If you moved to the suburbs to raise a family…

Anonymous
…and now those kids are grown, have you considered moving back to the city?

Although I have loved our time here raising our family, now that my youngest is off to college soon, I find myself experiencing increasing discontentment here. I wonder if others who grew up in the city and came to the suburbs to raise a family have felt this way too and what you chose to do.
Anonymous
Youngest is finishing her last year in high school, I am ready to move back into the city. Still need to work on the husband (who works in the city in office three days a week)
Anonymous
What is there to stay for?
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:What is there to stay for?


For me? Nothing. But for my kids, this is home so there’s some sadness/guilt around that for me.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:Youngest is finishing her last year in high school, I am ready to move back into the city. Still need to work on the husband (who works in the city in office three days a week)


Sounds like good odds to me.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:What is there to stay for?


For me? Nothing. But for my kids, this is home so there’s some sadness/guilt around that for me.


Did they say that, or are you assuming they feel that way? I had zero sentimentality towards the home I lived in for 19 years. I hated the suburbs where I grew up and fled to a city as soon as I could. My mother, who grew up in a city and thought of living in the suburbs as Having Made It and Being Rich, couldn't hear me when I'd say how boring I found it, how I hated that everyone copied everyone else and there was no originality and creativity wasn't welcomed, etc.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:What is there to stay for?


For me? Nothing. But for my kids, this is home so there’s some sadness/guilt around that for me.


Did they say that, or are you assuming they feel that way? I had zero sentimentality towards the home I lived in for 19 years. I hated the suburbs where I grew up and fled to a city as soon as I could. My mother, who grew up in a city and thought of living in the suburbs as Having Made It and Being Rich, couldn't hear me when I'd say how boring I found it, how I hated that everyone copied everyone else and there was no originality and creativity wasn't welcomed, etc.


I very much echo your sentiments. My kids, however, are the quintessential suburban kids. They love it here.
Anonymous
Follow this thread as I have the same dream when my kids are grown, but I wonder if it will be cost prohibitive by that point.
Anonymous
Waiting in the suburbs until they have graduated from undergrad and are living somewhere on their own dime, and off our payroll. Then we'll see where we decide to land. Definitely downsize a little bit, although we want the kids and their eventual partners and kids to be able to visit/fit without having to go to a hotel
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:What is there to stay for?


For me? Nothing. But for my kids, this is home so there’s some sadness/guilt around that for me.


It’s not like they’re going to move back in with you, except maybe temporarily. We are getting ready to sell our suburban house where our kids grew up and I have no sadness or guilt. We had a great life here but it was simply a great place to raise kids, not a great place for post kid life.
Anonymous
We moved to a close in, walkable suburb (metro, groceries, restaurants, library, theater, all in a 10 min walk).

Really grew to appreciate during the pandemic being able to step out the door and go for nice walks so I think for us this is still a sweet spot.
Anonymous
I think it would be nice if you looked at it as you would be giving another family a chance to raise a family there if you put it up for sale. I am surprised with our housing shortage in this area how many empty nesters are hanging on to these large houses that they can't possibly use or want to continue to maintain. Go do what you want! Embrace your new stage.
Anonymous
Depends on what you mean by suburb. I’m on the cusp of empty nesting in a close-in suburb with lots going on and a metro close by, and it seems like a better long run situation than a small condo on the city.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:We moved to a close in, walkable suburb (metro, groceries, restaurants, library, theater, all in a 10 min walk).

Really grew to appreciate during the pandemic being able to step out the door and go for nice walks so I think for us this is still a sweet spot.


+ 1. We live in a city-like suburb and it’s great. When the kids are gone we might move further out since it would be cheaper, but we still want the walkability so likely another city-like suburb.
Anonymous
We've kept our rowhouse so it's always a possibility. Crime worries me though
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