I left Mexico City for New York — the city's hustle culture was unsustainable

Leaving Mexico City, the place I grew up, wasn't impulsive. It was calculated — shaped by ambition and the stubborn belief that opportunity still lives somewhere else. I headed to New York City in 2020, hoping to prove myself on what I thought was the world's biggest stage, and I enrolled in law school.

Mexico City gave me a vibrant social life, deep friendships, neighborhood culture, and food that made you want to stay at the table for hours. At the same time, news alerts about violence became routine, conversations casually referenced kidnappings, and certain neighborhoods or situations were simply off-limits.

Over time, crime made my future feel fragile, and I didn't want to build a life that depended on constantly calculating risk. New York was exactly as advertised: expensive, intense, chaotic, and unapologetically demanding. I moved to Manhattan at the end of 2020 and watched the city come back to life despite the pandemic.

Mexico, United States, Mexico City, New York

mexico city, new york, manhattan, hustle culture, law school, migration, crime, kidnappings, neighborhood culture, pandemic