Five Things that Surprised Me the Most About Living in NYC

Hi friends, welcome back! It’s crazy to think that come May, I will have lived in NYC for two years! It seems like just yesterday I was boarding a plane with my one-way ticket from Michigan. I had no idea what to expect because I had only visited NYC for a long weekend, but I was excited for this major life change! I adjusted pretty quickly to the fast-paced life here and I can honestly say I am truly enjoying living in NYC! Maybe one day I’ll share my five favorite things, but today I thought it would be fun to share five things that surprised me the most about living in NYC!

1. How easy and convenient the subway is

This may sound silly, but one of my biggest fears about living in NYC was taking the subway everywhere. It seemed like a big scary maze to me and I was afraid I’d get on an uptown train instead of a downtown train and get totally lost. But lo and behold the subway is my most used mode of transportation in the city. It’s incredibly easy to use, convenient, and a lot faster than taking an uber. Plus, I only live about three minutes from the subway I need to take to work so it’s great!

2. How hard it is to find a doctor/dentist/hairdresser

This one is kind of random, but it took me forever to find new doctors, dentists, hairdressers, etc. in the city. In Michigan it was so much easier because I could get recommendations from friends and family, but that’s not as easy out here. Also, there are so many options that it’s incredibly overwhelming, and the best ones can be booked for months in advance.

3. How much later the day starts in NYC compared to Michigan

I first noticed this when I started working that people would arrive at work between 9am and 10am. I thought that was so abnormal because when I worked in Michigan, people would be in between 8am and 8:30am, and meetings frequently started at 8:30am. An 8:30am meeting in NYC would be considered cruel and unusual punishment! Also, with the later start in the day, people eat lunch around 1pm as opposed to 11:30 in Michigan. The main reason for the later start in the city is that people can have up to ta wo-hour commut from CT, NJ, or Long Island. Their commutes can involve car, trains, and a bus! So much different than in Michigan!

4. How much there is to do and see

This one may seem obvious, but it’s truly amazing that there’s always something going on and something new to see in NYC! Jon and I have been trying new coffee shops on the weekends and our list of places to choose from seems almost infinite. I also was surprised by how much there is to see, the city is ever changing and even on my daily commute to work I can always notice something different. Jon and I have really made it a mission of ours to take full advantage of the city while we are living here and it’s been so fun exploring together 🙂

5. How much I love living here

Growing up if you would have told me I would be living in NYC I would have said “Yeah right, that’s the last place I would ever want to live!”, yet here I am! I do miss the fresh air of the suburbs, being able to get in my car any time, and the quiet, but overall, I’m having a blast living in NYC! It’s so different than life in Michigan, but it’s so fun. Now is the best time in my life to be living in the city and I’m fully embracing all NYC has to offer.

Did anything on this list surprise you? Let me know if you like these kinds of posts and if there’s anything else about the city you would like me to write about 🙂 Thanks for reading!