Comments on: we may be cramped, but at least we’re not alone

By: shelterrific » Blog Archive » our kitchen bookshelves, staged

shelterrific » Blog Archive » our kitchen bookshelves, staged — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 14:33:43 +0000

[...] week we debated the merits of family living in a small space in the city versus a cozy house in a suburb. Admittedly, just the word “suburb” makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up a [...]

By: ellobie

ellobie — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 00:53:10 +0000

I’ve been in a lot of situations – very rural, standard burbs and in the city. I will never ever again live in the burbs, though I could see myself living in the country. I have never felt more disconnected from EVERYTHING as the times I’ve lived in the burbs.

By: shelterrific » Blog Archive » five things we learned last week

shelterrific » Blog Archive » five things we learned last week — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 13:07:08 +0000

[...] 1. The debate between small places in the big city and big spaces in the ‘burbs rages on. While some readers like Allison say, “Having space is priceless,” others like Tiffany see the other side of the coin: “We missed everything the city had to offer on the weekends.” Got an opinion on the subject? Please weigh in here! [...]

By: Amanda

Amanda — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 01:01:52 +0000

We moved out of the city just before our first son was born. I’d grown up in NYC and we’d lived there together for years. We basically drew a “commutable” circle around the city and looked at towns in those areas. Almost randomly, we ended up in Hastings-on-Hudson, a very short commute from the city and a great town (wonderful schools, artsy people, etc.). I was worried about what it would be like to live in the suburbs, but I can honestly say that the transition was no big deal. Other than the lack of decent ethnic takeout nearby, I don’t miss a thing. This would be a great time to look for a house–prices are way down….good luck!

By: DJ

DJ — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 03:10:45 +0000

It was certainly a trade-off for us… we left family, friends, and the place we loved to live all behind when we moved to a more affordable area.

We did, however, gain in that our family relationships grew closer. The kids stopped arguing almost entirely once they no longer needed to share a room and once we weren’t always living on top of one another.

Everyone felt like they had room to breathe and be alone when they needed to be. We have room for a dining table and could finally all eat meals together, sitting across from one another, rather than perched at various counter spaces in a tiny kitchen. That was a wonderful change.

We miss what we left behind, for sure, but all of us try to focus on what we have that we could never have afforded without moving.

By: MamaChilanga

MamaChilanga — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 02:17:39 +0000

We are a soon-to-be family of four in 600 sq. ft. in San Francisco. There are three of us right now and I wouldn’t have it any other way. When my daughter has playdates in larger homes, she asks why the parents don’t want their children near them at night. Granted, she is just short of five. I’m sure her attitude will change when she’s older.

By: laura

laura — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 02:15:56 +0000

my husband, 18 month old daughter and i live in a 650 sf one bedroom.

i would not dream of moving. we have a great neighborhood (inwood/washington heights) there are lots of playgroups and activities for our daughter, lots of great parents that we see every day on the playground, and our apartment is (very) affordable.

we had to change how we live in our apartment when our daughter came along. we went through all of our personal belongings and questioned whether we really needed to keep something or would we rather have the space. we sold a lot of our stuff on craigslist and ebay and now only have what we need and use. it was very liberating to do this and it is easy to keep the place clean and tidy now, even easier than before we had a baby.

we have plenty of space in those 650 sf for a home office, my studio, a play area…

when our daughter gets older we plan to put a murphy bed in the living/dining room so that she can have the bedroom, and some privacy.

my commute is 15 minutes, my husbands is 20 (by train)

By: Tiffany S.

Tiffany S. — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 23:20:19 +0000

We moved an hour-and-a-half out of Manhattan to a brand new four-bedroom house on two acres. For us, it wasn’t worth it, and we finally moved out of NY altogether. The commute grated on my husband, and it was an 6 – 8 hour door-to-door trip for me to go into the city to meet him for dinner and a show. We missed everything the city had to offer on the weekends….If I had it to do over again, we would have rented a bigger apartment in the city.

By: Mer

Mer — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 22:02:20 +0000

I don’t know. Living in an amazing city is certainly something to think about. But people need to get away from each other from time to time. Everyone needs some private space.

By: Celene

Celene — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 19:37:31 +0000

My brother-in-law and his wife have this conversation all the time (upper west side) , primarily regarding schools for their two girls. He is super involved with them, and will have to leave the house before they’re up and return right at bed time. Quality of life is about relationships, not things. You will make the right decision for your little family, I’m sure.