so I got one made by Circadian Optics which is smaller, and it seems less effective, but it’s not ugly and it does have some effect. The time of use differs depending on diagnosis. People with depression should use it for one hour in the morning, while people with bipolar disorder should use it for one hour around midday. I use mine in the afternoon because I’m a rebel. But take this as your warning that using it at night or for more than one hour runs the risk of triggering mania.

10. Minimalist wallet

Okay, this one is less of a need in New York specifically, and more of something that’s nice to have in general. Paying attention to details like your wallet can also make you seem more stylish, which is good in a big city. I tried two minimalist wallets: one made by Ridge and one made by Ekster. In terms of size and weight, the Ridge wallet is smaller. It’s easy to operate; while the Ekster wallet has a trigger that makes your cards pop out, for the Ridge wallet, you simply push them out with your thumb. That said, I prefer the Ekster wallet. It’s pretty, and the trigger is quite cool. Note, however, that while any Ridge wallet is compatible with their AirTag options, using the Ekster wallet with an AirTag will require installing a plain black backplate or using one of the wallets that are specifically made for AirTag compatibility. You can’t use just any Ekster backplate with an AirTag strap.

11. Adjustable belt

When traveling around NYC, one encounters a lot of stairs, particularly in subway stations (many of which are not wheelchair accessible). This calls for having a good belt. But, being bipolar, I can gain or lose weight quite rapidly. I also need a belt that is easy to get on and off due to my dyspraxia. The belt I settled on is the Groove Life Belt (in Walnut/Brown). It adjusts, but securely, so it won’t fall down while you’re climbing all those stairs. It also has some slight stretchiness for comfort, and it is held together with strong magnets that are surprisingly easy to disconnect with a tiny bit of practice. I was concerned about going through any metal detectors because the magnets should set them off, but it hasn’t come up even once so far. Just be aware that might happen. I would just take the belt off at the airport, but I would do that with almost any belt since they usually have small metal components.

12. Magsafe battery

Ah, Magsafe. The future is here with wireless charging for iPhones. The future should be here for Android phones, too, but for some reason it’s not. If you have an Android I guess you’re stuck using wired charging. But if you’re like me and you have a reasonably new iPhone, you can stick a charger to the back of your phone and keep your battery going while you’re out and about. I just have a generic one myself, although I’ve eyed the Magsafe Power Banks made by Casely.

13. Umbrella

Yes, that’s right. In NYC it rains (and snows, and every step in between). I prefer having a clear umbrella so I can see where I’m going. I have one from Totes in color lemonade which has a cheerful yellow trim and handle.

14. Indoors shoes

Everyone knows the city streets are gross. Especially the sidewalks. Dogs pee on it. I recommend designating footwear for inside. Which you should choose depends on personal preference. Kizik hands-free shoes might be a good option, especially if you have private outdoor space. But sandals or slides or even slippers are all valid options here.

That’s my list! Did I forget anything? Let me know in the comments!

P.S. I know I didn’t include a granny cart. They are widely used in NYC, but I personally had a lot of difficulty using one.