Personal experience: I moved from Florida to New York, and here's what surprised me about the Big Apple

College graduate Christine Villarroel made a sudden decision to move from Florida to New York City. She shares with Insider why she made the choice she did, what the move was like, and what differences between the two states surprised her most.

This summer, Christine spontaneously left Florida for New York City. After nearly nine years in Florida, hoping to build a career in a volatile economy, she packed up and moved.

The high cost of living had previously deterred her from moving. But Christine later realized that living in Miami wasn't saving her money or offering the same career opportunities as New York.

She never regretted her decision, even though the move was quick and difficult.

After a few months in the city, Christine saw how different life here was from life in Florida.

What surprised her most were the following eleven points.

Renting a house turned out to be more affordable than she expected.

She had no plans to move at that particular time.

The decision itself—from the first thought to boarding the plane—took only a couple of weeks.

Christine only decided to move when her close friend suddenly needed another roommate in his three-room apartment. apartment.

After graduating from college, she lived with her parents and worked remotely for six months, unwilling to sign a year-long lease without a stable long-term job. However, the Miami housing market presented certain challenges—she had no friends looking for apartments who could become roommates.

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When Christine found out how much she would have to pay for the rented portion of her three-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn, she was very surprised.

It turned out to be cheaper than living alone in Miami. The cost was comparable to almost any major US city, assuming you don't have to find unfamiliar neighbors.

Although the average rent in Brooklyn is almost twice that of Miami, it wasn't such a big deal for Kristin.

She already knew neighbors, and that's what made New York so much more accessible than trying to rent in Miami on her own.

Public transport requires patience, but is much more convenient than a car.

In Miami, a twenty-minute drive easily turned into a drive of over an hour. This almost always happened between 5 and 9 a.m., as well as between 15 and 19 p.m.

In New York, the subway turned out to be faster and more reliable for Christine.

But the subway requires a shift in thinking – from an individual car ride to a shared experience.

If the train is late, it's late for everyone. This, according to Christine, brings a certain sense of unity.

She learned to leave herself some time when traveling and began taking a book with her to make the most of the time. This wouldn't have been possible while driving.

The difference in taxes is felt immediately

There's no income tax in Florida. Over the years of working there, Kristin had become accustomed to certain payments.

After moving, the girl knew the amounts would change, but she was still surprised by how much her "net" income had decreased, even considering she was just starting her career.

Christine is not upset that part of the taxes goes to public services.

In New York, she uses libraries and an efficient subway system, which she considers much better than those in Florida.

The noise in New York never stops.

The constant background noise of car horns and constantly running subway trains makes the city very noisy.

This doesn't deter Christine - she's considering buying good noise-cancelling headphones or even earplugs.

Lately, the girl has taken to falling asleep while meditating, which helps to drown out the neighbors' footsteps and the occasional nighttime sirens.

Art is everywhere

In New York City, art is everywhere, from graffiti in residential areas to mosaics in subway stations.

The city has numerous museums and cultural institutions. Many offer free admission on certain days or with a library card. This inspired Kristin to spend more time in museums.

Miami also has museums. But, according to the girl, they are smaller, and admission is rarely free.

The remote location and traffic jams make spontaneous visits almost impossible, as most museums are located in the busy city center.

In New York, she can visit a famous museum even on an ordinary weekday evening.

From street art to world-class museums and theatres, it's impossible not to admire the creativity, talent and passion of the people who live in this city.

People in New York are career-focused.

In Florida, she often felt like many people were on perpetual vacation. Some, she observed, had abstract sources of income and barely worked.

In New York the situation is different – ​​people in the city are constantly busy.

Every conversation starts with a question about work and often ends with us adding each other on LinkedIn.

Christine feels the opportunities for career advancement are virtually limitless here. Building professional networks also seems easier.

New Yorkers dress well.

Living in the city has made Christine more mindful of what she wears and how her clothes look.

In Miami, the emphasis is on appearance: tanning, beauty treatments and grooming.

In New York, the style of clothing and how it fits are more important.

When walking through trendy or business districts, Christine feels like she's scrolling through Pinterest.

Sometimes it seems to her that fashion week here lasts all year round.

To avoid feeling like the worst dressed, she's gradually building a new wardrobe suitable for the office and city life.

Each district has its own character

During her first trips to New York, Christine thought the city was the same everywhere: noisy, chaotic, and crowded.

Everything changed after she stepped outside of Manhattan.

Visiting different areas, the girl saw how different life was in each of them and how diverse the local communities were.

Some areas, such as the East Village, are teeming with young people and bars.

Others, like Park Slope in Brooklyn, are more reminiscent of quiet neighborhoods with cafes and strollers.

New York remains one of the most diverse cities in the world.

The cultures of countries ranging from the Dominican Republic to Bangladesh are represented here.

Christine finds it amazing that she can enjoy the cuisines of dozens of countries without leaving the city.

According to her, this is possible in few places in the world.

The best is sometimes found close to home

As the girl began to settle in the city, she realized that the abundance of options could be tiring and time-consuming.

Although Christine regularly tries new places and activities, she often feels more comfortable staying close to her neighborhood.

Sometimes, thanks to social media, cafes or restaurants become so popular that queues form outside them for weeks.

But even if the coffee or sandwich there is really good, she doubts the wait is worth it. There are plenty of other options around.

Now Christine rolls her eyes when someone tries to prove that this or that particular pizzeria is the best in town.

She thinks the pizza a block away is just as good.

There is always something to do in the city

She's sure that anyone who says New York is all about eating and going to bars hasn't tried to find anything else.

Of all the changes Christine experienced after moving, the variety of new activities was one of the most enjoyable.

From professional networking events to book lectures, festivals and neighborhood walks, the daily selection is staggering.

Christine loves to fill her free time with these "side quests."

This makes her days more fulfilling and interesting than endless attempts to find another version of a similar dish or drink.

There's more loneliness than you think, but finding community is easy.

In Florida, talking about loneliness is taboo, even during times when it's natural, like after college.

Miami, although a fairly large city, retains a provincial feel, where everyone knows each other for a long time, and new people feel like strangers.

In New York, everything is different.

Here, people can feel loneliness too, sometimes even more intensely. But no one is embarrassed to talk about it.

Christine discovered that the city was home to a multitude of events designed specifically for people to meet.

These are gatherings of common interests, professional events, meetings of local residents, or meetings dedicated to the general feeling of loneliness in the big city.

While she's still shaping her network, New York has already helped her meet dozens of amazing people.

Christine is sure she wouldn't have met them if she hadn't recognized that newcomers here can get lonely.