Planning my move to NYC

I’m a 37 yo woman with a cat, and hopefully a dog someday. I have nothing tying me to my current home where I was raised. I’ve wanted to move to NYC since I first visited and fell in love when I was 16. Before last June, I hadn’t visited NYC since 2016. In that time I suffered a major loss, lost my financial aid to college when I was a few classes from graduating, and completely lost my dream of becoming a doctor, unexpected loss has made that dream unattainable. My anxiety had gotten worse in those 9 years so when I planned an overnight trip with my older niece, I was worried I would be so anxious in the city. Instead I walked out of the train station and immediately felt calm. I was like that for the next two days. So I need to move to NYC. I won’t solve all my problems but it’s always felt like home and last year’s trip confirmed it.

I need to figure out a lot but I guess I just want to know if anyone can help with some suggestions. What things do you wish you would have known prior to moving to the city? How should I go about finding an apartment in a safe, affordable neighborhood? How do I find a job? I currently work in a lab (without a degree) so I need something that’ll take experience over a degree. I’m at least a year away and setting a goal of moving there before 40 sounds depressing (the 40 part, not the goal setting part). So any thoughts or suggestions are welcome but please keep them positive.