The worst things about living in New York City, according to 15 millennials

• Living in New York City has its advantages and disadvantages, but there are certain things that New Yorkers have particular trouble putting up with.
• Author Audrey Noble spoke to 15 NYC residents for this list of the worst things about the city.

As much as I love living in New York City, I have to own up to all the times I’ve had breakdowns over what living here has to done to me.

Most of the time it’s not an easy or glamorous place to live (don’t let my Instagram fool you). You’ve got to be resilient. You’ve got to be smart. You’ve got to have the will and determination to never give up.

Don’t get me wrong: For me, the pros of living here outweigh all the cons. But those cons definitely make me pause and wonder why I put up with them in the first place.

Here are some of the reasons that make even the most die-hard NYC loving millennials almost want to pack up and move:

---

A coffee is $4.25. — Herm, 27

---

Everything is expensive: rent, taxes, drinks. If you live here, prepare to be broke. — Alex Ostebo, 28

---

There’s a consistent smell of urine. — Jake Hansen, 28

---

There are gross, greenish puddles in the street that smell and never go away.” — Shig Konishi, 27

---

The smell of garbage everywhere. You can have the perfect apartment, walk outside, and just be hit with the most nauseating smell. — Carrieanne Reichardt, 25

---

The subway stations truly become hellish once summer rolls around. I’m talking face-melting, hair-frizzing, throw-me-in-a-freezer-now hellish. — Joseph Martelli, 26

---

The subways are hot and gross. I loathe sweating every morning on my commute. — Lily, 28

---

The worst part about living in NYC is the apartment sizes. Living in a shoebox in Manhattan is less than ideal in your mid to late 20s. — Garrett Kuhlmann, 28

---

The cost of living is the worst thing about living here. I have friends that live in other cities that have similar jobs, and their apartments are brand new and twice the size of mine. — Nadine Gaynor, 25

---

People are jaded and everything feels transactional. — Jackie Yan, 27

---

I now understand what Carrie Bradshaw meant when she said, ‘In New York, you’re always looking for a job, a boyfriend, or an apartment.’ It’s all about the upgrade. You’re always on the hunt for something better, and it’s exhausting. — Lilly, 27

---

Times Square. “Bright lights, big city” my a--. Too many tourists and a lot of trash. — Shreya Bhakta, 25

---

The worst thing about living in the city is catching a face-blast of hot subway air as you walk over a sidewalk vent. — Brennan Hudson, 28

---

Once I was walking and a garbage bag burst and around 18 cockroaches flooded out — I am scarred for life. — Emma Gillam, 26

---

One word: cockroaches. — Erin Stovall, 28