Moving into small condo and going back to the city

[Squirrel]

After 5 years of living in the suburbs and dealing with long commutes, having to drive for every errands and the never ending maintenance of a house, we are moving back to the city into a 2 bedrooms 900 sqf condo.
We have come to the conclusion that city living is more like us and since we couldn't afford a in-row house (and frankly I didn't want to continue to maintain a house) we chose to buy a small condo.

I'm so excited about our move! The condo is big enough for my husband and I, it has an indoor garage, it sits in front of a big park, is right next to all the amenities one could wish for and a subway station (I work downtown so my commute will go from almost 3 hours daily!!! to 45 minutes), it's in a quiet part of town and it's located 15 minutes away from my husband's family.

The living room and dining are covered in windows and the unit being on the 3rd floor, you can see a small mountain in the distance.

Now we don't have a lot of stuff but we still need to get rid of some so even though the move is only in 5 months I'm starting to go trough everything already 'cause I can't wait!

[razz]

That should be a beautiful place to live. Wise choices take time and experience for one to know what is a good fit.
Montreal is such a neat city with gorgeous horticultural gardens and art centres sitting on an island.
Hope that you move goes well.

[Jilly]

That is some pretty exciting news! Have fun divesting some of that stuff, and I am thinking that five months is going to pass in a flash. The early bird does not have to have a last-minute, round-the-clock purge.

[happystuff]

It sounds lovely! Congrats and good luck with the preparations and actual move.

[new2oregon]

Squirrel, Sounds like a smart move less commuting will leave you with more time and money. Smart of you to plan ahead. Good luck to you.

[ToomuchStuff]

Congratulations.
Here is something that a friend of mine, believes that I find kind of humorous. Good for going through stuff now, but the final part is the move. He believes have a dumpster delivered, a goodwill (or charity) truck, and then park your moving van a block away. You have to really want it to get it to the van.

[JaneV2.0]

I can imagine your relief to be rid of that commute. And to have a vibrant city at your front door--priceless.

[Jilly]

Congratulations.
Here is something that a friend of mine, believes that I find kind of humorous. Good for going through stuff now, but the final part is the move. He believes have a dumpster delivered, a goodwill (or charity) truck, and then park your moving van a block away. You have to really want it to get it to the van.

Clever and hilarious.

[fidgiegirl]

That IS funny, Toomuchstuff.

I think by starting now you will have the opportunity to do a second or third pass. I find I NEVER get rid of everything on the first go-round, and then am willing to let go of more on subsequent attempts. Your new place sounds so great!!

[CeciliaW]

This sounds like a wonderful change for you. A whole new chapter. Yay!

[sweetana3]

You are gaining back a big portion of your life. When we returned to Indiana, we did a similiar thing and moved downtown. Love it.

[Squirrel]

Thanks everyone for the support. I sure look forward to spending less time commuting and living even more simply in the city. Ever since moving in the suburbs I missed the freedom feeling we had when we lived in an apartment and had all of our leisure time enjoying ourselves.

Now it seems like I constantly think about what needs to be done around the house and how (I know it might sound ridiculous to some of you) trapped I feel. I realize now that not everyone is cut to live in the suburbs.

I will also not worry so much when we have to leave town for a few days and leave the house unattended.

Today I spent several hours going through our 3rd bedroom/storage room and our utility room to sort, toss and donate a lot of stuff so I feel great tonight!

[Spartana]

I have been in your shoes exactly Squirrel and feel exactly the same way about homeownership and living in the 'burbs or country. I love small city living (but not big cities like NYC, LA, Chicago, etc...) and would rather have a tiny one bedroom apt in the center of a cool small city than a larger house in the burbs or more land in the country. I like being able to be car-free if I choose, to walk or bike everywhere, to have access to public transportation and local entertainment/activities/culture. I have also felt very trapped living in a house in the 'burbs - trapped by the never ending maintenance and repairs I had to do on the house (with all those extra expenses) and also trapped by the constant worry of things breaking and being very expensive to repair. Also hated that I felt I couldn't go away for several weeks or months at a time without the hassle of getting a house sitter and dealing with worrying about the place al the time. Would love to just have a tiny place in the city where I could lock the door and leave for 6 months and never worry about the place at all.

Now having said all that, I currently AM a house owner in the 'burbs :-). Don't like it much and long for a small city place. But I needed a house having a house at the time I bought because I had dogs and needed a place for them with a yard. Plus I am retired and wanting to travel, so chose to live near sister's job so she could watch the dogs while I travelled. Now I only have one small dog, and my sister just got transferred to an area too far away to watch my dog, so will probably sell the house soon. But plan to just rent for awhile (probably short term vacation rentals for now) before settling down in a smallish city and buying a small condo.

[JaneV2.0]

I didn't mean to leave the impression that I didn't like suburbs; in fact, they're my favorite kind of neighborhood--owing to their scenic beauty (I live between a forest and an expansive golf course, so there is plenty of greenery to gaze on), wide open space, and near-total lack of crime. Amenities are close by. But at some point I may have to move to be closer to friends and family, and I'm concerned that I'm never going to find anything I like. I don't like being micro-managed by strangers or never-ending home maintenance...Maybe I'll buy a yurt...

[Float On]

Your move sounds great. I love fresh starts....wish I could get the DH on board I'd love to try city living for awhile.

