Issue #243: Would You Pick a Nicer Home or Better Neighborhood? (Advice, Please!)

I may be moving...

My friend Alice was about to move in with her boyfriend and debating between two apartments when she texted our group chat for our advice. The first listing she sent was gorgeous—a three-bedroom with ample space and a fireplace, but a ten-plus-minute drive from some of her favorite spots in Atlanta. The second was slightly smaller, with two bedrooms, but right on the Beltline, in one of her favorite neighborhoods. It took me about two seconds to text back, urging her to opt for the better neighborhood.

I hadn’t spent a lot of time in my current neighborhood when I came across the listing for my house three years ago. It was well outside of the circumference I had been centering my search in, but I began to push aside my concerns the moment I stepped inside. Sure, the neighborhood was less-than ideal, but I felt transported and safe in the welcoming living room. Everywhere I looked, I saw evidence of the care the previous owners had poured into it: the clementine tiles lining a closet floor, the Japanese maple and fig tree in the back, the beautiful, open shelving in the kitchen. It felt like a place in which I could rebuild my life post-divorce, and I wasted little time creating a space I adore, adding to the garden, and buying furniture for my colorful living room and bright bedroom. As time went on, however, it became harder for me to feel excited about the neighborhood…