- In January, I moved from New York City to Charlotte, North Carolina.
- So far, I’ve enjoyed the better weather and exploring the growing city.
- I was surprised to learn that beer and wine are sold in grocery stores.
After graduating from college in the spring of 2023, I was determined that there was only one place in the world for me: New York City.
So, when I had an opportunity to relocate there for my first job in January 2024, I took it. My boyfriend and I moved from our respective hometowns outside Washington, DC, to a one-bedroom apartment in Jersey City, New Jersey, where the Manhattan skyline and my new job awaited beyond the trees outside our window.
Unfortunately, expectations don’t always meet reality, and as the months progressed, we realized how much we missed having extra living space. My flexible, hybrid schedule meant we both were working from home three or more days a week (my boyfriend’s job is completely remote), and the lack of square footage made it difficult for each of us to have a comfortable workspace.
Add traffic, the high cost of living, and the fact that both of us are perpetual homebodies, and we soon realized that neither of us was making the most of city living … but we were still paying for it.
That’s when Charlotte, North Carolina, came into the picture. We were looking for somewhere that could provide us with more space (minimum two bedrooms) for less money and better weather, but still a young, diverse population.
After we conducted plenty of internet research and took a visit to tour apartments, Charlotte became our top contender and we decided to take the leap when our lease ended in January.
Turns out, we aren’t alone. In August 2024, the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance reported that 117 people moved to the region daily from July 2022 to July 2023 — more than 55,000 were from New York and New Jersey — citing perks like the area’s “vibrant culture, robust job market, and affordable cost of living.”
In just a couple of short months, it’s been easy to transition to our new home, but it hasn’t come without a few surprises. From wine stocked in my local Target to plastic straws at restaurants, here are seven things I’ve been surprised by since moving to Charlotte, North Carolina.
