I moved from New York City to Charlotte, North Carolina. Here are 7 things that have surprised me most, so far.

I had no idea that North Carolina residents could purchase alcohol at grocery stores.

However, the alcohol available at stores like Target and Walmart is restricted to beer and wine, and there are a variety of state laws limiting when and where people can purchase alcohol.

For example, liquor can be purchased only at liquor stores, and those are closed on Sundays. Meanwhile, beer and wine can only be purchased in North Carolina after 10 a.m. on Sundays, although local ordinances may affect this timing in different counties.

Still, this was a surprise to me. In Maryland, where I grew up, state law prohibits the sale of beer and wine in most grocery stores, so these products (and liquor) are usually sold at dedicated locations like liquor stores. In New York, beer is available in grocery stores, but wine and liquor are not, and can be found only at liquor stores.

Meanwhile, in New Jersey, it's legal for beer and wine to be sold at grocery stores, but in practice it's rarely available because of limits on distribution licenses.

Though I'm still getting used to the new rules, I have to admit it's been pretty convenient being able to purchase a bottle of wine and ingredients for dinner in one stop.

In New Jersey and New York, plastic straws were made available only upon request starting in November 2021, while plastic bags were banned in 2022 and 2020, respectively.

This meant I was accustomed to bringing reusable shopping bags and being responsible for bagging my own groceries, so I was shocked when the attendant at my local Walmart in Charlotte started bagging my groceries in plastic bags.

I was similarly shocked when I ordered a milkshake and received a plastic straw without requesting it.

In North Carolina, state law prevents any rules that "restrict, tax, charge a fee, prohibit or otherwise regulate the use, disposition, or sale of an auxiliary container," The News & Observer reported, adding that an "auxiliary container" could include everything from straws and plastic bags to take-out containers. Still, businesses can choose to provide free alternatives.

Even though the plastic bag and plastic straw bans do not exist here, I still plan to bring my reusable bags with me going forward, though I would appreciate help from the attendees.

Growing up outside Washington and working in New York City, I found it common to ask for a person's Instagram or other social media handle after meeting them for the first time.

Here in Charlotte, though, I've found that other Gen Zers are much more likely to ask for phone numbers directly, which came as a bit of a shock.

In my experience, starting conversations on social media first allows the two parties to investigate each other's feeds and generally be less committed to continuing conversations or making plans, while a direct phone number feels more intentional.

Of the people who shared their numbers with me, I was happily surprised by how comfortable I felt reaching out, which has led to more plans for future hangouts.

In New York and New Jersey, the majority of social events I attended were related to networking primarily because they were the only group events I felt were worth the necessary time and money to attend. As a result, most of the conversations I had with new people revolved around careers and how we could all benefit one another professionally.

Meanwhile, in Charlotte, the lower cost of living has afforded me with more disposable income to feel comfortable going out more frequently and to experiment with hobbies.

This, along with access to free parks (which I'll get to later), has allowed me to build a far more robust social life than I had in New York, complete with pilates classes, pickleball, trivia at a local bar, pick-up soccer games, and more.

I cannot overstate how much I missed having my own car before moving.

In Jersey City, limited street parking, excess traffic, and parking costs made having more than one car impractical, so my boyfriend and I got used to sharing his Ford Escape.

Now that we're in Charlotte, though, we have an entire gated parking lot dedicated to our apartment community, so I was able to bring my own car.

I definitely underestimated how nice it would be for each of us to have our own transportation, especially on weeknights when we have overlapping commitments. It also helps that most drives in the city take a maximum of 20 minutes, a far cry from the 40-minute minimum I was used to navigating between cars, trains, and walks in and around Jersey City and Manhattan. Oh, and I rarely have to pay for parking.

So, though we each have to pay for car insurance, the other benefits definitely outweigh the additional cost.

As a new pickleball enthusiast, I was happily surprised to learn that there were free courts in our area.

Most parks I've seen so far have a mix of free, open-play courts and others that can be reserved ahead of time.

As the weather continues to get warmer and the sun shines for longer, I anticipate that booking courts will become much more necessary to ensure we don't have to wait too long to play, so the only thing we'll have to learn is how far in advance we need to book a time slot.

Despite this being the farthest I've lived from my hometown, what has surprised me most is how much it reminds me of home.

With its abundance of shopping centers, green space, and residential areas, Charlotte feels like the perfect blend of city and suburban living.

And it seems clear that everyone in this city of transplants wants to make friends, which has helped to expand our network far faster than I thought was possible.

Though I'm more than willing to return to New York, I'm grateful for the flexibility to try something new and enjoy a different pace of life, at least for a little while.

Correction — March 20, 2025: An earlier version of this story misstated when wine and beer can be purchased in North Carolina on Sundays. Sales are permitted after 10 a.m., not 12 p.m.