I drove in to work today behind a Lexus SUV with a “Git-R-Done” bumper sticker. I think that sums up our new location pretty well.
Even in the dead of winter (February being the grayest, coldest, and most miserable month here in CNY) I just couldn’t kill the urge to walk around town and explore our new neighborhood. I remember how much fun I had discovering our old neighborhood on foot, dogs in tow. And the Village of Manlius did not disappoint, even on a very short and sludgy walk with two protesting pups who hate the cold even more than me. Old houses abound, and the people in Manlius have considerably more money to invest in them. There are picket fences, stone walls, and carefully manicured walkways. We can see the historical society from our front porch. It seems like a place that is very proud of it’s history.
We’ve moved from a fairly rural farm town to a suburban yuppie village. We were out of place in our old neighborhood - the youngest homeowners on a block full of retired folks who had lived there for decades. We were sized up with great concern when we moved in. The eyeballing continued until everyone realized we were not going to be throwing wild parties. Eventually, people started to wave and smile when they saw us out doing crazy things like hanging upside-down off the roofline screwing a facia board in place, climbing up our rickety homemade scaffolding, or staining a fence for 4 steaming-hot summer weeks. We became somewhat famous by small-town standards, being “those people” and “that house”. By the time we left, I’m pretty sure our neighbors had come to embrace us. But we still didn’t fit in.
We were also feeling somewhat out of place in our new apartment. We chose Manlius because it was a nice upscale suburb about halfway between Teague’s job and mine. I have always loved it’s quaint storefronts and historic character. But we’ve essentially gone from John Deere to Starbucks, and it’s taking some time to adapt. It seems like a place for people much swankier than us. Everyone in our immediate neighborhood appears to be older and a bit more refined. A picky neighbor next door has already complained about our dog messes (the first weekend we moved in, before unearthing the plastic baggies - on our lawn, not his) and our parking skills (the truck was hanging about 2 inches too far out for the sidewalk plow, so the plow driver had to swerve over just a teeny bit, making the sidewalk plowing uneven and apparently shattering said neighbor’s world). We were starting to feel like the white trash of the Village. But after my walking tour yesterday, I was relieved to see that actually it’s a lot more eclectic than we first judged. Just a few blocks away, kids toys litter the lawns and the cars are not all new and shiny. We are not the only average joe’s. Phew!
I think we’ll find the area suits us well once the snow melts and we can get out and enjoy it more. I’m not sure we’ll ever win over the picky neighbor, though. C’est la vie.
Comments, Thoughts, and Feedback
I found your site on technorati and read a few of your other posts. Keep up the good work. I just added your RSS feed to my Google News Reader. Looking forward to reading more from you.
Allen Taylor
Congrats on the move and best of luck to you and Teague in Manlius. We lived there for a year and its not so bad. (We also felt a little “out of place” compared to some of our high class neighbors. Heehee.) When the weather finally turns, make sure you take the doggies for a walk and check out the Swan Pond and then stop by Snotop. Treat your little ones to a baby cone. ;)
It’s funny. I grew up in a wealthy college town. Our family didn’t have money, but we lived in one of the swankiest areas because the family had bought the property when it was still farm land. We were somewhat outcasts because of this.
I now live in “provincial” Jackson. It’s a blue collar town but does have many sections that are filled with the well-heeled and cultured. I like to live with more humble people here but I admit there are moments when I feel a little like I’m sitting next to Gomer Pyle.
On the plus side, they’re a lot less uptight and aren’t so worried about every one else’s business (which is epidemic in Ann Arbor). Plus, you can buy a kick-ass house for next to nothing.
I hope the adjustment period doesn’t last too long and you settle in nicely.
As someone who can’t stay put longer than 3 years, I totally understand growing out of (or away from?) a forever home.
Good luck with your new digs in Manlius!
Oh my gosh — I stop in to see what y’all are up to, and it appears everything has changed!
Congratulations! So, so happy for you guys to have sold your house — in winter, no less — if it felt right. As it only matters what you think and what makes you happy. We’re nearing thinking about that point as well.
As for snooty neighbors, every street has one. Once you meet all the other neighbors, you can swap stories about Mr. (or Ms.) Picky.
holy crap girl! (and your boy)…just getting caught up with you and cant believe you’ve sold the house. You’ve heard that what? Like 6 million times now? You never know, though, when the right time to leave is suddenly going to creep up on you. Good for y’all for taking the leap since it felt like the right thing to do. I’m sure you’ll love your new place!
I’ll miss your home renovation posts, my kindred spirit! But I’ll come back to read anything you want to write. I can totally understand all your reasons for selling and moving. We have similar situations, but in our case, the commute is about to get a lot less for me … like none at all! That will help things a lot!
Surely you guys are doing SOMETHING cool and interesting — even if it’s just in your apartment. Come on, my life is totally empty (and my work day drags on forever)without your posts. Tell us what’s up!
I would think this current market is a challenge for the fix up market. Are you still able to work successfully in this market?
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