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YES, magic, cardistry and playing cards are luxury hobbies.  But if you become good enough, you might even make a side gig out of it, if not a full-time living.

Welcome, Jonathan.  Why'd you leave New York?  (I'm from a NYC suburb.)

Lee Asher is one of the administrators here.  In addition, he's the president-elect of 52 Plus Joker, the card collectors' club that "powers" this forum (that's a fancy way of saying they keep the servers running and the lights on).

Definitely check out volunteer opportunities in your area.  I volunteer monthly at a hospital and it's a fun experience, plus great practice in the event you decide you want to take your magic to the next level.  Performing for kids in a pediatric unit gives you more varied experience, as your audience is more often than not the child and some portion of their family, with a few adults somewhere in the mix (what parent leaves their kid alone in the hospital indefinitely, right?).  It doesn't require a huge amount of skill or a massive repertoire, though those certainly don't hurt.  Just enough practice and skill to keep someone entertained for a few minutes at their bedside is more than enough - I typically do a set of at least three tricks, often the same set over and over, as I'm doing it for the kids on an individual basis rather than in a group setting.

I also make a habit of bringing decks of cards to give away to the kids, usually donated by people I know IRL and through this forum - you perform with a brand new deck that you hand the child when they're done, so they have both a souvenir and something to entertain themselves when the electronic gadgets need to recharge.  My favorite part is when I get a kid who thinks that it's the deck that's magic - they try doing what they saw me do, thinking the trick will just happen by itself, and it usually doesn't!  (The rare exceptions are the small number of automatic tricks I keep in my repertoire, which are among the tricks I'll occasionally teach to the kids so they can show off to their family and the hospital staff.)

I look forward to hearing about your journey down the conjurer's path...