Musings from a Brooklyn mother, forced to start over- quickly
My husband and I are both native New Yorkers. I was raised in Harlem. He was born and raised in Brooklyn. We found our perfect apartment in Clinton Hill five years ago. When my husband told me we had to move out of our place, my heart skipped a beat. My mouth dropped and my mind went blank for a moment. There are few times that I’ve been shocked into silence and this qualified as one of them.
After I gathered my bearings, I asked my husband a bunch of questions to try to understand what was going on. He had received a call earlier in the day. The landlord was selling and was giving us 60 days to move. We had been in our place for 5 years – we moved in as newlyweds, babyless, excited to have fresh direct and packages delivered to our doors (unlike our previous place, a 4th floor walk up, where packages were left on the curb for anyone to pick up.) Now we had to start over, begin looking for a new home, baby and dog in tow, higher standards set, and make due within in 2 months.
I reached out to our community via the fortgreenebabies yahoo group, which had provided us with knowledge and support during my pregnancy. I hoped a fellow parent would have a inside scoop on an amazing place, or know of a gifted broker that could find us two plus bedrooms with all the accoutrements – washer/dryer, outdoor space, pet-friendly, close to a reliable train, elevator or first floor (no walk ups with the stroller for us!) and less than 30 minutes away from our preschool.
I hoped we could find what we needed but the nagging doubt in my mind stayed with me at each open house and haunted me at work when I should’ve been focusing on my job. I tried not to become too jaded and think positive thoughts. But I was painfully aware that each day that went by brought us closer to doomsday. The saying “home is where the heart is” might be corny, but it certainly is true.
…Stay tuned to hear about what happens to our story!
This is where so many people are finding themselves in Brooklyn these days… Being a mother and professional can be so overwhelming, but what happens when the home life is in question on top of it? Carving out the time to work with a realtor, or to scour padmapper, street easy, and craig’s list for apartment hunting is no minor scheduling issue. Also, imagining yourself in a whole new neighborhood can seem emotionally overwhelming when you need to take into the consideration the needs of your children and their babysitters, too. Yet, especially in Bed Stuy and Clinton Hill, this is happening to so many families. The irony of being a “Native New Yorker” yet finding yourself feeling so unsettled, so unhoused, and so up in the air about what’s around the corner is also a reality for many Brooklynites.
Nyanza Gregg is the Finance Director for a global advertising company in Manhattan. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and baby boy.