Business district in New York City overlay

Things to Know When Moving to a Big City From a Small Town

Posted in Moving Tips & Tricks on August 13, 2021

Relocations are one of the most significant events of our lives. But, moving to a big city and leaving your small town behind is one of the boldest steps to take when switching places. Worry not, because the city’s lights await you ahead.

Making such a great decision that will completely change your life doesn’t come easy. Your reasons to move can vary, from planning to move to a new urban area because you need a change of surroundings or because you’ve successfully managed to get a job before you’ve relocated. There are many urban cores out there that can call to you – from Chicago, the place of innovation that handed us both the zipper and the vacuum cleaner, to New York, where more than 800 languages are spoken. There’s a lot of diversity and a lot of cities to choose from. But while relocating to a new home settled in the middle of urban surroundings will be a huge change, it will also be fun and adventurous.

Be Sure That This Huge Step Is What You Want

Perhaps you’ve tried the “where should I move quiz” just for fun, but you’ve already had a craving for urban life in your heart. The decision to take the leap of faith and live on your own has been made, but you’re left wondering how to move to a big city alone. The thought of it may scare you, but someone that has made up their mind isn’t that easily scared. Nevertheless, before relocating to another state alone, you should consider some things. Making a jump from a provincial living to the city’s hustle and bustle will make you change your lifestyle completely. It’s not just about planning the relocating budget; it’s about leaving your nest and venturing into the great unknown.

Pick Your Destination Based on Your Preferences

Yes, you’ve made up your mind about leaving your hometown, but how to decide where to live? The easiest way to answer this question is to pick among popular destinations. One of the relocating essentials is the fact that you should base your choice on your preferences. Although you may have grown an interest in a particular place everyone’s talking about, the metropolis of your choice should be the one that fits your needs.

Look for the areas that suit your lifestyle, print the pros and cons, and put them in the relocating binder. That way, you can look at them thoroughly and decide your destination. But, before you contact long-distance movers and invest in cross-country moving services, there are some other things to consider.

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Land a New Work Position to Make Your Life in the Big City Easier

One of the ways to make a decision where you’ll be living is to get a job in a new town. You can do this the same way you would do it locally – by searching the job market. The only thing you need to do is widen your search to other areas, sticking to your particular field of work. But, even if you are unsuccessful, relocating without a job is possible. It will take specific relocating hacks to pull it off because being jobless means you have to put some money aside to get you covered for some time until you land on your feet.

An office with many desks
The transition to a metropolitan area will be easier if you find a job first

Do a Thorough Research to Get to Know It Well

You’ve narrowed your search down to a select few cities, and it’s time to do some serious research. One of the vital parts of planning a move to another town is to prepare well in advance. If you happen to know someone living in the desired place, they can give you essential information. It would be good to know a few things upfront – from local laws to the location of the best places to dine in.

Urban Places Offer Different Neighborhoods, so Choose Wisely

If you’ve gathered all the information on the chosen metropolitan area, you can put it right with other papers when organizing important documents at home. So, it’s the perfect moment to start informing yourself about different districts. We all have different preferences and needs. People who plan on relocating with pets will look for neighborhoods with parks and probably be on the lookout for dog-friendly restaurants. Families with kids would choose districts with great schools over other things and hunt for better housing prices. Sites like NeighborhoodScout offer you to search through different parts of the metropolis you’re interested in. You can hear some advice on how to choose the neighborhood in NYC in the following video.

How Do You Move to a Big City?

The obvious answer would be – with stars in your eyes, excitement in your heart, and a new apartment checklist in your hands. But, if you’re wondering what happens when you move to a big city, you should keep in mind that urban cores usually mean smaller apartments and tiny spaces. That means you should keep the number of stuff to a bare minimum and plan to shop for creative storage ideas and solutions.

Save Up for Moving Across Country Ahead of You

Are you wondering what do you need to rent an apartment? Besides having a good credit history and prepared payment stubs or bank statements as proof of your regular income, you should also prepare yourself financially. Whether you are considering buying, and you’re gathering some house hunting tips or going to rent, you’ll need to have the money upfront. Buying a house requires a downpayment, while you should have enough to leave a deposit if you’ve chosen to rent an apartment. You should also count in the monthly cost of groceries and utilities for the first couple of months.

Hunt For a Place to Live In and Consider Getting a Roommate

If you are on a hunt for an apartment complex, an excellent way to view your potential home is online. Several sites offer a virtual tour, and you can sit in your chair while you search through places. Although, when you narrow your search to a select few, it’s best to visit in person and talk to the community manager about everything that interests you. If you think that you won’t cover all the costs, consider getting a roommate. After that, you’ll only have to figure out the layout of your home and look for some small apartment ideas.

