5 Tips for Moving to a Big City From a Small Town

August 18, 2021Moving Tips
Eva Johnson

Digital nomad born in New York but currently living online, Eva knows everything there is to know about packing and moving.

Moving to a big city usually means a whole world of opportunities. However, adjusting to a different lifestyle, environment, people, and home is not always easy and requires proper planning and preparation. Here are some ultimate tips on what to expect when relocating to an urban community and how to adjust to it much more easily.

Tip #1: How Do You Move to a Big City Alone and How Will You Feel About It? Prepare for the Adjustment Mentally and Emotionally

After you’ve decided where to live and made the final decision to move to a new state, not only should you start packing the household for a move but also start to mentally and emotionally prepare for the adjustment process. Here’s how.

What Happens When You Move to a Big City?

Being miles away from your family and friends, completely changing your lifestyle, job, and environment can be pretty overwhelming and inspire you to start asking yourself how to move to a big city alone. For that reason, being emotionally prepared for the upcoming changes is of tremendous importance when relocating to another state alone.

When you feel all alone, don’t hesitate to share your thoughts with family and friends and overcome the bad feelings. If dealing with those feelings seems unbearable, and you often feel anxious or stressed, then seeing a professional therapist is the best solution to combat them and attain a stress-free move.

a conversation with a therapist about getting prepared for long-distance moving
Being emotionally and physically prepared for a move will help you overcome them more easily

Tip #2: The Costs of Living Are Higher in Big Cities, So Don’t Forget to Budget!

Planning the moving budget and estimating how much money you will need on a monthly basis to cover all the expenses is definitely something to consider. Depending on the metropolitan area you choose for your home base, the costs of living will differ. While rent in cities like Los Angeles, Boston, and NYC is sky-high, renting prices in Toledo, Memphis, or Oklahoma are more than reasonable and, after all, under the national average.

The situation is pretty similar when it comes to buying your own property and counting the utilities too. Whatever you decide, just make sure you calculate every possible expense into the budget and are able to cover everything.

Don’t Forget to Check and Calculate the Taxes!

When relocating to a metropolitan area, it usually means you’ll pay more on property taxes and income taxes, too. So making sure to check all the regulations before relocating is definitely one of the best relocating tips to follow!

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Tip #3: Learn All the Pros of the Urban Life You’ll Like and How It Can Improve the Quality of Your Life

Urban environments provide their residents with numerous benefits like broader job opportunities, better amenities, many cultural and sports events, and options for quality free time. All these mentioned are enough reasons to live in a big city and move out of state, and here is everything you need to know about them!

Better Job Prospects are Definitely the Greatest Benefit of Relocating to a Metropolis

Metropolises are a magnet for successful companies, which provides a broader choice of job opportunities and better chances to get a higher-paid position. Many of those metropolises are homes to 500 Fortune companies, many provide beneficial conditions for entrepreneurs and start-ups, and those spots are usually in search of professionals with specific skills that can boost their business to a new level. So, if you’re pursuing your dream career, then moving to a metropolitan area is definitely a must.

A Variety of Choices When It Comes to Amenities and Events

No matter what your reasons to move are, we are sure that a wide choice of amenities, events, and other opportunities to spend free time will definitely be on the top of your priorities when you choose a new home base. Bigger cities are just a mecca for all kinds of happenings! Whether you enjoy going to the theater and movies, watching operas and ballets, tasting different cuisines, or are fond of sports, urban communities can provide you with all options!

More Businesses Are Open 24/7

Want to order sushi or pizza at 3 a.m. or want to go out and need to find a cool pub, restaurant, or club? Or maybe you feel ready to go work out in a gym? In metropolises, this is not a problem! Actually, this is a standard. Here, way more businesses are open 24 hours a day, which gives you much better prospects of organizing your daily routines.

There Are Greater Chances of Meeting New Like-Minded People

Just like metropolises are magnets for great companies, they also attract more people from all walks of life, so making friends in a new city who match your attitudes and lifestyle should not be a problem. Explore all the organizations where you can nurture your hobbies and express your talents, and this will be the best way to connect with them and create some long-lasting friendships.

