I have an awesome house. Do I sound vain? I'm not trying to be, I'm just really proud. Rick and I bought this house with the intentions on living here forever. We spent a year restoring it ourselves with our own hands and the help of our families. We couldn't afford to have others, and believe me, it still cost a lot!!! I would show pictures of its entirety, but I worry about the Internet that way. So maybe I'll show some of the indoor awesomeness. I LOVE my kitchen, I LOVE my closet, I LOVE all the old wood trim that we spent so much time customizing the stain to be just so, I LOVE that all my furniture was bought for this place, and the size of the yard...I could pontificate forever. I could. But I can honestly point out all the flaws of the neighborhood, (though I LOVE my next door neighbors), and with my crazy pregnancy hormones can REALLY point out all the things I can't stand! Like the ghetto birds, the gun shots I hear ever night, the fact that when Rick gets home from work at 3AM he sees cops raiding the same tweaker-drug dealer?- narc?'s house weekly! The now-constant graffiti that is scribbled on the walkway of almost every house on my block while I take my toddler for a ride on his bicycle. The cops arresting some guy on the corner right in front of my house while I'm trying to get my kid in the car tonight...The fact that we don't feel comfortable leaving the old cars in front of our house anymore because they might get tagged...It sounding like someone is constantly trying to break into some one's garage in our alley...I could go on and on. And I still love my house. *sigh*
But the fact is that when we got this house, we weren't thinking babies, and even when we found out I was pregnant with our first son we weren't concerned. The neighborhood was borderline, and we figured by the time it came to kindergarten we'd move or just send him to private school. We had high hopes, but man this neighborhood has really gone to shit lately. And top that with the economy and the fact that our mortgage is far higher than what it is worth, and that Rick's job with the importing and exporting of goods in the port is all varied on this shitty economy...we're realizing that maybe it's time to go somewhere else. Rick even offered out of town. But that makes me even more nervous because I rely heavily right now on our families for help and my friends for support or just conversation. I have been trying to grasp the idea that it seems to be time to move, but it still feels like I'm giving up my baby or something. I mean the house, not my REAL babies! It sucks because I feel like I'm selling my soul to the devil for a stucco box in suburbia, but I don't want my kids growing up in this shit. And it so obviously not going to be getting better in five years. It's better financially. The idea of cutting $1,300 off of our monthly housing expense is a gignatic weight off our shoulders. All that extra money, or savings. We might actually be able to save up for a vacation or just have savings account with a substantial amount. (Though we do have a little something in our sons' CD.) The rental house is in the best school's neighborhood too, even though we're a couple years away from that point. And I won't be scared to take my kid for a walk without worrying if we'll get harrassed by vagrants walking by. And- the place is available in TWO weeks! We found it yesterday by just driving aimlessly in a neighborhood we've always like and it was just there. I'm going to be 35 weeks by then. I told Rick this is exactly what I've been trying to avoid, but I'm allso the type of person that wonders if things like this is happen for a reason. And it really is hard to find enoiugh reasons to stay when compared to all the financial benefits and health benefits of my children not growing up in the ghetto. I guess I'll just have to suck it up. I have a feeling we might be getting shit from the neighbors about how loud Rick's cars are and our tattoos and weird hair. Oh well, there goes the neighborhood!
FOUR THINGS RIGHT NOW: SUNDAY LUXURY
6 years ago
Dude....Join the Club.
ReplyDeleteWe're looking to move to a better neighborhood as well. It sucks as we love our neighbors, they love us and the cars it's just the rest of the block has gone dooooooown hill....We're over being cool....we want to be happy in a good neighborhood with good schools and a house with 2 bathrooms and a big ass garage.
We are just worried as we have loud ass cars and leave for shows like at the Crack of dawn. Perhaps a better part of the Valley. Also...the part of town we're looking to move to is SERIOUSLY car friendly. i cruise around with no tags and super loud pipes and never get pulled over. Plus its safe and has good schools.....feel like a serious change of scenery?
Our second kid made us relocate from the awesome, older house with the great wood trim to the stucco box in Suburbia too.
ReplyDeleteYour soul only dies a little bit.
I feel both of you! Rick works nights and comes home at 3AM- or leaves around 4 or 5 AM for car shows. He's always paranoid about upsetting the neighbors. And Scrapper, I love my breeze the valley would be the death of me! And Betsey I hope my soul only dies a little. Maybe if I wear your pretty apron it will off set the beige and gold home depot kitchen I have to look forward to. *shudder*
ReplyDeletewe went through the same thing in Brooklyn, which is how we ended up in Portland. It was a really tough decision--we thought we would die of old age in our house in the hood!--but it was the best thing we could have done. We're so much happier here. Safer. Good public schools. Way less $ stress.
ReplyDeleteMoving out to the 'burbs has been really hard for me in many ways. I LOVE my house, but I do not love much else about the area. I am just not what fits into a neat and tidy box the the 'burbs love. Everytime I am in town, I really remember how much I love the area, and it hurts.
ReplyDeleteWe have done what is best for our family at the moment. We needed more room at a price we could afford, and my step-daughter needed us closer. It really is working out well for them. It just shows the sacrifices we have to make as parents for our kids to grow up in the best environment. It sometimes sucks being mature.
You know, it isn't like we all like suburbia. Okay, some of my neighbors love suburbia. In fact, I think they highlight of their days might be the bus stop. The rest of us? We live here, because it makes the most sense for our families, our jobs, our financial situations, etc.
ReplyDeleteOne day, I have dreams of getting out of here. One day.....