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WE’RE MOVING!!
March 26, 2017
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I’ve been posting here and there about our family, Gordon’s new job, a pending move and what has been happening….cryptically.
If you are a devoted reader (a lot of you are!!), then you will have picked up on these sentences here and there and made a comment or sent me a lovely, inquiring email. I’ve thought about if and when I would post about what is happening and finally decided today is the day! I did want to wait a little longer, but honestly, there’s no reason to drag this out. I KNOW I’m going to keep getting those emails 😉
So hold onto your hats, because here she blows:
Gordon got a job!
In our 2016 Christmas post, I mentioned a little something about Gordon landing his dream job. Well, he did!!
So, what IS his job?
Technically, I can’t tell you what he will be doing (how annoying is that?) BUT!! I can tell you he will be working for the government in a law-enforcement-type roll. You can ask and guess and inquire for more details, but I can’t tell you because this platform of mine is ever-growing. Who knows who will be reading? So we are just trying to keep him safe 🙂
It’s not you, it’s me.
We are moving!
But didn’t you just move to Boise?
YES! We did move to Boise and words can not describe how much we love it here. Like, big puffy heart eyes LOVE LOVE LOVE it here.
But didn’t you buy your dream house in Boise?
YES! We did buy an amazingly perfect home for us in the perfect location for us with the perfect neighbors and friends for us.
But, Gordon got his dream job. As in the job he’s been dreaming about since BEFORE we got married. That’s 10+ years, folks. So, of course we will go wherever this job leads. We would be silly not to.
So, where will this job take you?
Well, it will probably take us lots of places, but for the next few years, this job takes us to…
New York City
Crazy, right? We love our low-key little life in Boise on the quietest street ever. But, we are trading it all in for a different kind of dream. One that means an apartment, busier streets, more adventures, lots of things to explore, more taxes (ew) and diversity galore. Plus, we will be living much closer to my parents which we haven’t been able to do for the past 13 years since I left for college. Out of everyone praying for Gordon to get this job, I think they were praying the hardest!
Where we are at now
So, Gordon has already started on this new career a couple of weeks ago and has left for training last week (I seriously cannot get away from all these darn trainings!! Ahh!!) Once Brooke and Blake are done school for the year, we will pack up (or sell!!) everything we have and head for the city. Our house went up for sale a few days ago and we are hopeful it will sell in time for us to move in the summer. Apparently that’s when the most apartments are available, so hooray for that! But, that also means thats when prices are the highest too.
Please give me all your tips and tricks for finding an apartment in the city! Do we need a realtor? Are the public schools awful? Is the cheaper apartment worth walking up 6 flights?
I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS!!
Seriously, though, any info you got….lay it on me.
And yes, we will live in the CITY, not outside the city and have Gord commute. We just feel that if we live as close to his office as possible, we will see him extra hours in the day! Plus, he used to commute 2 hours a day to get to and from work (when we were in Portland) and he was MISERABLE. So, we will live in a shoebox in the sky and be a happy, close-knit family that spends as much time together as possible.
We are so excited (and nervous and scared) but mostly EXCITED!
Thanks for sharing in our joy!! We love you!!
Good Luck! I love NYC! The food is amazing. And it’s not bad to get around. I also feel that the people are nice!
Hi Lauren,
Your photo of the Empire State Building (aka 33rd St,. train stop, aka Herald Square) is exactly what I look at every morning as I look for parking around my school on the Jersey side. Living in Manhattan is great, and there are awesome public and private schools depending on the neighborhood. However, right across the river there are many towns in NJ that have attracted many New Yorkers. Hoboken and downtown Jersey City great areas for young families. Also, depending on your husband’s tolerance for traffic, there are fabulous suburbs in Bergen, Essex, and Morris counties in NJ. And, I agree 100% with one off your commentators, WATCH OUT FOR THE WALK UPS!!!! No one wants to walk bags of groceries up 3 or four flights of steps. Good luck to you and your family.
God Bless and keep you all in His loving care!
So happy for you all! Congratulations and best wishes!
agree that the UWS and UES are the most family friendly, but also the most expensive. for example good friends of ours live in a studio apt. in a doorman bldg on the UWS on 66th street and pay close to 5K a month. i would also suggest you expand your search to the outer boroughs, Nassau County on Long Island, and Westchester Co.
