Transitional Neighborhood
Romulus shows off his camouflage skills on the new floor
We’re settling into our apartment bit by bit. There are still a few boxes to be unpacked (entirely my fault), but overall it feels like home.
The neighborhood has had it’s frustrations. It’s definitely “up and coming,” and we’ve already run into three local businesses that ended up being closed down. Unfortunately, one of these businesses was a local grocery store that we thought would provide us with easy access to necessities. So now the closest grocery store is almost a mile away—a bit of a hike for a couple of people without a car in the middle of winter.
Which brings me to another issue we’ve been wrangling with. Now that we’re a little “out of the loop,” if you will, it takes a lot longer to get anywhere. We have a free parking spot in our building, and we’re considering a car in the somewhat near future. It would also be nice to be able to go back to Michigan to see family (and my favorite little nephew). I’ve just prided myself on getting by without a car for so long, it almost feels like giving in (almost).
One highlight of the new neighborhood—we’re just a short walk from the West Loop Athletic Club (WAC). We just joined today, so I’m looking forward to some yoga dates and generally getting out of the apartment a bit more. I haven’t been to a gym with classes in almost two years, and I can’t wait to get in there!
Hahahaha, camo kitty!
My husband and I talk all the time about where we want to live when it’s no longer dictated by the Navy, and we’ve pretty much ruled out cities, which is fine with me because I’m a product of suburbia. His reason is that he couldn’t live without his cars.
There are perks to city life, but it definitely has some challenges! Parking is easy to come by out here – it’s just a matter of logistics now.
I have a car and last summer I bought a scooter. I love being able to run a quick errand with my car/scooter but I mainly rely on the CTA to get around.
I so know how you feel getting settled into a new place! I’m getting settled here in Boulder, and don’t have a car yet either – there isn’t really a grocery store within walking distance, but I have buses that are easy to navigate, thank goodness!