I'd been so proud and pleased to call that beautiful tower in the heart of SF home. It offered stunning views, and was the perfect place to welcome Nicolas to America. But, with an office moving to the complete opposite edge of the Bay and five people in a two-bedroom starting to feel cramped, it was about time to start thinking about Nicolas and Emilienne's Big Move 2019. (It's what we do.)
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| Goodbye, luxury living (in close quarters) in the heart of SF. |
With both Nicolas and myself commuting the same way across the Bay, we had to see what lie on the other side of said Bay. I can't deny I had my misgivings. As someone not originally from California, I arrived here with the idea of Oakland as San Francisco's grittier little sibling. When I saw just how gritty San Francisco could be, I didn't have the appetite to venture further into the grit. But Oakland's reputation doesn't do justice to the Oakland of 2019. What we found when we finally crossed the Bay Bridge was a vibrant, artsy community with great breweries, ice cream shops, and a gorgeous lake. There was no getting around it: it was time to pack our bags.
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| Our two champion moving assistants |
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| Hello, Oakland! |
Prices are lower than in SF, if not by much, and the rents over here allowed us to upgrade from five to just three people in a 2-bedroom, while still having more leftover at the end of each month. For the first time since leaving Brighton, I finally have a living room and a dining table. I hadn't realized how much I'd missed them. We've now got a great stack of boardgames and we've finally begun hosting friends. For the first time since moving to California, it's starting to feel like home.
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| Our new living and dining room! No more Ikea-shelving-walled-off "converted" third bedroom for us! And we've swapped our old Civic Center view for one of our private pool, where people of all ages and colors can be heard having fun throughout the sunny summer weekends. Definitely a homier touch. |
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| Our new bedroom, complete with the latest incarnation of the charmingly creepy Alice-in-Wonderland corner, carried over from our Lewes Crescent Brighton days. |
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| Our new fancy walk-in closet. Cue the ooh-ah, ladies. I was a little afraid at first about the cats having access to all our stuff, but they've been surprisingly forgiving on this front. |
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| And finally, the new bathroom. Gets the job done, and hides a surprisingly larger amount of storage than the previous place offered. |
Not only do we have a charming new home but the neighborhood ain't too shabby.
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| Oakland has that artsy vibe that had drawn us in to Brighton |
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| Lake Merritt, about 5-10 minutes' walk from our new home, is a lively weekend hangout from humans, their four-legged friends, and all sorts of wildlife including the American White Pelican, North America's second largest bird, boasting wingspans of 9-10 feet! |
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| And finally, a shout-out to my partner in crime, who's moved with me more often than either of us have cared to. I found this gem on the new commute that inspired our move. |
