Nowadays, owning a home is almost a dream come true for many. Reality has changed, the economy has evolved, and what was once a routine step is now something not everyone can afford. In cities like New York, the housing problem is even more acute: rents are rising, the cost of living is rising, but salaries are not. For this reason, many citizens can only afford to rent, and they barely make ends meet. Thus, the family at the center of this story, tired of the constant rise in prices in the Big Apple, decided to move to a coastal area in Maryland. A quiet, less expensive place with less of a big-city vibe. What they didn’t expect was that precisely that—the hustle and bustle of a city like New York—would be what they would miss.
The Big Apple “started to feel less exciting and more exhausting”
Haley Paskalides and her partner decided it was time to leave New York City. After a decade living in one of the world’s most influential cities, the couple realized it was time for a change. Driven primarily by their landlords’ rising rent, they decided it was time to leave a city that had brought them so much joy, but where they no longer found themselves. The idea of moving came about because, over the years, the Big Apple “started to feel less exciting and more exhausting,” explained Haley Paskalides, podcast producer and content strategist.
The couple was used to visiting relatives in coastal Maryland on weekends and definitely knew it was a place they’d like to live someday. “We loved visiting (my mom) on weekends to escape the chaos of the city. We could imagine living there permanently: more space, walks by the ocean, and a quieter version of the life we had in Brooklyn.”
“Finally, we had the space to work from home without being on top of each other”
The tranquility and the ability to escape the hustle and bustle of the city appealed to them. New York City welcomes thousands of tourists every day, and you have to add the pace of the streets, always buzzing with tourists, workers, construction sites, scaffolding… With these reasons in mind, the couple decided to buy a house in coastal Maryland. Excited, they spent exciting weeks in their new home. “Finally, we had the space to work from home without being on top of each other, a luxury we never had in our small apartment.”
The couple says they were finally able to enjoy the space, the fresh air, and the ability to go for walks without the hustle and bustle of the big city. Plus, their friends could spend weekends there, relax, cook, and eat homemade food calmly, without rushing. A life that many people are ultimately seeking. In fact, data tells us that people are currently choosing to live in the suburbs rather than in city centers. This is partly driven by high city prices, but also in search of tranquility, a sense of a little more freedom, and a way to avoid the constant stress that can come with living in an apartment, navigating crowded subways, and walking on noisy streets.
For people raised in seasonal places, winter is like that, a time to take a break
“We thought we were making a smart, mature decision, but less than a year later, we started questioning whether we’d actually made a huge mistake,” Paskalides says. “My favorite taco place told me they were closing soon for the season—the first of many businesses we discovered that would be closing or reducing hours during the colder months.” And while it’s not a big deal for many, for people raised in seasonal places, winter is like that. It’s a time to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the warmer months and enjoy the environment without the pollution that comes with having double or triple the number of residents for three months out of the year.
The young woman noted that they would have preferred to rent for a year before buying. For now, the couple is looking to move to a place with a faster pace of life, but not as busy as New York City. Philadelphia seems like the best option for the protagonists of this story.
