Latest news with #suburbs
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
We moved from Chicago to Ohio after getting pregnant. We moved back a year later.
We moved from Chicago to Ohio because we thought that was the natural order of life. You go from the city to the suburbs to raise your family and live happily ever after. However, in making this decision, we'd ignored what made us happy and ended up returning to Chicago. We thought we were doing the right thing when we left Chicago for a small town in Ohio. I was pregnant with our first child, and Ohio offered more space, a lower cost of living, and most importantly, being closer to family. What I hadn't accounted for, though, was how deeply I'd miss our support system, our city life, and the community that helped me feel grounded in a season of so much personal change. We didn't last long in Ohio. I hated Chicago at first To be frank, Chicago was never part of my life plan. However, after two years of long-distance dating, I moved from my hometown in Maryland to Chicago in the summer of 2013 for a new job and to be closer to my now-husband, Jeff. At first, I hated Chicago because I missed home, my family and friends, crab cakes, and getting peanuts from Lexington Market before Orioles games. A year later, however, Jeff and I got married and, to my surprise, I'd fallen in love with the city. Through various networking events, I'd found a group of like-minded, ambitious millennial women. Plus, there was no shortage of date nights—a Black futurism-inspired event at the city's planetarium; Adult Nights' Out at Lincoln Park Zoo; and, of course, gallivanting from festival to festival in the summer. Then the time came for us to consider having kids. We moved to Ohio because we thought it was the right thing to do Without either of our families nearby, we just assumed we'd need to move closer to either Ohio, where Jeff was from, or Maryland once we started our own family. After all, we figured this was the natural order of life—go from the city to the 'burbs to raise your family and live happily ever after. Two egg retrievals and four embryo transfers later, we finally got pregnant in February 2021, which kicked our plan to move to Ohio into high gear. That May, we visited to scope out some Columbus neighborhoods. I was starting to have some second thoughts about moving, especially given the political climate at the time, but figured it was too late to say anything. All of the wheels were already in motion: our Chicago condo was going on the market, and contracts had been signed. The day we packed up the U-Haul and started toward Ohio, I could feel the regret creeping up, but there was no going back. We moved in with my in-laws We moved into my in-laws' house in Northeast Ohio while we searched for a home in Columbus. When we first arrived, we hit the ground running, making the hourlong trek from his parents' house to Columbus every weekend for open houses and showings. Columbus seemed more suburban than I'd initially expected. While living in Chicago, I'd grown accustomed to the city's walkability. However, the more walkable neighborhoods near Columbus, such as Westerville and Worthington, were out of our price range, and each showing left me feeling more jaded than the last. With a rapidly approaching C-section scheduled for mid-October, we made the difficult decision to halt our home search after Labor Day. It wasn't what I'd envisioned: bringing our newborn to my husband's childhood home. Yet, there we were. I regretted moving to Ohio Afterward, I would come to refer to this season of my life as a three-layer depression cake: Depression over leaving Chicago. Prenatal depression, which would eventually segue into postpartum depression. Seasonal depression as the autumn days turned into winter, and Northeast Ohio seemed to be under a permanent overcast sky. Thankfully, Jeff had four months of parental leave, but once that time was up, he had to commute to Columbus three days a week. I felt trapped. The sidewalks in my in-laws' neighborhood were limited, so taking the baby for a walk longer than 10 minutes was out of the question. We only had one car, so I couldn't drive to a park when my husband was working in the office, and I felt anxious about driving anywhere alone with the new baby anyway. I was sleep-deprived, could barely distinguish one day from the next, and no longer felt like myself. Once, during a 2 a.m. feeding session, I seriously considered getting in the car and driving to either Maryland or Chicago after I placed the baby back in her bassinet. (I didn't go through with it.) After about five months of living in Ohio and several arguments later, I finally admitted to Jeff that I had regretted moving and put the prospect of returning to Chicago on the table. He agreed, and in March 2022, we packed our things and returned to the city. Chicago is where we belong for now We found a condo in Evanston, just north of our old neighborhood of Rogers Park. Because we were already familiar with the area, we knew it was a good place to raise a family. It offered the best of both worlds—big city amenities with a small town vibe and proximity to downtown Chicago. I could finally take the baby for walks around the neighborhood (yay, sidewalks) and we were within walking distance to several coffee shops and yoga studios. Would I have undergone prenatal or postpartum depression if we'd stayed in Chicago? Who's to say for sure? We've also contemplated if we'd need to move closer to family once we have another kid. That said, I'm done plotting out five-year plans and putting the cart before the proverbial horse. For the time being, we're happy here in Evanston. Not only are we back with the friends we'd made before, but now we've managed to build community with other young Black families. Only time will tell where life leads us, but if we end up settling down here in Evanston, I'm absolutely fine with that. Read the original article on Business Insider Solve the daily Crossword
