A few start ups in NYC ( myself included) are moving to kingston , New york (upstate). In NYC everyone is hustling. If your young and ambitious and can sell yourself your skills, you will find a job. I don't know about the visa stuff. Housing IS damn expensive yeah but you can live in greenpoint, Brooklyn with roommates or move uptown ( Washington Heights) then you have jackson Heights ( Queens) or sunnyside , Queens it's cheaper then living in money makin manhattan if you have 0 connects. When you make friends you will want to network with them to find an apartment or work. You will build a network of friends and those friends who are working at companies will get you into a job. That's how it works here. People are always moving out / changing jobs. Companies are always hiring. The experience will be unforgettable. Nothing like it. After some time you'll get burned from the grind and may want to bounce somewhere else. You'll never know till you get here! and Plenty of front end jobs. Good Lucky!