- In January, I moved from New York to Charlotte, in North Carolina.
- So far, I have appreciated the best time and explore the growing city.
- I was surprised to learn that beer and wine are sold in grocery stores.
After obtaining his university degree in the spring of 2023, I was determined that there was only one place in the world for me: New York.
So when I had the opportunity to move there for my first job In January 2024, I took it. My boyfriend and I moved from our respective natal cities outside Washington, DC, in an apartment in a room in Jersey City, New Jersey, where the horizon of Manhattan and my new work were waiting beyond the trees outside our window.
Unfortunately, expectations do not always meet reality, and as the months progressed, we realized how much we have failed to have an additional living space. My flexible hybrid schedule meant that we were both Work at home Three days or more per week (my boyfriend’s work is completely distant), and the lack of square feet has made it difficult for each of us to have a comfortable workspace.
Add trafficThe high cost of life, and the fact that we are both perpetual homes, and we quickly realized that none of us took the most out of the city … But we always pay it.
It was then that Charlotte, in North Carolina, came into a photo. We were looking for a place that could provide us with more space (minimum two bedrooms) for less money and better time, but always a young and diverse population.
After doing a lot of research on the internet and taking a visit to a turn apartments, Charlotte became our first candidate and we decided to jump at the end of our lease in January.
It turns out that we are not alone. In August, the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance indicated that 117 people moved to the region daily from July 2022 to July 2023 – more than 55,000 came from New York and New Jersey – citing advantages such as the “dynamic culture of the region, the robust labor market and the cost of living”.
In just a few months, it was easy to go to our new house, but it did not come without a few surprises. From wine stored in my local target to plastic straws in restaurants, here are seven things that have been surprised since the move to Charlotte, in North Carolina.