Fox News
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Fox News
After meeting with Trump, Republican in key House battleground announces major decision on 'Fox and Friends'
FIRST ON FOX: Republican Rep. Mike Lawler of New York will seek re-election in next year's midterms in his crucial battleground House district, which covers a large swath of New York City's northern suburbs. Lawler, who announced his news in an interview Wednesday morning on Fox News' "Fox and Friends," had been seriously mulling a bid for New York State governor. "There's no question Kathy Hochul is the worst governor in America," Lawler told Fox News' Brian Kilmeade, before adding, "In 2026, she needs to be defeated. But after months of deliberating over this and really working through it, I've decided the right thing to do for me and my family and my district is to run for re-election." His news is seen as a major relief to the White House and congressional Republicans, who are defending their razor-thin House majority in the 2026 midterms. Top House Republicans as well as President Donald Trump had urged Lawler to seek re-election, and Fox News confirmed that Lawler met with Trump last week at the White House to discuss his 2026 plans and other issues. "While I fundamentally believe I am best positioned to take on Kathy Hochul and offer New Yorkers a real choice for Governor, I have made the decision to run for re-election to the House and continue the important work I've been doing over the past two and a half years," Lawler shared in a statement with Fox News Digital Wednesday morning. Lawler, who represents New York's 17th Congressional District, is currently one of only three House Republicans who represent seats carried by then-Vice President Kamala Harris in last year's presidential election. Democrats are targeting his district in the midterms as they aim to retake the House majority. Their job in flipping the seat would have been made easier if Lawler had decided to run for governor. If he had run for governor, Lawler would likely have faced off for the GOP nomination against Rep. Elise Stefanik, who represents a district in northern New York. Stefanik, who is a top House Trump ally, is gearing up for her own campaign against Hochul, who Republicans consider vulnerable. Stefanik released a statement Wednesday morning as the news broke, calling Republicans "more unified than ever in our mission to fire the Worst Governor in America Kathy Hochul in 2026" and Lawler a "great, effective, and hardworking Representative for New York's 17th Congressional District." "As I have previously stated, I am focused on supporting strong Republican local and county candidates on the ballot this November to lay the groundwork with a strong team for next year. I will make a final decision and announcement after this year's November election which we are all focused on," Stefanik added. Trump in May endorsed Lawler's congressional re-election, in a move seen as a likely indicator of the president's support for a gubernatorial run by Stefanik, who represents a red-leaning House district. Lawler, a one-time Republican political strategist, won election in 2020 to the New York State Assembly by defeating a Democratic incumbent. He grabbed national attention in the 2022 midterm elections by narrowly defeating incumbent Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, who at the time was chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Lawler, who represents New York's 17th Congressional District, is currently one of only three House Republicans who represent seats carried by then-Vice President Kamala Harris in last year's presidential election. Democrats are targeting his district in the midterms as they aim to retake the House majority. Democrats were quick to criticize Lawler's decision Wednesday morning. "Mike Lawler caving to Donald Trump before his campaign even starts proves he's too weak to take on Governor Hochul – and he knows it," New York State Democratic Party Chair Jay Jacobs said in a statement, arguing New York voters will reject Lawler "no matter where his name shows up on the ballot." And Democratic Governors Association (DGA) spokesperson, Kevin Donohoe, trolled Lawler on Wednesday morning, "Donald Trump has officially killed Mike Lawler's dream of becoming governor of New York and given the GOP gubernatorial nomination to his top D.C. ally Elise Stefanik. Our condolences." Hochul herself chimed in, writing on X, "This is the same Mike Lawler who caved to Trump the minute he asked to rip away New Yorkers' healthcare. Of course he doesn't have the spine to face me," in reference to Medicaid reform included in Trump's "big, beautiful bill."
