cmarriott's Profile

I lived in a very small apartment several years ago and my landlord told me that my significant other couldn't move in because the apartment was too small. Some kind of legal, housing, occupancy code type thing. He could have gotten in trouble with the city. If you have a small place, that could be an issue.

It was said by a few others but I'll say it again... Pittsburgh, PA. I have a three-story, five-bedroom house I got for $132k in 2008. I live within the city limits and am really close to all the big city amenities that Pittsburgh has. Ihave a huge yard and, if I didn't have young kids, I'd be keeping chickens and bees (both legal here). I have lots of space for gardening, too. There's a reason Pittsburgh keeps being named America's most liveable city...

I'm having my second son in about a month so this is something I've been thinking about. My first is 3 1/2 years old so it's very important to me that he isn't left out. I hope people think to bring him gifts. My sons' birthdays will be about 6 months apart so I could use some new clothes. The new baby could also use a few stuffed animals (my older son is retaining all of the ones I received when I was pregnant with him) and some new board books. The good board books were well loved (meaning, pretty much destroyed) by my first. I could also use gift cards but I need them now, not after the baby is born. I need new bottles, pacifiers, bassinet pads, etc. but I want to buy those things before the baby is born. I also need a double BOB stroller but it's unlikely anyone will give me an REI gift card as a baby gift...

I've been eyeing these sheets (flannel on one side, regular cotton on the other) for years.

http://www.splitthesheets.com/

Pittsburgh, PA (within city limits)
2000 sq ft, 3-story house, with big yard
15-year mortgage, $900/month
10-15 minute bus or bike ride to universities, hospitals, and downtown

We used to live in a 2-bedroom apartment in Santa Clara, CA (Silicon Valley) for $2350/month. I miss California but will never move back because of the cost of living.

Plastic liners (especially vinyl) are so bad for the environment. Not only is the manufacturing harmful to the environment, the presence of the plastic curtain in your home creates indoor air pollution. I'd rather pay $10 for a fabric curtain that I can wash and have to replace every few years, than $3 for a plastic one that's harmful to the environment and my health.

gray

I live in Pittsburgh (in the city), too, and I think I have the best of both worlds. I live with my husband and two-year-old son and I don't feel the need to move to the suburbs. We have all the city amenities within a few miles of our house - easily accessible by foot, bike, car, or bus - a 3-story, 2000-sq ft home, and a huge backyard. We bought the house in 2007 for only $132,000! We have a city pool right down the street from our house, several playgrounds within walking distance, and an elementary school just a few blocks away. We can walk to the library, grocery store, farmers markets, etc. In my opinion, Pittsburgh is an awesome city to live in and raise a family. I'm so lucky that I ended up here.

I once lived in an apartment with a black and white checked vinyl tile floor in the kitchen. Compared to the white tiles which showed drips, cat hair, etc., the black tiles always looked spotless. Without a doubt, I'd take black over white. But hardwood (which is what I have now) is the best.

Like another poster, my husband and I named our cats after a street we lived on in college: Margaret Morrison Street. The cats go by Maggie and Moe for short. Future pets will have such names as JFK, Dennis, Pepper Tree, California, Kentucky, Gettysburg, and Greenfield (we've moved a lot - and these are only the places we lived TOGETHER). We don't expect to use all of these and, really, JFK and Dennis are the only suitable pet names in the bunch. I chuckle when I think of a pet named JFK...