Despite taunts from our friends about becoming hipsters, we rented a square-foot two-bedroom, one-bath, five-story walkup on the south side of Williamsburg.
And as the economy improved, much of the abandoned construction started up again and restaurants, bars and boutiques popped up where there were previously empty storefronts. My love for Williamsburg and our apartment only grew as our neighborhood did, which is why it was a surprise to many when we decided to move.
As we approached the three-year mark in Williamsburg, my boyfriend and I got engaged. With our now-desirable location came an increase in our rent, so we evaluated our finances and decided that it was time to buy. So, we expanded our search to other neighborhoods and boroughs. A friend of mine who lives in Jersey City suggested I look there. We purchased the first condo we saw -- an 1,square-foot two bedroom, two bathroom, duplex with tons of outdoor space near the Grove Street area, also known as Historic Downtown Jersey City.
Our monthly mortgage is only a few hundred dollars more than our previous rental , and the place is over square feet bigger plus outdoor space.
In our elevator building, the only stairs we have to climb are from the first floor of our apartment to our giant master bedroom with an en-suite bathroom. Additionally, our building has a large gym, full basketball court and movie theater among other amenities β all too ridiculous to even dream about had we stayed in New York.