Anonymity and More Privacy Can Be Pleasing When Living in a Metropolis

One of the greatest disadvantages of living in smaller places is that your neighbors often want to know everything about you. Also, there is definitely a stronger feeling of community, so if those two don’t suit you, choosing a bigger place to live is a good decision. A metropolis will give you a choice to be anonymous and close to other people at the same time. All you need to do is choose!

a couple enjoying their free time, waiting for the car shipping company to deliver their car
Personal growth, career advancement, and more options to dedicate to the things you love are the greatest benefits of living in a metropolis

Tip #4: Get to Know All the Cons of Life in the Big City

Is it hard to live in a big city? Considering all the cons, including dense traffic, pollution, and constant lack of time, we could say yes. However, when comparing all those cons to pros, we could still say that metropolises are definitely a better choice for all those who love urban areas, are searching for career advancement, and simply don’t want to live in a small town.

Expect to Live in Smaller Space

Relocating from a house to an apartment is something to expect when relocating to a bigger community since property prices are incredibly high. So, in order to move efficiently, the starting point is to downsize your household, get rid of all unnecessary things, and mentally prepare for a minimalist lifestyle in a smaller space.

Crowded Traffic and Long Commute Times Are the Greatest Cons of Urban Life

Public transportation – and traffic in general – can be very crowded in multi-million cities. For that reason, exploring the average commute time of the place you plan to move to is of essential importance if you want to stay there longer.

Lack of Green Areas and High Pollution Levels

No matter how hard the city’s authorities are trying to provide landscaped green areas, it is simply not enough and not comparable to little places. Not to mention the pollution levels caused by traffic, since eco-friendly solutions such as electric cars are still not predominantly in use. If these reasons are something you’d mind, then consider again if this lifestyle is the appropriate one for you.

To learn more about the importance of greenery in cities, take a look at the video below!

YouTube video

Tip #5: Always Have Your Car in Your Vicinity

Being mobile and capable of organizing your time independently from any public transportation schedule is of the utmost importance when choosing a metropolis for your home base. This is especially important if you’re relocating with kids, living in the suburbs, and working in the downtown area, because you’ll have to sync all your daily obligations and be everywhere on time.

The only way to meet this goal is to have your car with you, which means you should move your car to another state. Although many people think that this is quite expensive to do, when you find a trustworthy car shipping company, finding the cheapest way to ship a car is not that difficult to do. Here is how you can do it!

Bonus tip: When choosing a car shipping company, remember to read all the auto transport reviews you can find because this is the only certain way to stay away from potential moving scams.

Prepare Your Car for Auto Transport and Enjoy All the Benefits Once You Move

One of the biggest moving mistakes is not preparing the car for shipping properly. To avoid it, the most effective solution will be to consult an auto transport company on how to do it properly. These preparations entail several steps, such as learning how to disconnect the car alarm – because you don’t want your vehicle to start making noises once it is loaded on an open or enclosed auto trailer. Also, don’t forget to explore how to get gas out of a car since the car shipping company will require it, and of course, remove all the things you keep in your car.

Now that you’ve finished with all the preparatory steps, it is the right moment to choose the pick-up point. USA auto transport usually comes in two options, terminal to terminal car shipping and door to door auto transport, both of which are great options for avoiding driving stress. Don’t forget that driving in Chicago, for example, and driving in a small town are two entirely different experiences.

Check All the Regulations Regarding Your Car Registration and Driver’s Licence Update

Checking how to register your car in a new state and how to update your driving license is a must when relocating, so remember to put it on your to-do list. Check all the laws of the particular state you’re relocating to in detail, and explore the DMV website for further instructions for changing the driving license.

a white car after being moved by a professional auto shipping company
The ability to organize your daily routines freely is a huge advantage, so prepare your car for the move, too

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

Both large and small cities have pros and cons for their residents. While metropolitan areas give better prospects for a higher income, smaller towns are perfect for all those who want to enjoy peaceful family life, live in a spacious house with a yard, and dedicate themselves to their hobbies. On the other hand, living in a metropolis gives almost endless opportunities for personal growth and acquiring new skills and knowledge. As you already assume, there is no universal answer to this question since everything depends on your personal needs, goals, and expectations. So, before making the final decision to move to a new home, make sure to weigh the pros and cons of both options and choose the most suitable one for yourself.

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