My son and his family live in Brooklyn in the Park Slope neighborhood. My daughter-in-law works for Customs and Border Control as a lawyer. It is about a 30 minute subway ride. They live 2 blocks from Prospect Park which is lovely. They have lived in three different apts. Each time they used an agent. My daughter-in-law says in the long run it saved money because the apt was cheaper. Works if you are planning on staying a few years. Their public school is PS 107 and their kindergarten daughter loves it there. New York has free K4. They have a two bedroom two floor apartment with 2 bathrooms and a big playroom and I think they pay about $3500 a month for rent.
I live in NYC with a toddler. I can give you some resources to look into and things to think about if you email me!
I just might once we get a little closer to our moving date!! Thank you!
Awesome!! Love new adventures. Family time is so priceless so I love the idea of sacrificing space for time. Little apartment filled with lots of love. Congrats.
I can’t help personally but if you haven’t already, check out the blog Cup of Jo, she’s in the NYC area and has two kids
Thank you!!
Many Prayers and blessings on your latest adventure!!!
Welcome to the East Coast! New York is wonderful. So many great restaurants and fun things to do.
We lived in the Upper East Side with two young kids. We chose our apartment based on location and school zone. That said, it’s still a lottery to get a place at the good ones even if you’re zoned correctly. But – no car payments, no insurance, which was nice. We now live in Westchester (super close to the train) and it’s a 38min train to Grand Central. Happy to tell you more about our experience in both places (from finding housing to schools etc etc). Good luck! And mazal tov on the dream job!!!
I’ve heard its a bit of a nightmare getting into a school you want! Oh goodness.
I live in Tennessee and have only visited New York once, but I read SmittenKitchen’s blog every day and she lives in New York. Reach out to her, I bet she would help you! Good luck and keep us posted!
I love Deb from Smitten Kitchen!
My son and his wife moved to New York two years go. He works in Manhattan and they live in a basement apartment in Park Slope, Brooklyn. It is an easy and short commute. He can take a train, his bike or even walk across the bridge.
Best of luck to your family as God leads you in a new direction! Can’t wait to hear about all your new adventures.
Streeteasy, Naked Apartments, and NY Bits are all going to be your friends for no-fee listings! If you’re looking to work with a broker, keep in mind that they charge a fee that’s 12-15% of the annual rent. That being said, the market is softening (or so they say), so many owners are paying the broker fee.
I’ve heard about Streeteasy and Naked Apartments, but NY Bits is new! I’ll look into those asap!! 🙂
Wow!Congratulations to your hubby on his dream job! Of course you must go! Most people don’t get that opportunity in their lifetime! What an exciting new adventure for all of you! I wish you the best of luck finding a lovely new home in the perfect area for your family with access to parks and shopping and great schools! I look forward to hearing all about it! I pray everything goes smoothly including packing & the move itself. Take care & have fun!
What an exciting adventure you will be embarking on ! I live on Long Island, a one hour train ride to NYC and I go in as often as I can. My friends and I make day trips frequently, either to see a play, go to a museum or merely just walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. I love the city and never feel intimidated or wary of going in. Enjoy your new home. Stop by Chelsea Market where they film the Food Network shows, maybe you will get your own show Hey, you never know.
My daughter and I live in a small 400 sq ft studio. She is 11, it’s wonderful. You will be OK, 🙂
Congratulations to Gordon, you and those darling kids. What an adventure you have to look forward to! I was privileged to be an “Air Force Brat” so our family got transferred all over the country. I was the oldest of 5 and we loved our “moving adventures”. We went to many schools, but mostly Catholic schools when we were young. We were all very outgoing and learned to make friends easily. I hope you can find an nice apartment close to a park for the kids.
You will be so close to so many fantastic States to visit…….
Love and much luck finding the “perfect place”. I look forward to your “updates”.
NO walk-ups!!! No matter how much you save! Trust me!!! You won’t believe how much walking you will be doing. I had a small kitchen so storage was a problem, which meant more trips to the grocery store. Also consider where you will be doing laundry. Groceries and laundry weigh alot! Just saying!
How exciting!!
