Wow! It’s Wednesday! Up in Boxes
Photo by Carla Arena
So as mentioned before, we’ve been thinking about moving to a more diverse neighborhood. Well, now we’re not just thinking about it, we’re actually doing it. We’ve sold our house in Silver Lake and we’ve put in a deposit on a really lovely rental house in Altadena.
Pros:
1. Less money going out every month, which means that CH can take parental leave without too much monetary fuss.
2. New neighborhood that’s more diverse, safer and has much better public schools. So we won’t have to kill ourselves to come up with private school tuition or to seek out other black people.
3. It’s flat. Though, I haven’t minded living at the top of a big hill for the past few years, I am looking forward to tooling around my new, flat neighborhood on my bike, without fear of breaking my neck on the downhill ride every time I decide to go into town.
4. Change is good — especially when it’s within walking distance of the local library. Yea!
5. I’m 8 months pregnant, so for once in my life, I’m not expected to do much on a big physical project. Nice!
Bonus Pro: We’ll be able to look for a new house in our new neighborhood in a nice leisurely fashion as opposed to scrambling to buy anything before our escrow closes.
Cons:
1. We have to move. Keep in mind that I didn’t believe in possessions and didn’t have a stick of furniture before meeting CH. So I’m finding actually having to pack up rooms and rooms of stuff somewhat traumatizing.
2. The only thing I love more than our current neighborhood is our current house, so yeah, I’m going to miss them both big time.
3. We can’t get DirecTV in the new neighborhood, so we’ll have to go with cable. And cable has no reason to live.
4. Saying I live in Altadena isn’t nearly as sexy as saying I live in Silver Lake. And I’m already starting to feel a little boring. Apparently, I was just kidding when I used to tell people that I wasn’t cool enough to live in Silver Lake.
5. I’m 8 months pregnant and here’s what you want to be doing when you’re 8 months pregnant: absolutely nothing.
Bonus Con: Though we’ll be closer to most of our friends with kids, we’ll be farther from the most of the ones w/o kids.
Anyway, that’s where I’m at. Change is good, but also plenty scary. So this is all to say if you have any good house packing tips, we could use the advice.
Thanks!
etc
Congrats on the rental house, Altadena is a lovely town!
I've got one packing tip for you that I just incorporated in our recent move. I used to wrap anything breakable (pic frames, glasses, cookware, etc…) in newspaper or thin bubble wrap. This move I wrapped everything in tee-shirts, tank tops and bath towels. We moved both soft and breakable things in one fell swoop AND it's environmentally friendly. Good luck!
Congrats on the rental house, Altadena is a lovely town!
I've got one packing tip for you that I just incorporated in our recent move. I used to wrap anything breakable (pic frames, glasses, cookware, etc…) in newspaper or thin bubble wrap. This move I wrapped everything in tee-shirts, tank tops and bath towels. We moved both soft and breakable things in one fell swoop AND it's environmentally friendly. Good luck!
I did what Amy did too!
I've moved 3 times in the last 3 years & am a big fan of labeling. Especially mark a couple of boxes "need now" that has your toiletries, food, whatever you "need now."
Good luck! Altadena is cute and I know you will miss Silverlake, but just think how special those visits there are now going to be….
I did what Amy did too!
I've moved 3 times in the last 3 years & am a big fan of labeling. Especially mark a couple of boxes "need now" that has your toiletries, food, whatever you "need now."
Good luck! Altadena is cute and I know you will miss Silverlake, but just think how special those visits there are now going to be….
as mentioned, label label label.
and keep all your precious, irreplaceable and extremely breakable things with you to take over in car trips (as opposed to letting the movers handle them).
can't wait to see the new place!
as mentioned, label label label.
and keep all your precious, irreplaceable and extremely breakable things with you to take over in car trips (as opposed to letting the movers handle them).
can't wait to see the new place!
Congrats? on the move.
We already don't see you when you live 4 miles away. So it can't get much worse.
Maybe we can come over and bike around with you? Bikes like flat.
Are you going to put one of those seats on the back of the bike for the baby? slpc says no way to me. Maybe one of those trailers?
