I moved from London to NYC a month ago. Here are the 4 biggest mistakes I made.

One of the biggest mistakes I made moving to NYC was signing a lease on an apartment without seeing it first. I made this decision in somewhat of a rush to find housing and to live with someone I already knew.

I wouldn't recommend my choice for several reasons — the most important being that what someone else considers an adequate housing option can be different from what you're envisioning. On top of that, you can't really get a sense of the neighborhood until you see it for yourself.

The apartment I signed a lease for is located in NYC's Financial District, also known as FiDi. While it is convenient for work, I've struggled to acclimate to the area because it's so different from what I was used to in London. The buildings are huge, imposing, and corporate-looking, which makes it feel a lot less homey and more sterile than what I'm familiar with. If I'd had the opportunity to tour the apartment and the area first, I would've had my reservations about signing the lease, or I at least would've felt more prepared for what living here is like.

Like most people with a budget, I moved to NYC knowing I'd have to make certain sacrifices when it came to housing. One that I thought I was prepared to make was paying less rent to live in the smaller room of the apartment, which in my case was built in the living room using a temporary wall.

Flex walls, as they're known in NYC, are pretty standard in the city. They are used to create more rooms in apartments where multiple tenants reside, helping lower the rent.

Depending on the building regulation, however, they don't always go up to the ceiling. In my case, that means there is a 1-foot gap between the top of my bedroom wall and the ceiling.

I didn't fully appreciate the sacrifice I would be making in terms of privacy until I saw the wall — and the gap above it — in person. If I could go back in time, I'd tell myself to think twice and do more research into flex walls before signing the lease.

Milk, eggs, yogurt, coffee, coffee creamer, and granola — these were the items I bought at a small shop near my apartment in FiDi during my first proper grocery trip. It wasn't until I brought everything to the register to be scanned that I realized the cost was something in the range of $40 plus. And let me tell you, I was shocked.

When I left the grocery store, I immediately called my sister, who had been living in the city for a few months. She told me that I should avoid local grocery stores for big food hauls because they are so much more expensive than chains like Aldi and Trader Joe's, which sell products for similar prices at locations across the US.

"Or you can shop at Whole Foods," my sister said. "Because at least you know it's going to be expensive before you go."

TV shows and movies set in NYC make the concept of meeting new people and going out in the city seem effortless. Take Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) from "Friends" as an example. In the first episode alone, we see her ditch her wedding, relocate to NYC, and smoothly inject herself into an existing friend group.

My rookie mistake was believing that finding friends in NYC happens overnight. The reality is that the process takes time and effort, especially if you're not someone who is a natural social butterfly.

I've also learned the hard way that going out is tough on the bank account. Shows like "Sex and the City" and "Gossip Girl" show the glamour of NYC — and rarely the reality of what a fun night out here actually costs.

If anything, I wish I could go back to October to tell myself not to expect everything to fall into place instantly, and to say yes to social opportunities that make sense within my budget. Life in NYC isn't like it is onscreen, which is perfectly OK too.