First a vocabulary lesson, when New Yorkers say “the City” we mean Manhattan, other boroughs get referred to by name – Queens, Brooklyn, etc. Second depending on where he’s working i.e. downtown where a lot of the government offices are, there are actually places like Jersey City that aren’t Manhattan that will be a quick commute, and may offer a better price point. If you’re determined to stay in the city, UWS and UES are family friendly and have some great public schools. My favorite website for NYC real estate is streeteasy but since you’re completely unfamiliar with the city and trying to find something rare (larger apartments are harder to find) a broker may be worth the price
There are 5 boroughs of NYC. Would you consider living outside of Manhattan proper? It might be a little bit more affordable. I live in one of the boroughs and it’s a quick commute by public transportation or car into Manhattan. Riverdale, in the Bronx is also a fabulous location depending on where in Manhattan your husband will be working. As far as schools, it depends on your neighborhood. The NYC school system can be fabulous. I am a NYC school teacher and my children went to public school up until middle/high, then we paid for Catholic schools! Good Luck!
I’m so excited for you! Also a little jealous. 🙂 I used to live there (a long time ago) and I miss it SO much. There’s so much to do, so much culture, museums, shows, food, EVERYTHING. Make the most of it! And definitely get a realtor or an agent. Start making calls now. And yes, you definitely want an elevator! And a really good moving company who has experience moving people into the city.
Good Luck and many blessings for your Family.. I have visited New York but, never lived there. Be Safe and enjoy City life. I can’t wait for more updates.
How exciting! We left the city for CT when we had kids b/x of the expense. Private school will cost $40,000 a year, plus you will need to move FAST on the applications. There’s nothing like NYC!!!!! It’s the best!
How exciting! I have always wanted to just go visit New York! You get to live there!!!
My husband is a realtor and he says you do want a realtor to help you. If you like he can help you out. I am so happy your husband got his dream job! Enjoy all the new adventures!
How exciting!! Congrats you guys!
Wow! Congratulations! What an amazing opportunity. That’ll be quite the game changer from quiet Idaho living, but it all sounds so exciting. Here’s an article I thought might be helpful. It’s the top then family neighborhoods in the NYC area. Good luck to you all!
https://www.timeout.com/new-york-kids/real-estate/the-10-best-new-york-city-neighborhoods-for-families
I know it’s ka-razy to be moving, and especially to be moving to New York. It’s like moving to a foreign country. But you are going to love it and I’m really jealous. When you’re in New York you feel like you’re at the center of the universe. We lived in New York for two months in 2011 when I had an internship. So maybe not long enough to call ourselves New Yorkers, but long enough that we were more than tourists. I’ve always wanted to go back. Now we have another reason to!
Unfortunately I don’t have any apartment hunting tips (I know some people who do though — let me know if you would like me to reach out to them). But I do have some sightseeing and exploring tips that are beyond the basics, although they might be a little outdated now. I’ll pass those on.
Good luck!!!
Congrats!!! I would live as close as possible, so you can have as much family time. I would look for an apartment on the 2nd or 3rd floor. I have heard from friends the public schools are awful, so I would look into private or home school. But above all, the experiences you are going to have will be amazing. Have fun
I know it’s ka-razy to be moving, and especially to be moving to New York. It’s like moving to a foreign country. But you are going to love it and I’m really jealous. When you’re in New York you feel like you’re at the center of the universe. We lived in New York for two months in 2011 when I had an internship. So maybe not long enough to call ourselves New Yorkers, but long enough that we were more than tourists. I’ve always wanted to go back. Now we have another reason to!
Unfortunately I don’t have any apartment hunting tips (I know some people who do though — let me know if you would like me to reach out to them). But I do have some sightseeing and exploring tips that are beyond the basics, although they might be a little outdated now. I’ll pass those on.
Good luck!!!
Congratulations to him on his new dream job!! Good luck on your huge family adventure, sounds stressful but exciting!! Can’t wait to travel along with you, I love reading your blog, you’re so real & easy to relate to!!
I know it’s ka-razy to not only be moving, but to be moving to New York City. New York City feels like a foreign country. But living there is going to be amazing and you’ll love it and I’m really jealous. Being in New York feels like you’re at the center of the universe. We lived there for two months in 2011 when I had an internship. So maybe not long enough to say we were New Yorkers, but long enough to say we were more than tourists. I’ve always wanted to go back. Now we’ll have another reason to!
