Homeward Bound

Elsa & Anna House Hunting in NC

We moved to Hoboken five years ago, my belly swollen with Liv who was about eight months in utero. We were outgrowing our tiny West Village apartment and Hubs sold me on Hoboken: space, views, close to the city. While I have mixed feelings about Hoboken it’s home and I will miss it.

But we are ready for the burbs. After getting a taste of suburban life for two months this Spring, hunkering down at my in-laws' house in Essex Fells, NJ while they were in Florida, I came around. Prior to Covid and our unexpected stay in the burbs, I didn't feel ready. Moving out of a city felt like an abstract concept that I wasn't at all interested in. I love city life, the access to everything from acupuncture to the best restaurants, bodegas that deliver, writing workshops and so much more. As my Grandma Elly always said, when you’re in NYC and you open your door, you’re already somewhere. Plus, I didn't want to commute any farther than I already was to work in Manhattan, and I definitely didn't want to have to drive (plus one for NYC).

We have toyed with the idea of moving to LA for a few years now. It could still happen. But for now, we are staying on the East Coast. Surprising our family and friends, we chose New Canaan, CT instead of NJ where Hubs and I both grew up. Being in CT keeps us in the tri-state area but places us, according to Wikipedia, in New England. And the vibe feels pretty New Englandy and even a little Hamptonsy. I'm into it. And there's a train to the city, as well as easy access to Long Island Sound beaches. (No waves! Again, very into it.) New Canaan also has beautiful parks and even a firefly sanctuary. I love the combo of nature and downtown, with lots of cute restaurants and shops. And our new neighborhood reminds me of the Father of the Bride street, even though the movie was filmed in California.

At first we looked in Connecticut just for fun. We took a drive one day to get a feel. We loved it. We drove through Westport, Southport, Weston and New Canaan. All SO pretty. And then Hubs and his partners decided to open a satellite office in Westchester, which is a short drive from CT. So when we decided to look at houses in earnest, we included CT in our search, along with NJ and Westchester, too. We looked casually in all three locales, but mostly in CT. There was more inventory, and you get so much more for your money just over the border from NY. And then we found a house that felt so us. We had seen lots of houses I felt we could certainly make a home. But our new house already felt very "Justin and Amy," a concept coined by my brothers in their toast at our wedding. We went for it.

At first our immediate families weren't thrilled. One said “don't expect a visit,“ another said we were committing treason. But my sister in law aptly pointed out: New Canaan is closer than California. And it’s actually only about 20 extra minutes in the car for our families, compared to visiting us in Hoboken. We'll still schlep to family functions, it will just be a slightly longer ride for us. Liv and Mia ("Elsa and Anna" to all the realtors - Liv made sure of that!) are used to it, after a million rides to CT to tour houses, with the two of them mostly having to stay in the car or sample out various backyards due to Covid restrictions. Plus, we intentionally picked a house that we hope will entice our family members and friends to cross the border(s) for slumber parties once this Covid craziness is over. New Canaan will be a new adventure. And of course, anywhere with Hubs and my girls is home.

AES