Thursday, February 25, 2010

Farewell New York!

It's astounding how a casual conversation can so dramatically change the course of life. A few months ago, while bemoaning the exorbitant costs of real estate in New York City, a colleague teased, "Hey, you could always move to Texas."

This off-the-cuff remark was a reference to the Dallas / Fort Worth Metroplex, which is home to the global headquarters of my employer. And now, less than three months later, we're poised to close on our first home… In Texas.

Yes, we're packing up and making a fifteen hundred mile trek to The Lone Star State.

After nearly fourteen years as a resident of New York City I find myself with mixed emotions about leaving. Moving means leaving behind over a decade of memories, dear friends, and professional networks. It's walking away from the incredible nightlife, the world’s best restaurants, Broadway, Lincoln Center, Times Square, Central Park, Astoria Park, Hell’s Kitchen, Little Italy, the LES, the NY Road Runners, the Hellgate Road Runners, and all of the things that make New York City…. well, New York City.

Walking around, knowing my time as a citizen of Gotham is drawing to a close, I still have those “only in New York” moments… when you turn a corner and are struck by the grandeur of the skyline… hearing a Verdi opera in the subway performed by a guy sporting an orange mohawk … walking down some random West Village street full of boutiques, bars, and charming cafes… getting into a cab driven by a turban wearing Muslim with aviator sunglasses who’s listening to Lynard Skynard and drives like Mario Andretti… There are many things I will miss about New York City.


Conversely, there’s a long list of inconveniences, a litany of annoyances, and a cadre of complaints, but I’ll spare you all that negativity and instead focus on the positive.

We’ll gain a home, a backyard, our very own washer and dryer (no quarters required!), we’ll have a garage, a garbage disposal (a genuine luxury), nearly four times the square footage and I’ll cut my commute by more than half. We’ll be near good schools, our cost of living will go down, we’ll pay less in taxes, and we’ll build equity rather than pay rent.

And we’re doing all this for two simple reasons. One of which stands at about three feet tall and the other is still growing in utero… Yup! We’re having baby number two. Due later this summer!

When I first moved here in 1996 the grime, the noise, the crowds, the hustle and pomp were riveting and enlivening. Now all these years later what we want out of life has changed. What we need has changed. Somehow, squeezing into a filthy N Train at rush hour has lost a little of its luster.

Like true New Yorkers, we’re rolling with the changes and will bring a little bit of NYC to DFW.


“Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or the present are certain to miss the future.”
-John F. Kennedy

8 comments:

LesleyG said...

WOW! Congratulations... on EVERYTHING! That's fantastic, and I wish all of you all the best in your new chapter!

Cyndi said...

Hey Josh! We moved from MI to Austin in August. We heard a similar comment just 3 months prior to our move, "You could always move to Austin" from my SIL. With the economic state of MI and it's effect on my husbands job, we decided to do the move. It's been quite the transition, but Austin is a great place. I hope you like Dallas...if not, there's always Austin! :-)

DebbieJRT said...

sorry to see you go, but good luck in Texas!

Mark said...

10 years ago, we picked up the entire family and moved from Michigan to Arizona and it was the best thing we ever did.

I'm so excited for you guys!

My son says that we're going to need to come visit you and take in a football game.

I'm going to miss seeing you when we visit NYC. Thanks so much for you guys making our first trip there so memorable.

Laura said...

Wow, I am actually SO jealous! I love Texas so much and would give anything for a real house and space instead of my Manhattan apartment. Good luck with the move!

Deene said...

Cool! Welcome to the west (sort of). nothing like breathing fresh air.

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

So glad I'm catching up with your blog! Wow, what news this is. I can relate to everything you said about living and leaving NYC. I wish you a great new beginning. A house is sooooo much better; that's for sure;-)