Reflecting on my journey living in the bustling city of NYC with mild to moderate hearing loss at just 26 years old… it’s been a rollercoaster of challenges. From navigating noisy streets to struggling in crowded social settings, every day comes with its hurdles. Simple tasks like ordering at a busy cafe or catching conversations in a crowded subway become daunting tasks. I was wondering if living in NYC with my type of hearing loss is worth it or should I move to a better environment where I can be more comfortable. Also, with NYC being very loud should I be wearing my hearing aids or ear plugs? Please let me know I would love to start a conversation. Thank you!
I’m not in NY, but I know the place. You should discover the books, blog, etc of Katherine Bouton, who posts on this forum occasionally. About | Smart Hearing She lives in the city and likes to engage the hearing-loss community!
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I grew up in Connecticut and have been to NYC many times in the 1970s-80s. It is very loud and l wonder how can people sleep there?
I grew up in NYC and lived there for 25 years. I now live in a small town in rural Connecticut. When people come to visit me from the City, they can’t sleep because “the silence is deafening” or because “the crickets are too loud”. 
1000% You should be earing Rechargeable Bluetooth Hearing Aids,not only are they to designed for Clarity but to lessen the Noise as well with most having 6 Programs you can set via your iPhone or the Rocker Switch on the HA.My favorite Brand and no I dont get endorsed by them is GN Resound,I wear a Beltone (GN Resound)Imagina with M&RIE Receivers which have an extra Microphone at the ear and have Silicone Earmolds made (shop around,HearRX made 4 for me at $50.00 each with a Lifetime of Filters (dont know if they liked me or this is standared practice)I Buy ALL My Hearing Aids on Ebay advertised as Open Box,Barely Used etc and I can tell the age by the Model.Signia is King with TruHearing,Miracle Ear etc.The New OTC Sony ITC Hearing Aids are made by Signia so do yourself a solid and get a Pair but get educated on them beforehand.Good Luck!
I had a consulting assignment in NYC from 2013 to 2015 and I was adjusting to my first hearing aids at the same time. Fortunately, many people there talk louder than in other parts of the country. Not sure if this is due to the background noise or just a cultural thing. This helps in a one-on-one conversation, but crowded restaurants, bars, etc. are practically impossible even with premium hearing aids. Everyone is having trouble hearing so they all talk louder! The noise in the subway is just one of the undesirable aspects of this unavoidable mode of travel.
If you can support yourself in other locations, it is certainly worth a try. However, all big cities are going to have some level of noise so a small city or town may be a better option.
Shoulda been there when the trains weren’t air-conditioned and ran with the windows open.
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