CBS News
a day ago
- Business
- CBS News
New York is home to the country's 2 wealthiest suburbs, ranking finds. See which towns made the list.
There's a new report identifying the wealthiest suburbs in America, and a pair of communities just outside New York City are first and second on the list. a personal finance website, recently put out its ranking of the "50 Wealthiest Suburbs" in the country for 2025. The study looked at which suburbs have the highest average household incomes. Scarsdale is the country's wealthiest suburb for a second year in a row. The town that's home to about 18,000 people had an average household income of $601,193 for 2023, which was almost $200,000 more than any other suburb on the list. The average home value in Scarsdale is just over $1.2 million, according to the report. Coming in at No. 2 is another Westchester County community - Rye. Rye has an average household income of $421,259, and its average home value is actually more than Scarsdale at $1.875 million. The next NYC suburb on the ranking is No. 26, Tenafly, N.J., a borough in Bergen County that has an average household income of about $306,000 and home value of $1.28 million. Close behind at 28th is Summit, N.J. in Union County, which has an average household income of more than $304,000 and an average home value of $1.34 million. Rounding out the NYC suburbs represented on the list are Westfield, N.J. at No. 33 (average household income of $297,367), No. 34 Greenwich, Conn. ($297,081), No. 41 Ridgewood, N.J. ($288,861) and No. 46 Dix Hills, N.Y. ($270,581). Affordability continues to be a challenge for anyone looking to buy a home in New York or its suburbs. A July report from real estate listing service OneKey MLS found that the median sales price for single-family homes in the New York metro area is up to $775,000. The report said the inventory of available homes is shrinking. "While buyer interest remains strong, the market continues to be defined by limited inventory and affordability pressures," OneKey MLS CEO Richard Haggerty said in a statement. "As we move through the remainder of the year, we expect steady demand and gradual price growth to persist as supply continues to lag behind."
CBS News
2 days ago
- Business
- CBS News
5 of America's wealthiest suburbs are in Massachusetts, study finds
Massachusetts is home to some of the richest suburbs in America, according to a new study. Personal finance website recently put out a ranking of the Top 50 wealthiest suburbs in the country, based on average household income data from 2023. Five of the communities making the list are suburbs of Boston. The town of Wellesley, which is about 15 miles outside of Boston, is 10th on the list. The average household income in Wellesley is $368,179. The average home value in town for May 2025 was $2,079,414. Next on the list for Massachusetts at No. 32 is Lexington, where the American Revolution began. The average household income in Lexington rose to more than $300,000 in 2023, and average home values are just under $1.7 million. Winchester, which is 8 miles north of Boston, was 35th on the list. The town's average household income is $296,327, and the average home value has climbed to more than $1.7 million. Coming in at No. 43 is Needham, about 10 miles southwest of Boston. The average household income was just over $281,000 in 2023 and the average home value is nearly $1.6 million. Rounding out the list for Massachusetts is Newton at No. 49, with an average household income of $261,666 and an average home value of about $1.75 million. First on the list was Scarsdale, New York, where the average household income is a whopping $601,193. In the Boston area, the cost of buying a home continues to skyrocket. The Greater Boston Association of Realtors said last week that the median price of a single-family home in the area has surpassed $1 million for the first time.