I'm really looking forward to biking again, but don't know how safe a baby would be on the back of an electric bicycle. Might have to look into getting an old-fashioned bike. Dunno about the trailers. An Altadena friend of ours just got one for his kid, so we're waiting to see how he likes it.
P.S. — We see you guys like twice a month these days. That's practically living together in grown-up married time.
I hope you guys do come over and ride bikes with us. I also hope you will go hiking with me over there because I know etc wont go.
Yeah, we'll bike and hike.
Dudes, what's so great about hiking. If we wanted to hike, we could have stayed in Silver Lake on top of the hill. :)
I like to hike in the wilderness not the asphalt jungle of silverlake
I like the asphalt jungle and I don't consider a man-made hiking path right next to JPL "wilderness" :)
Congrats? on the move.
We already don't see you when you live 4 miles away. So it can't get much worse.
Maybe we can come over and bike around with you? Bikes like flat.
Are you going to put one of those seats on the back of the bike for the baby? slpc says no way to me. Maybe one of those trailers?
I'm really looking forward to biking again, but don't know how safe a baby would be on the back of an electric bicycle. Might have to look into getting an old-fashioned bike. Dunno about the trailers. An Altadena friend of ours just got one for his kid, so we're waiting to see how he likes it.
P.S. — We see you guys like twice a month these days. That's practically living together in grown-up married time.
I hope you guys do come over and ride bikes with us. I also hope you will go hiking with me over there because I know etc wont go.
Yeah, we'll bike and hike.
Dudes, what's so great about hiking. If we wanted to hike, we could have stayed in Silver Lake on top of the hill. :)
I like to hike in the wilderness not the asphalt jungle of silverlake
I like the asphalt jungle and I don't consider a man-made hiking path right next to JPL "wilderness" :)
Yeah, I guess you're right re: living together. I guess we're just sad that you're moving out…
Let me know if you go bike shopping for a human-powered bike. I like bikes a lot.
Yeah, I guess you're right re: living together. I guess we're just sad that you're moving out…
Let me know if you go bike shopping for a human-powered bike. I like bikes a lot.
The sex appeal of "I live in Silver Lake" plummets when you have to add, "and I'm the only Black person."
My advice, having moved far too many times:
Label the boxes well, and only pack like things together. You won't remember that you put the blender with the DVD player instead of with the kitchen stuff even though you think you will.
Put the things you will actually need short-term in luggage or something else to keep them separate and signify importance, because there's a real possibility that many boxes won't get unpacked for months. Move said luggage in your own car instead of the moving van. Include things like a phone, paper plates, cell phone charger, Betty's car seat, hospital bag.
I've found it really worthwhile to pay the moving company to pack specific breakable things. Stuff like books and clothes you can do yourself, but I find packing dishes and breakables time-consuming and unpleasant. Plus, when some of them invariably break, they are covered if the company packed them but not if you packed them.
Resist the temptation to "help out." Do not pick up anything or pack anything. Premature labor is not worth it.
Good luck!
The sex appeal of "I live in Silver Lake" plummets when you have to add, "and I'm the only Black person."
My advice, having moved far too many times:
Label the boxes well, and only pack like things together. You won't remember that you put the blender with the DVD player instead of with the kitchen stuff even though you think you will.
Put the things you will actually need short-term in luggage or something else to keep them separate and signify importance, because there's a real possibility that many boxes won't get unpacked for months. Move said luggage in your own car instead of the moving van. Include things like a phone, paper plates, cell phone charger, Betty's car seat, hospital bag.
I've found it really worthwhile to pay the moving company to pack specific breakable things. Stuff like books and clothes you can do yourself, but I find packing dishes and breakables time-consuming and unpleasant. Plus, when some of them invariably break, they are covered if the company packed them but not if you packed them.
Resist the temptation to "help out." Do not pick up anything or pack anything. Premature labor is not worth it.
Good luck!
con: you won't be able to see the hollywood sign from one of your back rooms
Pro: you'll be able to get fresh milk!
con: you won't be able to see the hollywood sign from one of your back rooms
Pro: you'll be able to get fresh milk!