Unfortunately I don’t have any apartment hunting tips. (I know some people who do though, let me know if you would like me to reach out to them.) But I do have some sightseeing and exploring tips that are beyond the basics of NYC, although possibly outdated.
Good luck!!!
Biggest tip ever: don’t live in Manhattan, choose an outlying bureau or even Long Island, and learn to love the daily commute.
So the funny thing is that in 2015 we left Boise for NYC as well. By August of 2016 we were back in Boise.
I can live vicariously through you!! I dream of living in NYC! It’ll never happen though.
It is wonderful that you are 100% behind your husband’s dream and willing to give up all that is familiar to love on him! So excited for you all. Keep us all up-to-date on the progress!
No public school…the upper West Side is very family-friendly…and yes, you will probably need a realtor to find an apartment (they know what’s available and where)in order to expedite the process. Good luck!
Congratulations and good luck to you and your family! My husband did that commute by bus from central Jersey to Manhattan for 21 years and I know the misery. That being said expect seriously high costs. My son just rented a 4th floor walk up studio apartment (approx 500 square feet) in Hoboken, NJ for $1,550 a month. Paying a broker fee to get an apartment is also common there and expensive. A friend’s daughter shared these websites for looking for an apartment without a broker fee – padmapper.com (can search sub-lets, no fees, etc in the five boroughs) and http://apartable.com/ We didn’t use them because he stayed in NJ but maybe they can help you.
God Bless uour family. I will be praying for all of you. Sounds like a lot of big, big changes, so I know you can manage this! ❤
CONGRATULATIONS to Gordon! My first thought was the one I give to encourage adventure. God has opened a wonderful door for your family…SO go get’em Columbus! Our niece moved to NYC from Chicago to work as an editor. She used a real estate agent to help find her apartment. This saved her an inordinate amount of time and effort. Her publisher also provided assistance. Hopefully, Gordon’s office will do the same. I do know she would not accept an apartment that didn’t have a security entrance or elevator. So far, Susan has enjoyed her location and decision. Keeping you in my prayers for God to guide and open doors for you in your search. May He bless you with a perfect new home.
In His Light.
Congrats!!!!
You’ll love it!!!!
Best of luck with the sale of your house too
Congratulations and much success and happiness for your whole family!! <3 I Love your posts ( recipes and family)!
Relax and Enjoy yourselves and each other every minute! Life goes by so quickly and in the end Love is All that matters!
I am attaching my email because it is a required field, but honestly for some reason I cannot get into it to retrieve any messages.
Congrats to Gordon on landing his dream job. Whatever he will be doing he’s going to rock it. As for moving…wow..New York. Such a big change. But you know what..you and the kids will rock this too. Hopefully someone out there will be able to answer all your questions about school etc. It’s going to be a huge change. from quiet neighbourhood to very busy city. I can’t wait to see when your new adventure begins.
well since Gordon will be having a Government job,I feel a Rental agent will save you time and money and get you into want you all want….
Secondly, I WOULD NOT! REPEAT NOT!!!
GET AN APT that you have to walk stairs everyday!!!!
Thank about if you or anyone in the household is sick or a hurt ankle…..You DON’T WANNA CLIMB STAIRS!!!!!
SO PLEASE DON’T GET AN APT THAT YOU HAVE TO WALK UP TOO NO MATTER HOW CHEAP the rent is…..You can thank me later Lauren….
So wherever Gordon has to work at….it’s gonna cost bucks $$$$$ So don’t be afraid of sticker shock because it’s gonna be staggering……
But in the long run the family will be close together like peas in a pod and that’s good for all of you.
NO UNECESSARY TRAVEL COMMUTES BECAUSE YOU WILL BE LIVING CLOSE TO GORDONS WORK….so it will balance out not having to spend long time commutes and expensive taxis…ect.
So go for it and get the best help that you can buy so you will all be happily ever after!
Hugs to you all!
Ronnie
Wow! That’s a big change from living in Boise! Congratulations to Gordon on landing his dream job and to the adventure that lies ahead for you and your family!
I am so excited that you have a new adventure. I have been impatiently waiting to hear where you were going!
What a great bonus to be closer to your parents. If you are able to tell which part of the City you are trying to stay near, I bet people on here can give you tons of useful information. Hopefully, your house sells quickly, and then off you go. ????
You should have just messaged me!! ????