Tips and Tricks You Need to Survive Urban Living

Tips for those who are new, and used to, the big city life.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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You could be a local or fresh to the city, but the beautiful thing about living in the big city is that there are always little secrets that you learn each day that help you to live more efficiently. Whether you're trying to climb the corporate ladder or attempting to get your artistic career off the ground, you don't want to waste any time. We have compiled some life hacks to make your life in the big city a little bit easier to manage. You can go broke trying to do things the way everyone else does, or you can get creative with these ingenious tips and tricks for surviving urban life.

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Learn how to lock your bike safely with or without removing the front bike wheel.

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No space for ironing board in your tiny apartment? Use your girlfriend's hair straightener.

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City rent making you broke? Make your own coffee or get coffee at your office so you can make rent on time (for once).

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Avoid eye contact when you're walking towards someone. This way you'll avoid the awkward dance while figuring out which way each of you go.

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Want to drink on the way to the party? Cut the bottom part of a soda and put over a can of beer. Of course, this isn't necessary if you live in New Orleans.

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Ladies (and gentlemen, if you have no shame), stick your cash in a hygenic pad and you can be assured that your money will not be stolen on the subway.

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Keep to the right on stairs. This goes for escalators, too. Walking in crowded spaces is already difficult enough.

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Don't want people bothering you on the street? Put in your headphones—you don't even need to play music.

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Need a quick way to make your apartment smell better? Tape a dryer sheet over the AC.

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Cooling racks and lasagna pans make a great makeshift grill for those of us who don't have backyards (i.e.: most of us).

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No space on the counter for a book holder? Use a clothes hanger and hang the book off the cabinet handle.

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Night clubs in the city are harder to get into, so make sure you go with mostly ladies and try to go early on peak nights.

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If you're a bit unfamiliar with the city you're in, drop a pin with your "Maps" app on your iPhone to the places you have been so you remember how to get back.

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The best places for emergency Free Wi-Fi in most cities are McDonalds, Staples, Panera, Office Depot, and Courtyard Marriott.

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Put coffee, milk, and cream in an ice tray so your coffee doesn't melt while walking to work.

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Nail polish makes it faster and easier to find the right keys.

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If you're trying to get somewhere with your computer, make a laptop bag out of any hoodie.

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Learn how to sneak into private hotel pools during those awful heat waves. This includes studying the hotels layout, dressing the part, and simply laying low.

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If you're in a rush to get your floor on the elevator, press the desired floor and the door close button at the same time and you will go straight to that floor without stopping on the other floors.

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Your kitchen will most likely be very tiny, so use up all the wall space you can. A magnetic knife strip saves up counter space.

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Don't buy groceries from your local bodega; they usually charge 50% more than what it's worth.

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Use soda can tabs to save some closet space in your minuscule apartment.

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Going a bit upstream to catch a cab does help you catch a cab quicker, but don't expect others to be happy about it.

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Can't afford cleaning supplies? Use coke to clean your toilet.

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Beware the empty train car; there are like bodily fluids (or worse) nearby.

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