House Hunting in New York and Los Angeles

As a Gemini, making small decisions is tough enough. Life changing decisions are almost impossible. So, imagine me, trying to decide where to live and raise my family. New York or Los Angeles? Help!

First of all, anyone who knows me knows that I have been wanting to live in New York my whole life. You’ve all heard me say, “When I was six, I told my dad I was moving to Manhattan and that was that.” And it’s true. I’ve been trying to get to New York City since 1997. Little me, with butterfly clips, spaghetti straps, and chunky sandals, was convinced that I was going to live there one day.

Now, for Los Angeles. I have never thought about living there. I hadn’t even been until this year and I’m thirty-one. For years I was convinced that I wouldn’t like it. To me, LA seemed so superficial, bordering on toxic. It felt like a place you go to chase fame and nothing else. And if I didn’t want to be a singer or actress, what business did I have moving there?

However, after going to LA I realized it wasn’t like that. Wellness seems to be at the forefront of Los Angeles living and that’s something I can get behind. And it’s also something that made house hunting and choosing which city that much more difficult. I love the beach and am obsessed with yoga. So that means Los Angeles. But I also am a bonafide fashion addict and am a writer of saucy stories. And that’s without a doubt New York.

Ugh. Why can’t I live in both cities at once?

Our realtor in Manhattan sent us dozens of properties. A lot of them were gorgeous, but they didn’t meet our criteria. Our budget meant we were confined to apartments, which is fine. Although, growing up in a house with a gorgeous yard makes me want my kids to experience something similar. Plus, we want to get a dog (or two) in the future and going in an elevator every time it needs to pee sounds like a nightmare.

If I were to move to Manhattan, my dream would be to own a brownstone. I’d want a little yard, lots of space, storage, and the ability to leave my front door without interacting with anyone. (I’m not antisocial but sometimes a girl just wants to run to the bodega in her Alo sweats and not be disturbed.) Unfortunately, our dream life in New York wasn’t feasible with the listings we looked at.

At the end of the day it came down to my husband’s work opportunities and the wellbeing of my kids. Since the beginning of this year, Andre has been travelling to California on business almost once a month, sometimes more. If (when) we live there, he will cut down on his travel time significantly. As for my twins, I think their lives will be greatly improved by having a big yard with lots of greenery, access to the ocean, and lots of opportunities to spend time in nature. Our apartment in Toronto doesn’t even have a balcony and it’s brutal.

Another bonus? I’ll finally be back in the same time zone as my family! And saltwater will be just a short stroll away. I am definitely a water baby so being near the beach again is a dream come true.

We haven’t fully house hunted in LA yet. The goal is to move there and explore different neighbourhoods in person because I am almost entirely unaware of the city. I know what I’ve seen in movies and the pockets we explored in September. That’s all. I want to immerse myself in the city and figure out which areas are best for me and my family. Then we’ll get a realtor and begin the hunt.

So, for now we’re staying at the same place we rented last time. When we move to Los Angeles in just under a month, it’ll be to a sprawling house with a big garden, a hot tub, swaying palms, and oozing sunlight. I can’t wait.

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