House Hunting

When Lily was many months from arrival I hoped to leave our condo for a home with more space before she arrived. Didn't happen. We didn't really end up putting any effort into it except for keeping an eye on the market by looking on the web now and again. Only within the past month or so have we stepped up our efforts, going in person to see a few homes.

The desire for a new place comes from a few different angles. First is just plain old space. We have a two bedroom condo with about 1,000 square feet. Perfect size when it was just the two of us, now very cozy. Beyond that it's about conveniences. Off-street parking and in-home laundry. The laundry room is right out our back door, but the parking situation is a pain.

The one thing we really love about our place that has probably been what's made our search less than enthusiastic is the location. We can literally walk to anything we want. Grocery stores, restaurants, even mainstream shopping downtown. About the only thing not within walking distance are big-box stores like Target. If we lived in another neighborhood or a suburb these things would only be a short car trip away, but it's not just the drive that would be a change. Nicole finally figured out the other day just what it is about this walkability that makes a difference. It's the fact that the walks (and Nicole and Lily go for a nice walk pretty much every day) are really a passive social experience. There are so many people out and about, and when you walk often, you start seeing the same people over and over again. It's not that you're having deep interactions with people, it's that you're around people all the time.

The exact spot where we live isn't ideal for raising Lily, with almost no other kids in the surrounding couple of blocks and somewhat busy traffic. But if you go a few blocks North and West, it becomes a very traditional neighborhood that we think would be ideal. Of course lots of other folks think it's ideal too so the price is less than ideal. So sooner or later we're going to have to make a compromise. Whether it's the perfect neighborhood, a lot of space, or a yard, something will have to give. But we're not in a huge rush at this point, so I think we'll wait a bit and let that right compromise reveal itself to us.

In the meantime, here are a couple of Lily's latest cute pictures to put a smile on your face.