a taste of the ‘burbs

Last weekend, we went to New Jersey to HOUSE-HUNT! Bah!

Don’t mind me. It’s just that we’ve been doing everything we can to stay in New York, but once you look at a place in New Jersey and you realize that you can have ALL THE SPACE ( a washer & dryer inside the actual home, which is my dream!) for almost half the price, it’s like, well this is a horse of a different color!

Did I ever tell you I lived in central New Jersey for a few years? Well, I did. I moved to Old Bridge some time after I started college. I rode into New York every day for school and to tell you the truth, the commute wasn’t bad at all. Sure, it’s no Astoria where you can be in midtown in about 20 minutes, but 45 minutes on a comfortable bus isn’t terrible either.

I’ve actually come around to the idea that we’ll likely move to Jersey. I was hesitant at first, but I didn’t want to be one of those people that would rather pay top dollar to live in a shoebox just to be in New York. That works when you’re 21. Not so much when you’re nearing 30 and thinking about your future.

On the other hand, I’d always imagined that if I had kids I would love to raise them in the city. I was raised here and I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything. I loved having access to different foods, neighborhoods and being exposed to people of different races and cultures. I started riding the subway on my own when I was twelve. I started lugging my dirty clothes to the laundromat and doing my own laundry when I was fourteen. My friends and I would hop on a train or bus into the city any time we got bored in Brooklyn. When I’d walk home later at night, I’d make sure to have my keys wedged in between my fingers in case I needed to stab someone for trying to mess with me (not so much an experience I’d want for a kid, but to have that anything-can-happen awareness is something). My point is, it’s easy to be self-sufficient and street-smart when you’re raised in New York. You have no other choice.

But living in the suburbs has its benefits too. The first time I went into a supermarket in Jersey, I thought, This place is massive! There was so much space down the aisles and no rushing or crowds of people.

On Saturday, we borrowed Bob’s mother’s car and decided that since we were already there, we’d do our groceries in Jersey. When Bob tried to unload the groceries by the exit, I stopped him and said, “What are you doing? You don’t have to unload here, you can actually bring the cart to the car”. He was shocked! “Really? I’m not used to stores trusting us like this!”. It was pretty funny but very telling of the differences between where we grew up and where we may end up.

Bulk-shopping! I love it. ↑

After this long post about moving to New Jersey, I’ll laugh if it turns out we end up staying in Queens. And that’s the funny thing about it. We don’t know where this path will take us.

But seriously, if I could afford the $900,000 single family home that’s available across the street from us, then I’d be more than willing to stay. Anyone got a cool mil they’d be willing to part with? Anyone? Hello?