The American Dream is often defined as owning your own home.  Over the years, that dream has certainly changed around quite a bit.  The days of a white picket fence and big yard to calculate wealth coupled with a large square foot house like our parents owned, have passed.  Many young people today are in favor of living in a downtown condo with small manageable floor plans, great views, lively atmosphere, fun places to easily walk to, and the benefit of a shorter commute to work. 

Whatever, your pleasure and preference, if you are bold enough to venture from suburbia and embrace the downtown condo life, these are some things to keep in mind in order to prepare yourself and your family for the lifestyle change……

Gardens

If you have always loved working in your own garden and outdoor space, you might feel boxed in living with limited space in a condo.  Gray urban gardens are a little bit different than plush green gardens.  So, find a community garden where you can lease a plot to grow your own veggies, flowers, and fruits.  In downtown San Diego, The Juniper Front Community Garden is the perfect choice- close by and beautiful!   And, if you have always enjoyed sitting outside in your yard of Zen greenery, make sure that you frequently visit parks, etc. with lots of vegetation and bird sounds to keep your renewing connection to the natural environment.   I can’t stress enough how important this is.  

Kids

Having children and living in downtown San Diego might spark you into thinking that it is not the ideal choice because you REALLY need a yard for them to play in immediately- one that only a house will supply.  Not the case!  The first year of having a baby can be isolating.  Getting out with Jr. when living in a condo is easy- strap that baby up and walk out the door!  You’ll run into your neighbors, other parents with their kids, etc. to keep you feeling connected.  You’ll also be able to walk to Ralph’s grocery store, Jimbo’s, Lofty Coffee in Little Italy, great boutiques, etc. Your kid will also feel tired after the adventure and, hopefully take a nice long nap.  Maybe your car will not even be driven for weeks.  Life can be great with kids in downtown San Diego!  And, the infrastructure is always being enhanced to cater to the downtown family unit.

Dogs

If you have a dog, find out where all of the off-leash dog parks are, the doggy daycare businesses, and get the names and numbers of your local dog walkers.  Your dog will be thrilled to have so many doggie friends to see and poles to pee-over each day whilst on your morning and evening walks around the neighborhood.

Your downtown living adventure will be fantastic and you’ll quickly discover that so many opportunities abound! What are your priorities? For many of us current downtown residents, being in a neighborhood with lots of friends, a great walk score, and easy access to everything fun and exciting is more important than a yard, a garden, and more space for lots of extra stuff that you don’t need anyway!  If I can help you find your perfect new downtown home, please call me.  Laura Ochoa 619-920-2823.