There is always debate in our lives with city vs. suburban living. Scott and I have lived in the wonderful city of Chicago for the past 8 years and we have loved {almost} every minute of it. Yes, there are challenges – smaller spaces, tiny closets, street parking (we are lucky to have 1 garage), neighbors all around you…but there are also SO MANY advantages!
We love walking everywhere that we can – within a quick walk or bike ride we have 4+ children’s parks (including a water park!), loads of green space, the awesome (and free!) Lincoln Park Zoo, the beach and lovely Lake Michigan, several libraries, any type of restaurant you can dream about (including the current #1 rated in North America – Alinea, which I am forcing Scott to take me to before we move from the city someday!), a million Starbucks (Mommy LIKE), theatres (Jack is 3 and has been to see 3 plays in his lifetime!) inside play spaces, and so much more! We are also SO LUCKY to have an awesome Nanny who is adventurous and takes them everywhere on the train / walking {THANK YOU, Katie!}!
Nature Walk at Lincoln Park Zoo
I also feel like Jack has learned SO MUCH from being a city kid for 3 years. He literally is a PRO at riding the L and seriously knows that the Purple Line is to Linden and the Brown Line goes to Kimball. Cracks me up. He really is pretty savvy – great (most of the time) at stopping and watching for cars, asking who it is before buzzing people in, etc. Jack even has a new habit of “escorting us downstairs” whenever we leave for work or Katie leaves at night – it is the cutest thing – he literally walks us down to the street, opens the gate, waves and goes back upstairs on his own.
It will be interesting to me to see if he remembers any of this someday and if he wonders why we live in an apartment and not a big house like his cousins (he has never asked), why he plays baseball in the alley and not a yard, and if he remembers walking everywhere that we can.
It has been so fun lately with the nicer weather to come home from work, immediately changing into play clothes and grabbing the wagon and bikes to go to the park! Jack has loved it and we have gotten into a new routine – he is OBSESSED with baseball right now, so we hop to the park (less than 1 block away!) and swing the bat for an hour!
Emmy and her 1st Chicago street festival last summer
Jammin’ at the Green City Market
We know that this city living won’t last forever – we both grew up with yards, playsets, room to spread out – and we want that for our children, too. (And Lets be Honest - this Mommy cannot wait for a walk-in closet, each kid to have their own room, and a PLAYROOM!) But, while they are young and little, we are enjoying the ease of all our great city has to offer!
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