We've been living in this 100-year-old house in a "trendy" central area of Ottawa for a year and a half now, and I feel somewhat ashamed to admit that it's not working out the best for us. We thought we would settle in this house for the long run, but now we're rethinking that plan.

We first moved out of a similar trendy area (Kitsilano) in Vancouver in 1999, to the suburb of Surrey. We really missed Kits and although we loved owning our own house and the house itself, I would say that we belly-ached about our decision to move to the 'burbs for a while.

Then when we moved to Texas we again chose a suburban house, and again, regretted it at times. We were still young, and liked to go out to pubs and bars, and one of us always had to be the "designated driver" so we could make it home in order to not leave our dogs alone for too long. We wished we still lived a short distance from the "party locations" so we could walk or take cabs like we used to do back in the good ol' days.

So, when it was time to do our next move, to Ottawa, we were determined to do things differently. This time we looked for a house with a central location, a house with lots of things within walking distance, an easy cab or bus ride from anywhere. We found it in this house, a very charming old place with a gorgeous yard full of mature trees, just a short walk away from a main street full of shops, pubs and restaurants.

I will say that we have really enjoyed that main street. Being able to stroll along and stop into shops, grab a coffee, or decide where to eat dinner has been really fun. We do have some issues with our street and our house though. The house is small. Yes, it is 3 stories, but it is basically narrow and tall. All the stairs have been difficult with a toddler around. We have babygates everywhere. Our main living space (the kitchen, living and dining rooms) are quite small and that is where we spend about 85% of our time. There is no room here for Peyton to have the bigger toys that many of our friends' toddlers enjoy like ride-on cars and so on. Ted and also miss the luxuries that we got used to in a newer house, like an ensuite bathroom! In addition, there are a few things we aren't completely thrilled about in this neighborhood. There aren't very many young families around. The street is a little busier than we'd like. There is a major bus station just around the corner, and there is pedestrian traffic from that all hours of the day and night - meaning that on weekend nights we can't leave our windows open or we'll be awakened by "rowdies" coming home from the bar loudly at all hours. I don't know if I would ever feel comfortable letting Peyton out to play by herself here, even when she is much older.

So, I have to conclude, that Ted and I are realizing WHY most families end up in the suburbs. Is it a case of "the grass is always greener..."? Maybe, but I think it's about timing really. We were too young to be out in the suburbs in 1999, and we probably should have stayed in the city and enjoyed all those city things a while longer. (Although of course it was great for our money situation to become home owners and stop paying rent). Anyway, now that we have a child, the timing is right for us to actually be in the 'burbs. We just did it backwards. Go figure.

We started looking at houses in the suburbs at the end of August. I have taken too long to actually write this post for the blog and I do have further news about the house search. But, this entry has gotten long enough, so I'll save the rest of this story for a later entry.

To be continued...