A trolley with bags
Relocating to a metropolitan area is a huge decision

Be Vary, The Traffic Can Be Outrageously Tiresome

The question arises – is it hard to live in a big city? One of the facts of living in a metropolitan area is that you’ll have difficulty finding parking spaces. But you can ask your future landlord if the apartment has a parking spot. If it does, you can freely invest in an auto transport service and ship your car. But, brace yourself because most cities have a problem with traffic jams. In time, you’ll learn how to avoid it, though. On the other hand, public transportation can save you from wrecking your nerves. As much as it is crucial to have a stress-free relocation, it’s also essential to living there devoid of any tension, and the public transit system might see to that.

 Vehicles on the road
The traffic can wear you out, but there’s always the option of public transportation

Moving to a Big City Can Feel Like a Mistake

If you’ve kept your expectations high, and the situation is not working the way you thought it would be at first, don’t give up right away. The anxiety about moving out that has crept up on you while you prepared has probably turned into stress and adjustment insomnia, but you can overcome it. It takes time and patience to build up life there just the way you want it to be, and it will pay off in the long run.

Reach Out to Your Friends, but Don’t Shy Away From Other People, Too

If you have begun to feel downright sad and homesickness is bothering you, there are many ways to keep in touch with friends you left back home. From video chats to sending old school letters, there are many ways to keep them close. They could even come to visit you. But, you’ll be able to adapt much more quickly if you make friends in a new town. You can reach out to your neighbors or grab a drink with colleagues. Engaging in social interactions with other people and joining clubs with activities that interest you may help you enlarge your circle of friends.

 Happy people holding drinks
Meeting new people is a great benefit

Your Opportunities Will Be Endless

There are many benefits of relocating and various reasons to live in a big city. These are the places where you can thrive, both career-wise and as a human being. While you organize your move, you should look forward to embracing diversity and indulging in cultural activities with other people. You’ll have unique opportunities to learn and study, to find different work and gain experience, but also to have fun. No other places offer the same vibrance to nightlife as metropolitan cities. But even if you feel overwhelmed by how crowded your surroundings are, you can get more privacy in a metropolis than you would in a smaller town. Others just won’t care about your personal life, and you’ll get to enjoy the anonymity and your own time and space.

Girl enjoying surroundings after moving cross-country
You get to choose when you’ll be alone

Organize Your Move Down to the Detail Before You Head Out

Every move should be organized to the last bit, especially when you head out into the unknown but want to move efficiently. It should start with a to-do list that includes the steps you should take:

  • Changing the address, switching utilities, and making a list of who to notify that you’re changing the living place are among the first items on the checklist.
  • Decluttering your old home and deciding what to keep before you leave is crucial. It will lower the relocation price, and packing will be done in a jiffy if there’s less stuff to transport. It will significantly affect how much do movers cost.
  • You’ll need to gather some packing tips to be more efficient. You can pack clothes into garbage bags or invest in wardrobe boxes and keep clothes from wrinkling. If you want to pack shoes with no effort at all, using suitcases for it is one of the best long-distance moving tips.
  • Finding ways to pack bathroom items without breaking anything and avoiding spilling the liquids is not that hard. You should pack anything breakable in the same manner as you pack fragile items – with a lot of cushioning. To avoid leakage, place some plastic wrap under each lid, and you’re good to go.
  • The kitchen may seem like it will wear you out, but it will be packed in an instant if you know how to pack pots and pans.

If you are venturing out of your home for the first time, it’s only natural that there are things you forget to do when you move. But a checklist will make sure you keep most of your relocation under control.

Cross-Country Movers Can Take You to Any Large Metropolitan Area You Want

To be honest, the transition from a small town to a large metropolitan area is a significant change, and the last thing you should worry about is how to handle the move. That’s where the professionals step in, and you can invest in a range of solutions that will guarantee that the relocation process is effortless. Their packing service will get that dreaded task of packing everything off your back, while storage service will come in handy for all your possessions that won’t fit into the new abode. The only thing to keep in mind is how to tip movers if you are satisfied with their service.

Getting ready for cross-country moving
Don’t overpack for your move

Is It Better to Live In a Big or Small City?

There’s no easy answer to that question. It all depends on your needs and preferences and how well you’ll be able to adjust. It’s also vital that you’ve chosen the proper metropolis for you. But all of this shouldn’t give you cold feet, so don’t make a relocating mistake of chickening out and giving up on your move. After all, relocating to a new state is an adventure, and you should grab it.

Blake Shaw

Bostonian and residential moving and packing expert. Blake Shaw enjoys bar-hopping, music, and writing insightful content.

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