I’m a city girl and never thought I would move out. I love the convenience of the city and the easy commute to work. I love the excitement- there is always somewhere to go or something to see. And as a foodie, I love that I can eat out at different restaurants every day and there are new places popping up all the time. I also love to walk everywhere. I never thought I could leave the city. I thought I would miss the food, the hustle and bustle and the ability to walk everywhere. However, now that I live in the suburbs, I can’t think of living anywhere else. I love the New York suburbs. It is perfect for my life with kids. Here is why I love living in the New York suburbs.
Outdoor space
One of the main reasons why we moved to the suburbs is for the outdoor space. When I was living in the city, I remember feeling cooped up and getting the itch to do outdoor activities. I craved for anything outdoors. I did desperate things like trying to get invited to roof deck parties or jogging in Central Park (even though I was not a jogger) or waiting over an hour to get seated at the outdoor patio for brunch even though I could have been seated in the dining room. As the weather warmed up, the outdoor itch got worse. I took weekend trips to Block Island or Vermont and spent my weekdays plotting my weekend getaway trips. I wished I was allowed to grill on my balcony. I dreamed of throwing summer parties- grilling and drinking prosecco.
Now as I look back at my life in the city, I am so happy to be living in the suburbs. I love the easy life of having a backyard. My kids love playing on the swing set and biking outside. They also love playing with water- slipping and sliding, throwing water balloons and shooting their water guns. And in the summer, we eat outdoors a lot. It’s so easy to get dinner ready when you can throw chicken and vegetables on the grill. On the weekends, we love to eat on our patio for breakfast. It’s just so relaxing to sit outside.
Beaches
When I moved to the suburbs, I wasn’t thinking of the beaches. I was happy with a small backyard. But now, I’m so thankful to live in Greenwich, CT which is a beautiful coastal town. We go to the beach a lot. We spend lazy summer weekends at the beach. Sometimes, we even have dinner at the beach and my husband will join us after work. Dinner is so easy- I pack a picnic or buy food at the concession stand or have my husband pick up the pizza on the way to the beach. I am so lucky to live in such a beautiful part of the country. In Connecticut, most residents of coastal towns have beach access. Even non-coastal town residents sometimes have reciprocal beach access in Connecticut. Even if you don’t have beach access, there are many towns with lakes. Many homes belong to private lake associations where you and your neighbors can enjoy your own private lake. Westchester residents also have access to public beaches. And if you don’t like the crowd, you can join one of the many private beach clubs in Westchester. These beach clubs are like beach resorts with lounge chairs and waterfront dining. Imagine spending your summer relaxing at your beach club while your kids are having fun at the club’s summer camp.
More Space
This is an obvious one. Space is probably one of the main reasons people move out of their city apartment and to the big house in the suburbs. It is nice to be able to shop to your heart’s desire and not to have to worry about storage. I love having a playroom and finally having enough storage space to rotate out the toys! I even have a dedicated gift closet and a gift wrapping table. Living in the suburbs gave me the luxury of space that I didn’t have in my city apartment.
Garage
I am glad to be rid of those days when I had to circle around looking for street parking and having to squeeze my car into tight spots. Every day was a parking challenge. Once I even knocked down a motorcycle while trying to parallel park! I also hated the orange parking tickets on my windshield! Even when I finally got a monthly space in the local parking garage, parking was a daily challenge. You’d think my life would be easier but it was very inconvenient because you can’t be spontaneous. I had to plan ahead, call the garage attendant so they could have my car ready. Then there is the logistics of loading and unloading things from the car. It was always so stressful unloading things from the car, you had to do it fast because there are usually cars honking from behind.
Fast forward to my life in the suburbs in a big house with an attached garage. Parking is such a breeze. No more parking stress. No more planning ahead. I can get up and go. I can load and unload easily. The attached garage even protects me from the cold weather. I have been known to drive off and later realizing I forgot to wear my coat! Now that is luxurious!
Lots of Activities
I was worried that when I left the city I would miss the restaurants and all the activities. You will be surprised to find that there are so many things to do in the suburbs. On the weekends, there are many kids activities ranging from free concerts at the library to PTA carnivals to Family 5Ks to educational tours at the museum to family fundraiser events to town organized sports. There are also a lot of after school activities to choose from whether it be a dance class, sports, art classes, computer classes, there are so many choices. Parents with infants and toddlers also have a lot to do during the day from baby music classes to kids gym classes to free baby
Aside from kids activities, there are also a lot of things for grown-ups. Like the city, your social calendar can fill up quickly with fundraisers, benefits, luncheons and lectures/classes. It is so easy to be out every single night. There are also a lot of restaurant options for dining out. The nice thing about the suburbs is that you have a car. You can easily drive to other towns for dinner. Or if you are like me and sometimes get the craving for something that is only available in the city, then you can always hop in your car or take the train into the city for dinner.
As a city girl, I never imagined I would be writing about how much I love the suburbs. As I said, it is perfect for my family life. By moving to the suburbs, I gained an outdoor lifestyle, have more storage space and participate in a lot of family-friendly activities without the logistical stress of city living.
You may also be interested in:
$10,000 a Month to Live in Westchester: Cost of Living Calculator 2020
What you need to know when you move to the suburbs with kids
Why I regret moving to the suburbs too early
5 signs you are ready to move to the suburbs
About Suburbs 101
Suburbs 101 is an online lifestyle guide for the New York Suburbs of Westchester County, Long Island, Fairfield County and Northern New Jersey. Get the inside scoop on what it’s really like to live in the New York suburbs through our interviews with local suburbanites and features on Food, Fashion, Home, Travel, and Local Events. Be sure to Follow Us on Instagram, Like Us on Facebook and subscribe to our Monthly Newsletter.