New York Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
A Year in the Life (and Mind) of a Precocious Teenager
PAN, by Michael Clune Nicholas, a restive 15-year-old recently diagnosed with a panic disorder, stares out a school window one February morning and observes: 'The sun had lost its winter quality. In winter the sunlight stands apart from things. When the winter sun touches the brick of the path, it's like a hand touching a cheek. But when the spring sun touches brick, it goes into it.' Then, having offered this lush, near-supernatural vision in granular detail, Nicholas tears off a scrap of notebook paper, writes 'SPRING HAS STARTED,' wads it up and chucks it at his classroom crush. This is the rhythm of Michael Clune's first novel, 'Pan' — a steady oscillation between deliciously observed, ferociously strange fragments of consciousness and the social kabuki of the tragicomic teenage bildungsroman. Nicholas lives with his father in the placid suburbs of Chicago. He's preternaturally smart and obsessed with social standing at his Catholic high school. When he starts getting panic attacks, he's advised by a doctor to treat them by breathing into brown paper bags. He tries it, to mixed results. 'They're medical bags,' Nicholas explains to a skeptical nun who thinks he's going to steal things in them. He and his best friend, Ty, take up with Tod, a popular kid — 'he appeared to be possessed by a level of coolness that was totally unique in our high school' — with access to weed. They start going to Tod's barn, where most of the story takes place, and get stoned with Tod's older brother, Ian, and Nicholas's crush, Sarah. The characters trade half-baked argle-bargle ('Do you want to know the secret of how to get solid mind?'), discuss classics ('Maybe daylight is the rock … Sissyfuss's rock') and participate in bizarre rituals set up by Ian, who becomes something of a deranged cult leader. Nicholas's stoner-savant voice ('Bach is like math class for feelings') sometimes swerves into a register well beyond any teenager's ('As the days passed, my consciousness developed a queer economy'). This can be jarring, especially since Clune has so elegantly set up a narrative playground where we can reasonably believe Nicholas is stumbling into Bach, Baudelaire, Camus and Wilde. Reading his experience of these raptures is invigorating and often hilarious. It's not all high art either; Nicholas and Sarah love Boston's 'More Than a Feeling' with an effervescent lack of irony. There are a handful of instances, however, when readers may feel the snag of Wait a minute, that's not Nicholas talking — that's Michael Clune. I was reminded of Robert Hayden's poem 'Those Winter Sundays,' in which we feel the presence of a fully mature author in a scene taking place in his youth. The tacit temporal delta allows the author an idiom ('love's austere and lonely offices') that he wouldn't have had at such a young age. Like 'Those Winter Sundays,' 'Pan' is written in the past tense, but I can recall only two overt acknowledgments of this gulf, one when Nicholas describes the emptiness of his father's walls: 'In reality there probably was something on the walls, but I can't see it from the angle I'm looking at it, coming from the future.' The other happens at the very end of the book, in a two-sentence coda. Still, when we're really in Nicholas's mind, we never want to leave. He loves 'Salome' but says of Wilde's other plays: 'They were about rich English people who ate cucumber sandwiches and did things like threaten to leave the room.' When he feels a panic attack coming on, Nicholas begins reading the first book at his side, a paperback edition of 'Ivanhoe.' As long as Nicholas stays in the story, he can keep the attacks at bay. Unfortunately, he finishes the novel: 'At 4:35 a.m. 'Ivanhoe' ended. I put down the book. … Then I walked downstairs and told Dad that I was having a heart attack.' I used to teach middle and high school, and I remember acutely how often people condescended to my students' feelings, using phrases like 'it's just a phase' or 'puppy love' to describe the emotional realities of human beings at an age when they're most self-conscious, most emotionally volatile, most skinless. Clune understands that at any given stage of our lives, we are yoked to unprecedented subjectivities. Nicholas can't experience suffering outside his own any more than I can experience the pain of childbirth right now. This means compassion is a function of imagination, and watching Nicholas's empathy come robustly alive and calibrate itself against his panic and his parents' divorce, against art and friendship and sex, is thrilling. 'Pan,' named after the Greek god who Nicholas suspects is provoking his panic attacks, is a novel of the racing, wasted, disordered mind: Don't expect much in the way of big narrative twists. This is simply one year in the life of a precocious suburban kid. The juice here is watching Clune's little cyclones of thought, vortical whooshes around art, drugs, sex and analysis. (There is a scene with a therapist and biofeedback monitor that I will never forget.) Clune has previously published excellent works of nonfiction, including 'White Out,' about time and the author's heroin addiction, and 'Gamelife,' a brilliant and strange sequence of essays exploring video games as a metaphysical foil. In his fiction debut, he is writing in the tradition of Proust, Sebald, Jenny Offill, Teju Cole and Nicholson Baker, writers whose eccentricities manifest in singular voices that are propulsive enough without pyrotechnic narratives. Like a great painter, Clune can show us the mind, the world, with just a few well-placed verbs: 'The afternoon wore 'Gilligan's Island' colors … like '60s television, bleeding out a little over the edges of shapes. Like dead people remembering earth.' I could have read 300 pages of just this — Nicholas looking out the window and describing what he saw — and felt that I'd gotten my money's worth. PAN | By Michael Clune | Penguin Press | 323 pp. | $29
