I moved to New York City from a small town. Here are 11 things that surprised me.

When I lived in a small town, the nearest grocery store or gas station was at least a 20-minute drive away. In New York City, I don't need to rely on a car to get around, which saves me a lot of money in insurance fees, upkeep, and gas money.

When I first moved to the city, it definitely took me a few months to become acclimated with all the subway lines and feel comfortable getting to and from wherever I wanted to go. Now that I've lived in the city for years, taking the train has become second nature.

When the trains arrive on time — and even when they oftentimes don't — it's still the most cost-effective and easiest way to get around the city, in my opinion.

When I first moved to the city in the summer of 2019 to start a new job, I purchased a monthly unlimited subway pass. The unlimited MetroCard pass allowed me to take unlimited rides for $127 over a 30-day period. Since I took the subway to and from work during the week, it was worth it to get the unlimited pass.

However, since I started working remotely at the start of the pandemic, I haven't purchased a monthly pass once, and I simply pay for each ride I take. Since I only take the subway a few times a week, if at all, this has significantly reduced the amount of money I spend on transportation.

If you commute to work each day, or simply if you travel around the city a lot, an unlimited MetroCard might be worth it. However, I find it way easier and more convenient to simply tap my credit card at the turnstile each time I ride.

When I first moved to New York City, I practically never took the bus. I was confused about how to pay — which turns out to be the same way you pay to ride the subway — which routes to take, and whether it was more convenient than taking the subway. It just seemed easier to take the train, which I was more accustomed to from visits to New York in the past.

However, now when I'm going somewhere a little closer to home, I really enjoy taking the bus, and it's not hard to figure out at all. While taking the bus intimidated me when I first moved to the city, it ended up being easier to navigate than I initially thought.

While it can sometimes take longer than a subway ride to get from place to place, I enjoy being above ground and getting to look out the window while I ride.

You might think that every New York City neighborhood is similar, but that couldn't be less true. I've lived in four different neighborhoods in Brooklyn while living in New York — Prospect Lefferts Gardens, Bed-Stuy, Williamsburg, and now Bushwick — and each neighborhood has felt distinctly different despite being relatively close to one another.

For example, living in Bed-Stuy and Bushwick had much more of a neighborly, friendly feel than when I lived in Williamsburg, which has become more built-up.

When I was first planning my move to the city, I knew that I would likely only be able to afford to live in Brooklyn or in cheaper areas of Manhattan, which are mostly located further uptown. However, after living in Brooklyn for a few years, I've come to really love every neighborhood I've been lucky enough to reside in.

Oftentimes, I hear from recent college graduates and even my own peers in their early 20s that the best place to live in New York is in lower Manhattan. However, speaking from personal experience, these areas tend to be extremely expensive and aren't realistic locations for many young professionals just starting their careers. In my opinion, you don't have to live in Manhattan to be able to enjoy the nightlife scene, restaurants, bars, and other fun activities in New York City.

While I live in Brooklyn, I could go out in Manhattan or more "desirable" areas of Brooklyn every weekend if I wanted to — without the increased price of a downtown rent.

Living in New York City can be extremely expensive. Restaurants are noticeably more expensive than the ones back home, and don't even get me started on the housing market.

I was shocked the first time I paid $18 for a cocktail or $8 for an iced latte. While these purchases may seem like small moments of culture shock, those added expenses definitely add up living in the city for a long period of time.

My apartment is on the first floor of a historic brownstone building in Bushwick, Brooklyn. For my room, I pay $1,200 a month, while my two roommates (who are a couple) pay a larger share for their room — our total rent is $2,850.

On average, a one-bedroom apartment in New York in 2021 cost $3,805 per month, according to Apartment List. That's totally out of reach for me at this time, so to live in a neighborhood I like at a cost I can afford, I live with roommates.

Living with roommates was an adjustment for me when I first moved to the city. I had to get used to sharing a bathroom and living space with three strangers for the first year I lived here, which wasn't ideal. There were quite a few disagreements, passive-aggressive texts, and more moments that contributed to a less-than-comfortable living environment.

This won't be the case for everyone, and I've had wonderful roommate relationships during my time in New York, but it's possible you could be stuck in an awkward living situation when you need to live with roommates.

When I first moved to New York, I was wary of the stereotypes people placed on New Yorkers. While I'd heard city dwellers tend to be rude and unhelpful, I've found the opposite to be true.

If I ever need help with directions, I know most people will make an attempt to help me find out where to go. When going out to bars or restaurants, it's not hard to find people to chat to. I've found the city to be far less isolating than my social life in a small town.

Dating in New York City has been chronicled by countless movies and TV shows, from "When Harry Met Sally" to "Sex and the City." However, when it comes to actually dating in New York City, it's more of a nightmare than a fairytale.

While "meet-cutes" abound on screen, the reality is far less romantic. Meeting someone in a bar is definitely possible, but you likely won't have the straight-out-of-a-romantic-comedy experience you're hoping for.

If you're like me and not a fan of dating apps, it can be hard to meet someone in person. New York is home to millions of people, so it's inevitable that dating apps would become an avenue of choice for people to meet, especially when many people are working from home.

As someone who prefers the in-person experience of getting to know someone, dating apps seem cold, impersonal, and downright phony at times. I detest pick-up lines and small talk, and, to me, it seems unnatural to meet someone through an app.

Plus, as my own experiences and those of my close friends have proven, dating apps have only furthered the mindset that the options are limitless for dating. If you're not a fan of one person, there are a million more people out there at your fingertips. While this is freeing for some people, it can often lead to ghosting and heartbreak.

In Connecticut, I used to stick to the Italian food my mom likes to make and the local burger spot. However, since moving to a city with countless restaurant options, I was surprised by how much my tastes expanded.

During a given week, I eat everything from ramen to Mexican food, Thai food, and more. I love being in a city that allows me to try cuisines from cultures different from my own.

When I lived in a small town, I'd go to the same restaurants over and over again, and most of them weren't half as good as the places I've been to here in New York. Many restaurants also allow delivery through apps like Caviar, Doordash, and Postmates. As someone who can get a little lazy come dinner time, I usually order takeout around two or three times a week.

Between delivery fees and the cost of restaurant-quality food in New York City, these purchases can seriously add up.