Oh, the trials and travails of people making half a million dollars in New York City.
How a Family of 3 Lives on $500,000 on the Upper West Side: https://t.co/jzxqXtY97Y
— Emma G. Fitzsimmons (@emmagf) March 23, 2026
It's a hard life.
Rent is not the largest monthly expense for Anala Gossai and Brendon O’Leary, a couple who live on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. That would be child care.
They spend $4,200 each month on day care for their 1-year-old son, Zeno.
“We really liked the center,” Ms. Gossai, 37, said. “Neighbors in our building love it. It’s actually pretty middle of the road for cost. Some were even more expensive.”
The rent for their one-bedroom apartment is $3,900 per month. Space is tight, but the location is priceless.
“We’re right across from Central Park,” she said. “We can walk to the subway and the American Museum of Natural History.”
Ms. Gossai, a data scientist, and her husband, 38, a software engineer, met in graduate school. Their household income is roughly $500,000 per year. While they make a good living, they try to be frugal and are saving money to buy an apartment.
They moved into their roughly 800-square-foot rental eight years ago when it was just them and their dog, Peabody, a Maltese poodle. Now their son’s crib is steps away from their bed. They installed a curtain between the bed and the crib to keep the light out.
Like many couples, they have discussed leaving the city.
“When we talk about the possibility of moving to the suburbs, we both really dread it,” Mr. O’Leary said. “I don’t like to drive. Anala doesn’t drive. I feel like we’d be stuck. We really value being able to walk everywhere.”
Ms. Gossai is from Toronto, and Mr. O’Leary is from Massachusetts. In New York City, wealth is often viewed in relation to your neighbors, and many of theirs make more money. The Upper West Side has the sixth-highest median income of any neighborhood in the city, according to the N.Y.U. Furman Center.
“I think we’re middle class for this area,” Mr. O’Leary said. “We’re doing OK.”
The couple tries to save about $10,000 each month to put toward an apartment or for an emergency. They prioritize memberships to the Central Park Zoo at $160 per year and the American Museum of Natural History at $180 per year.
Recommended
Pulling down a half-million and still expecting taxpayers to pay for your kid's preschool is really...something. https://t.co/8D01E55s10 pic.twitter.com/9U7sRcqjM1
— Ken Girardin (@PolicyEngineer) March 23, 2026
If they can save 10k per month, they should probably pay their own daycare expenses.
Omg this is one of the most tone deaf stories I have ever read.
— Megan Martin MD, MPH (@Megmd514) March 23, 2026
People can barely afford full gas tanks. This is probably not the time, actually.
people at this level being to rationalize their income as the net take-home after saving 15-20% ++maxing out every tax advantaged retirement account (IRA/ROTH/529/HSA.. etc etc)
— Dan Victor, CFA (@DanV_Barrons) March 23, 2026
"my discretionary income after covering regular expenses is only $10k a month!"
They are divorced from reality.
They are making half-million & still expecting taxpayers to pay for your kid's preschool? pic.twitter.com/JFwHyOsy7i
— JCH (@JCHTEXAS) March 23, 2026
Of course they do. The entitlement culture in blue states is never ending.
Monthly expenses:
— Madeleine (@MadeleineHubSch) March 23, 2026
$10,000 for savings
$3,900 for rent
$4,200 for daycare
$500 on eating out
$150 on laundry services
$370 on doggie daycare/grooming
These people are thriving and not typical of UWS.
It’s like New Yorkers voted for Mamdani because they wanted to make life hard.
If that was their goal, they are going to succeed. God help them.