This Is Our City

My sons loved the city growing up, and love it even more now, not just New York, but all cities. London, Hong Kong, Berlin, Singapore all excite them, whereas a quiet, empty suburb bores them to tears. They love the density of people, the diversity of culture, even the sounds and bustle. While they have an appreciation for mountains and the sea, for camping and hiking, they always want to return to the city, with its needs (one son is a pastor) and its possibilities (one is an urban planner). Having them nearby is just a bonus.

Reasons to Love City Living

Money Savers You May Not Have Considered

• no car purchase + insurance + parking + gas + repairs
• many free cultural events (e.g., Shakespeare, Philharmonic in the Park), not just amateur performers
• avoid the many hidden costs of house ownership (to be set against the higher cost of city housing in some places)

Savings of Time and Money

• subway
• no house repairs
• no lawn and garden care
• no auto maintenance

Lifestyle Benefits

• simplicity more possible—you collect less stuff in small apartments
• immediate family is closer physically, harder for kids to isolate themselves; meals together more likely
• apt. cleaning/care is easier, less time-consuming than a house
• you don't spend all your free time on house and yard chores
• no scraping off your car in icy weather; enjoy walking in the snow instead
• no school snow days (the subway is always working)
• sense of community, bonding, in your immediate neighborhood
• for new parents, especially stay-at-home moms, you don't experience the isolation and despair of being stuck at home all day, unable to go out or even see another adult person—just a trip to the laundry room gives you someone to talk to, and a stroll outside brings you to the world

Previous345 …6   NEXT