Saturday, July 14, 2007

# 16--The Ultimate Committment

In January of 2005, we grew tired of renting. Buying was an exciting prospect, but also a sort of sad one. More than marriage or anything else in my 20's, buying property (#16) felt like putting down roots and committing to one place. I would not be picking up or moving to New York or LA or any of the other number of places that danced through my head as potential future homes. We were committing to at least 5 more years here. And then there was the money.

For the amount of money we spend on our house, we could have a McMansion in our OH hometown. Still, we got a fabulous deal on our place given the location and amenities. But there are drawbacks--zero outdoor space, limited closet space, close quarters with the other 935 people on our block. On the other hand, we live in one of the coolest parts in Boston in a neighborhood that has a certain cache. What Brooklyn is to New York, our neighborhood is to Boston. Of course, we knew that. since moving in together, we have only lived in this neighborhood amid its many artists (it has its own weekend of open studios), immigrants and townies.

We had not intended to get pregnant quite so fast and certainly did not expect to raise Samara here for any length of time. But gradually I have come to see the benefit of her exposure to so many cultures. She will be urban in a way that I never was. I kind of like that.

Right now we live about 3/4 of a mile from the closest subway stop, but the city is working on a project to extend the subway much closer by 2011. So we are planning to keep this place and act as landlords when we move to a bigger house sometime before our second child arrives.

2 comments:

M said...

I can relate to buying a McMansion in your hometown. We paid over $600K for our house which would have sat on at least an acre of land back in western PA and cost half as much. instead, I could hand my neighbor a beer through my dining room window while he is sitting on his couch. One of the many reasons we consider selling here in the suburbs of D.C. and moving back to PA

Kristi said...

I think it's very cool that you're raising Samara as an urban baby. The benefits (at least for awhile) will outweigh the drawbacks, but I can understand wanting to give her some outdoor space to run around. Where will you move to?