So, if it’s true that everyone is always looking for a new apartment, a new job, or a new boyfriend, then I qualify. I have the fabulous job (my boss called me “the writer” this morning!), and I’m not particularly concerned with a boyfriend at the moment, but I am most DEFINITELY worried about finding myself a home. And, shockingly, I’m quite picky. Anyone who’s watched me shop for toothpaste is probably thinking I will end up living in cardboard because of my total inability to choose which kind of whitening-fluoride combo will magically give me movie star charm.
After all, place is powerful. It’s not as big a determinant in your happiness as, say, your relationships or how much you enjoy your job, but it’s up there. Your neighbors, your commute and your community make a big difference, and more and more people are choosing where they want to live and then finding a job there, rather than following their job to City X. After all, I ended up in DC for a combination of reasons having to do with wanting to get back to the East Coast (where plane tickets to Europe would be cheap and the beach is never more than a few hundred miles away!), needing to be in a city where there would be plenty of entry-level jobs, wanting to be within traveling distance of my family, and having an aunt outside the city who was willing to let me stay at her house while I hunted for jobs. These reasons had almost nothing to do with my career choice, since I didn’t know what I wanted to do anyways. I ended up in publishing sort of by accident, and if I had set out to do that, it would have probably been smarter to go straight to NYC.
But I’m pretty happy in DC. I like going downtown to shop or just wander. I like that there is always something to do, even though I’m sort of a homebody and don’t take advantage of the vast majority of shows and concerts. I like that it’s a less imposing city than some I’ve been in, but still has beautiful architecture and a personality of its own. I have a lot of friends that have recently moved out here, and are just a few Metro stops away. I’m only a bus ride away from Manhattan, or a three-hour drive from the coast or Shenandoah Valley. It’s a great place to be in many ways.
However, I’m now having to decide how important it is for me to stay in the District. My office is in a wooded, almost-rural suburb that’s disconnected from the city by any kind of public transit. So, if I give myself a short commute, I effectively cut off a lot of my social life, but have a lot more time to do hobbies, drive into the city if I want, etc. Chances are that I could save money (but not much, I’d still have to live with roommates) by living out there, but possibly at the risk of my relationships. However, spending two hours a day in traffic is certainly bad for my sanity. And at the end of the day, I prefer to live in walkable neighborhoods where everything is close, rather than hopping in the car and driving 15 minutes because I don’t have eggs and I suddenly want to make this.
I’m feeling overwhelmed by my dilemma, so now I’m asking you. What’s the most important thing to you when you’re choosing a home?
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March 4, 2008 at 12:27 am
Rebecca
Great post. I think for everyone it’s different in terms of how they choose where to live. Place IS so important. Studies show that living in a downtown area is better for the person, and for cities as well. And it’s so easy to be cut off from people, I wouldn’t do anything that would encourage further dislocation. But that’s just me.. :) I look forward to hearing what you end up doing.
March 4, 2008 at 9:43 am
peregrine
Thanks for stopping by, Rebecca! Shame you live so far away in the inimitable Madison, or I’d take you out for cocoa on the basis of your awesome blog. I’ll definitely be posting on further developments, and hopefully I can find myself some city living within my “commute budget.”