[Spartana]

I didn't mean to leave the impression that I didn't like suburbs; in fact, they're my favorite kind of neighborhood--owing to their scenic beauty (I live between a forest and an expansive golf course, so there is plenty of greenery to gaze on), wide open space, and near-total lack of crime. Amenities are close by. But at some point I may have to move to be closer to friends and family, and I'm concerned that I'm never going to find anything I like. I don't like being micro-managed by strangers or never-ending home maintenance...Maybe I'll buy a yurt...I think Portland suburbs are a far cry from SoCal suburbs. They are more like endless miles of tract homes crowded a few feet from each other onto small lots with little or no green spaces besides the front lawns.

Typical SoCal 'burb:

http://www.simplelivingforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=1359&d=1390245982 http://www.simplelivingforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=1360&d=1390246420

[ApatheticNoMore]

The lawns here are decent sized and the homes not tract, yea it's where the green space is, the suburbs are pretty and can be interesting (if people do original things with their lawns etc. - don't conform to the imperative of grass)


didn't mean to leave the impression that I didn't like suburbs; in fact, they're my favorite kind of neighborhood--owing to their scenic beauty (I live between a forest and an expansive golf course, so there is plenty of greenery to gaze on), wide open space, and near-total lack of crime. Amenities are close by.

+1 me too. I mean I realize it makes me a horrible, horrible person but ...

[Spartana]

You're right ANM - SoCal does have some nice suburban areas - just not that many :-)! A friend from Washington is down here for the winter and just rented a nice suburban tract house in Temecula that is in a very nice 'hood. It is in one of those Master Planned tract housing 'hoods - and by tract home I mean that they are pretty much clones of each other with only a few variations of design and are set lots of the same size. The master planned communities usually incorporate greenbelts and small parks in the 'hoods unlike some of the older tract homes like where I live.

[JaneV2.0]

I think Portland suburbs are a far cry from SoCal suburbs. They are more like endless miles of tract homes crowded a few feet from each other onto small lots with little or no green spaces besides the front lawns.


Those are truly ghastly, Spartana.

I lived for a time in Beaverton, Oregon which was pretty pastoral with mid-century neighborhoods and some lovely newer (70s) developments, where builders took pains to leave trees. I left, and it went to hell >:( with SoCal style cheap housing up and down the hills. Seattle--at least the Eastside, where I live, has very few of those*--a few uninspired condo projects--but we have huge swaths of green space, and big lots.

*Except for Issaquah, which should be ashamed of itself.

[JaneV2.0]

http://www.simplelivingforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=1369&d=1390267222

[Spartana]

Pretty!! I've lived in some pretty nice suburbs myself and so I do know how nice they can be. I live in one about 10 miles out side of Boston called Melrose. It was a lovely small town full of beautiful tree lined streets full of old colonials and Victorians (some from 1600's and 1700's), big 2000 acre nature/park reserve across from my house, lakes, cute main street (which is a registered national historic place), etc... and it was on the train line to Boston - or a mile walk top the subway. It was a great place. I've lived in several other big city 'burbs beside Melrose and most were nice. But for some reason (endless sprawl and development) many of the SoCal area 'burbs are very similar to the photos above. I live in an older (1950's) 'burb about 50 miles south of LA and it is massively over developed with nary a tree or blade of grass in sight - except the big park I run in and the beach. There are some nice wilderness areas further south but most are abutted by massive urban sprawl now. .

[Squirrel]

I have been in your shoes exactly Squirrel and feel exactly the same way about homeownership and living in the 'burbs or country. I love small city living (but not big cities like NYC, LA, Chicago, etc...) and would rather have a tiny one bedroom apt in the center of a cool small city than a larger house in the burbs or more land in the country. I like being able to be car-free if I choose, to walk or bike everywhere, to have access to public transportation and local entertainment/activities/culture. I have also felt very trapped living in a house in the 'burbs - trapped by the never ending maintenance and repairs I had to do on the house (with all those extra expenses) and also trapped by the constant worry of things breaking and being very expensive to repair. Also hated that I felt I couldn't go away for several weeks or months at a time without the hassle of getting a house sitter and dealing with worrying about the place al the time. Would love to just have a tiny place in the city where I could lock the door and leave for 6 months and never worry about the place at all.

Now having said all that, I currently AM a house owner in the 'burbs :-). Don't like it much and long for a small city place. But I needed a house having a house at the time I bought because I had dogs and needed a place for them with a yard. Plus I am retired and wanting to travel, so chose to live near sister's job so she could watch the dogs while I travelled. Now I only have one small dog, and my sister just got transferred to an area too far away to watch my dog, so will probably sell the house soon. But plan to just rent for awhile (probably short term vacation rentals for now) before settling down in a smallish city and buying a small condo.

This is what I love about this message board. There is always someone that thinks exactly like I do. Boy I need to start participating a bit more instead of just reading everyone's posts.
I agree with you Spartana that with the dogs and your sister nearby your best choice was living in that house but good luck with your move into a small apartment.

[Spartana]

This is what I love about this message board. There is always someone that thinks exactly like I do. Boy I need to start participating a bit more instead of just reading everyone's posts.
I agree with you Spartana that with the dogs and your sister nearby your best choice was living in that house but good luck with your move into a small apartment.Probably not moving right away but definitely looking into it. Unfortunately my dog, The Barkinator, is too yappy to live in an apt or even a condo so I will still probably have to live in a house for the next 10 years (UGH). Been looking at different options since I really don't want to buy again at this point or even rent long term somewhere. Would like to do some kind of travel/rental thing - renting an off season vacation rental part of the year and then travelling the other part of the year. That would probably work best for me as I'd still have the comforts of a furnished house with a yard, but wouldn't have to worry about all the maintenance and repairs and costs. And I could just up and leave when I'm ready to go and can travel long term without all the worrying about my house (and paying for the place) while I was gone. So that will probably be the plan after I sell this house. The hard part is deciding where to go first :-)!