How to Find a New Home in a New Place
I thought I wanted to be close to a Target, turns out, I value good coffee more.
I am fortunate enough to have a career that allows me to travel frequently, as well as move every few years. Currently, this has been great for my fiancé and I, mainly because we don’t have any children. We have moved 3 times in the last 3 years, two of which were more than 1,200 miles from the previous destination.
I wanted to put together a quick post on the things that we look for in our new neighborhood when moving, and hopefully it helps give you some ideas for your next move!
I am definitely not an expert, and there are probably tons of other people out there who have more experience in this field, but I wanted to take some time to tell you about the things that I think are most important when moving, especially when it’s not just “down the road”.
It’s funny to me the things that have become important to my everyday life, because 5 years ago, the pinnacle of importance to me was a Target within 5 minutes, and it only took me a few months in Boston to realize, Target shopping trips aren’t as fun when you have to carry all of those bags from wherever you parked, down to your basement level apartment…literally the worst. Instead, I have come to find other things that are important to me, and if these things don’t show my age, then I don’t know what will.
Without further ado, here is “Lilly’s List of Things She Needs in Her ‘Ville” (I’ll work on the title):
Great LOCAL restaurants: I’m the girl that used to get excited to go to Chili’s for endless chips and salsa on the weekend, I mean to me, that was good food. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love some chipotle chicken crispers, but I have truly learned to appreciate and love small local restaurants. If the menu is seasonal, that’s a whole new level of love. I promise, the quality of local food is beyond anything that could EVER come from the freezer at one of those chains. This is something I refuse to compromise on. This is not meant to be snobby, because just last week Lee picked up a sackful of Krystal’s, but it is to say we love having local places to dine at more frequently than chains. I promise, you will taste the difference, and honestly, spending money on small local businesses always makes me happy.
Walkability: Lee and I learned to LOVE walking while living in Boston, and I am saddened that few cities are made with this level of walkability. We would spend $2.15 on a subway ride into the downtown area, and spend hours walking from spot to spot. We could literally walk 10 miles a day and still feel like we didn’t go everywhere we wanted, and the beauty was in the fact that walking from place to place was an adventure in itself. I loved seeing and experiencing the city on foot, there’s nothing like it. Now, I do have more blister scars than most people my age, but each bloody ankle was worth it in the end. Also, AllBirds have become my go-to walking shoe, and I’m sorry it took me so long to find them. Lee loves them so much he has two pair. If you can find a place that allows you to do things without hopping in the car, that’s a huge place. We don’t have a crazy awesome downtown in Montgomery, but we have two little neighborhoods down the block from our house, and we can grab drinks, dinner, and even take in a movie without ever getting in the car. It’s awesome.
Dry Cleaner: This seems really silly, but a good local dry cleaner is so important. I have started investing more in my clothing with the implementation of my capsule wardrobe and good clothing requires proper laundering. I have some silk shirts from Everlane (check them out here) that I love more than life itself, and to keep them in great shape I dry clean them. Dry cleaning is not more expensive than traditional laundry if you only dry clean when needed, and honestly, the last thing I want is another errand on my to do list. I don’t have time, nor do I want, to make a special trip to the dry cleaner to drop off and pick up my clothes. Having a spot within walking distance is a luxury I prefer to have. Dropping off and picking up while walking Payton, or even doing something else in the area is much easier than making a special trip, trust me.
Good Coffee: I love coffee. Coffee is so delicious, and luckily (my friend Mel would disagree with this) I’m not a coffee snob, meaning I know shitty coffee, but mediocre coffee also makes me happy. Most days I’m happy and content with my hazelnut K-cup, but maybe once a week, more if it’s a stressful work week, I love a good almond milk latte. Not a cup of milk with a shot of espresso, but a good latte where that foam is the perfect temp, and the espresso literally speaks to your soul. Man, that shit is good. Anyways, try and find a coffee place that makes a drink you love, and preferably is within walking distance. Some mornings just deserve a walk and a coffee. Pay and I really love those days. Also, my coffee spot has a salmon and cream cheese bagel that can change lives. Talk about a winning combo!
Easy Commute: Okay, so this is something that may only be temporary, like until I have kids, but I love being close to work. I mean like really close. In Boston, I lived 2 miles from the office, and while that easily became a 15-30 minute commute one way, it was really great on weekends and when I was working late nights. Also, there was a greenway that literally ran me directly to the office, so I could run to and from work on a Saturday or Sunday. My new house is also only about 2 miles from my office, and thanks to a smaller city, it takes me like 5 minutes to get to work. Work is where we spend the majority of our time, like it or not, and the last thing anyone wants is to fight traffic to and from the office each day; I did it when I lived in Nashville, and I really do believe the stress took time off of my life. For me, an easy commute is a non-negotiable. Just think really hard about that commute before you commit to a home.
Find Your People: This one has an awful title, but it’s what I came up with. What I mean by this is, live somewhere where you are surrounded by the type of people you connect with and enjoy spending time with. For example, I went to high school in a town outside of Nashville called Hendersonville, and it’s a cute little lake town/suburb. If Lee and I chose to live there I guarantee the vast majority of our friends would be living in East Nashville, and we would spend most of our time in the car going into Nashville to spend time with them, or going other places we are interested in. There are TONS of reasons people don’t live in the city they spend the most time in, an easy commute may be one, but really think about where you will be spending the majority of your time, and try really hard to live there. I promise, there is nothing worse than never being home because you don’t like where you live. If you know you’re going to be downtown every weekend, or spending the majority of your time in an area that houses the bars and restaurants you like, why not try and find a home there as well? Maybe you don’t get 2500 sqft, but if you spend time in the neighborhood does it matter that you have 2 bedrooms instead of 3? It’s worth considering.
This is the river our apartment in Boston was on. We loved living in a historical building, pictured behind me, and even better we loved exploring around the river.
Currently, Lee and I live in the smallest house on the block. It’s the not the prettiest, and we definitely don’t drive the nicest cars around, but we chose this neighborhood for the reasons listed above, and maybe one or two more. I love where we live. Payton has a park to play in that is LITERALLY across the street, I can walk to my coffee shop, dry cleaner, and my PureBarre studio. We also have some amazing restaurants that use fresh, local ingredients in their seasonal menus.
We have already had drinks with a friend of Lee’s from college, and we walked there and back, and if Alabama wasn’t so dang hot, we would probably walk downtown on the weekends.
The point is, moving is hard, and it can really suck when you do it a lot, but if you make a list of things that are important for you, stay patient when house hunting, and be honest about what you really need, I know you can find a place that makes your new home as great as your old one!
Love,
Lilly
