So, first some bad news. The short version: We're not moving to Detroit.
The long version: Many of you know that Chai and I have been in various stages of making this move for the last 3 years. It started with the great revitalization buzz posted by my Michigan friends on Facebook, which led to Chai participating in an outdoor art exhibition, which led to us happening across a dream house renovation project in a transitional neighborhood with the best neighbors you could ever ask for ....
This time last year, we were as moved to Detroit as one could be without actually being there. We had made new friends, knew what was happening in the city, and felt more connected to our neighbors there than in Boulder. But we couldn't get a loan for the house renovation (for various reasons that had nothing to do with our credit or earning potential and everything to do with the state of the economy).Fast forward to March of this year, our focus shifted from the house to me just getting me a job. And many old friends have helped out with networking and suggestions. But most of the jobs in my industry (at least the ones that require my set of skills) have turned out to be in the outer ring of burbs. And although I got some interviews, the callbacks were not many. I haven't followed up on every lead, but I've followed up on as many as I have the time and mental energy for, while still keeping my Boulder life afloat.
By mid-summer, I was so worn down by this state of limbo (and the stress it has created in our relationship) that I wasn't exactly exhibiting the enthusiastic, energetic, can-do attitude that gets one hired, much less manifests opportunity. So, in June, once we realized the Detroit house wasn't going to be completed and we sold it (to an awesome couple that made us feel so much better about letting it go because of what they will bring to the hood), we realized that we were basically back to where we were 3 years ago: a desire for a life change that would bring us more diversity, more community engagement, and more house than we are able to get in Boulder.
But one thing was different now. For most of the last 3 years, Chai has been a laid-off architect, looking to reinvent herself. Now, she has an actual business with momentum, customers, and networking support in the Denver area. Although it's not self-sustaining yet, it has things going for it that can't be picked up and moved to Detroit. And, after everything we've been through in the last 5 years, that kind of hope and growth is a lot to walk away from.
So, for the last two months, we've opened up ourselves up to the possibility of staying in Colorado but ONLY IF we could find the level of diversity, community engagement, and house that had drawn us to Detroit. We didn't know if it was here for us. But we decided to give ourselves a year to change focus and look.
Once we made the decision to switch our focus from Detroit to Denver, we targeted a few transitional but stable neighborhoods in hopes that there was a home that would offer everything we wanted from Detroit living: diversity of race, age, and income; a community engaged towards positive change; a fenced yard for the dogs; plenty of room for visitors to stay comfortably; proximity to cultural gems; and, of course, affordable. And if that list of "must haves" wasn't outrageous enough, I put my foot down on renovation. I had been game for it 3 years ago, but by now I need to reclaim the energy that would be required to live in a construction zone.
In practical terms, that means the place would require nothing more than, say, a paint job to bring it up to my live-in architect's standards for modern living in older homes. Now, neither Chai or I have EVER seen a home that meets these requirements. In fact, when we first got together, she told me flat out that she expected to renovate every home she ever lives in.
We initially focused on Five Points, an historically African American neighborhood with a soul food restaurant called, get this, "A Taste of Detroit". Now, there are a lot of cute, century-old houses there. But the ones that were already renovated were way out of our price range. So, while we had given ourselves a year for the perfect place to come on the market, I figured we'd ultimately end up compromising. Because, well, that's life.
And then this dropped into our lap ...
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| This 1886 Italianate Victorian in the Lincoln Park neighborhood features the charm of historic Denver with the functionality of modern living. 2232 sf with large rooms with 11' ceilings; big closets; gorgeous, remodeled, open-concept kitchen; huge 2-car garage; new landscaping; new windows; newer furnace; master bath with changing room; and 4 bedrooms upstairs all on a charming block! The spacious lot offers a sanctuary in the heart of the City. Walk to Santa Fe Art District, DAM, Pepsi Center, Larimer Square, new Mariposa Redevelopment, Auraria Campus and much more! Two light rail stations within blocks. Cherry Creek and Platte River bike paths, LoHi, Downtown, Highlands, Curtis Park, and Capitol Hill are all within minutes on a bike. Walk score of 92 and bike score of 93! |
