We have been living in the burbs since shortly after our third child was born, which makes it easy to keep track.  Shockingly we are rapidly approaching a decade there!  We are fortunate to have a (near) perfect setup – a 12 minute walk to the train station (which gives me 24 minutes of walking per day guaranteed), the elementary school across the road and public tennis courts around the corner.  The Long Island Sound 20 minutes away by car. 

Yet we are seriously considering moving back into the city.  Having grown up in the country side of Germany, the burbs frequently strike me as neither fish nor fowl.  You are not in the city and you are not in the country!

The older kids will finish elementary school next year and the middle school where we are isn’t particularly inspiring.  Middle school is tough anywhere but in the city there are more options (including home schooling).  Susan and I would both like to go to more events in the city and still see the kids.  We are also finding that like almost all suburbians we hardly make use of the many amazing things the nearby city has to offer.  That includes getting the kids exposed to more art and diversity.  For all intents and purposes we might as well be 100 miles away.

Would love to hear from anyone who made the transition back from the burbs to the city (I know Fred and Joanne did).  In particular, I am curious about what the biggest challenges are – most importantly how to help the kids with the transition (and how to get them involved in the process)!  Also of course if anybody knows of a place in New York City for a family of five that’s interested in a fixer-upper – we are actively looking.