I shopped at Trader Joe's in the Midwest and New York City. Here are the most surprising differences I noticed.

The Trader Joe's store I visited in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was part of a large mall complex.

In New York City, I visited a Trader Joe's store on 72nd Street, one of Manhattan's nine locations.

At the Midwest Trader Joe's store, all items were across one floor.

In New York City, the store featured two levels with escalators in between.

The Midwest Trader Joe's stocked beer from local Wisconsin breweries.

The New York City store sold local beer from Brooklyn and the Bronx.

The alcohol section in the Midwest store I visited spanned several shelves with dozens of options.

In New York, state laws dictate that only licensed liquor stores can sell certain alcoholic beverages, so the selection was much smaller.

The Midwest store was decorated with artwork highlighting famous sites like the Milwaukee Art Museum.

The themed decor in New York City paid tribute to the city's famous skyline and memorable movie scenes that have taken place there.

Checkout counters at the Wisconsin store featured short lines.

The lines at the New York location stretched throughout the entire floor, with an employee holding a sign to indicate where to begin waiting.

Trader Joe's remains my top grocery store, whether I'm loading my bags into a car in the Midwest or lugging them home on the subway.