"In New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made..." {Jay-Z}

"There's nothing you caaaaan't do now you're in Neeeeew Yoooork"... I hear my kids singing this along with Jaz-Z as we cross the GW Bridge into Manhattan to start our new life in the city of dreams. The car is packed full with anticipation, anxiousness, excitement, worry {me} oh yeah... and all the necessities {including our 75 lb. Golden Retriever, Ginger}. Luckily we didn't have to bring everything from our 4500 square foot clap board Colonial we left in an idyllic college town to move to a 1200 square foot 2 bedroom apartment on Manhattan's UES. It's exciting! It's adventure! The mood is light, we are all singing to Jay-Z and hoping the best for the next chapter of our lives...



My husband's job changed after the Fall of '08. So did our family life. He started living and working in NYC Monday - Friday. I stayed home and dealt with the kids, the dog, and the house. I started my own shopping blog {downtownsusiebrown}that highlighted style and trends. I directed readers where to find them locally in our town's amazing shops and boutiques. I hosted shopping events {before Ms. Wintour, I might add}, and did "enhancements" {make-overs}. I had visions of turning it into an on-line magazine for local style mavin's. Who knows - maybe I will some day.

This lifestyle of only seeing daddy on the weekends was quickly taking it's toll. We went from a family that ate dinner together every night to barely seeing each other. The week ends weren't long enough. Dad {Peter} wanted to veg out at home while Mom needed to get out and play {without the kids}. It was becoming quite clear that we needed to make a change for the family.


"Let's move the family to New York! It will be great!! You love New York!!!" Peter exclaimed many times and I had thought to myself. I do love New York. It was worth a try. I jumped into this crazy idea with both feet and started frantically looking into schools for our girls {Ellie - middle school. Martha and Lucy - elementary school}. That was no easy feat, as anyone knows who has raised children in NYC and tried to get their kids into "good" schools. Which pretty much covers private, parochiol or well zoned public schools. With a lot of phone calls, the help of some super moms who advised me on how the system works, trips to the city for tests and more tests, forms to fill out, money to pay, novenas being prayed, and proof of address {people rent studio apartments at $2000/mo just to secure a place in a "good" public school}. Thank the Almighty that we choose an apartment that would fit our family {snuggly} if we did make this change in a highly sought after public school zone.

We could do this. We will do this!

We rent our house when we are not using it {always good to live in a destination town}, got the kids in good schools, got an apartment on the Upper East Side , everything is set.


That is only just the beginning....