I spent two years of commuting from North Saint Louis County to Downtown St. Louis , for work . I was driving more than twenty minutes each way for work and my son’s school. The two of us were living in a 2 bedroom rental. It was a cute little 2 bedroom house. I had the luxury of having a driveway a designated office space and the convenience of having an laundry area in the basement! It was nice, plenty of space, but a not so great neighborhood! We needed a change and I grew up near the Downtown area, so it didn’t take long for me to make a decision to move back to familiar territory. This journey was a little different because I was losing a lot of space and privacy. But, I decided to make the the jump and we moved into a two bedroom apartment right in the heart of Downtown St. Louis, there is so much history and everything is right outside my door! I can walk to work, restaurants, shopping etc.
My son’s school is a less than a mile from our house. We went from our rental to sharing a 1 laundry room that serves 90 units! Don’t get my wrong there have been sacrifices. The driveway is now a distant fantasy and I pay for parking in an underground garage. Climbing three flights of stairs with groceries can be a challenge but also a great way to get into shape. I knew my son would be losing out on being able to go out and play in a “traditional” neighborhood but he loves it and he attends the Boys and Girls Club . There is so much diversity in the city, culturally, racially and economically. I want him to be prepared for the real world and be able to be around people who are different from himself without compromising his convictions. He has a long life ahead of him and so do I!
Until next time…
