Dear Readers,
I have been anxiously waiting to tell you all about our news but needed to get a few things in place beforehand. Our big news is that we are moving to New York in just under a month. This has actually happened incredibly quickly so I do not believe I have fully processed the situation. We of course had to think about our finances because New York is considerably more expensive, sell our house in this challenging market, discuss our baby timeline since I am 28 years old and about to make a significant career change, and figure out whether we could actually brave the cold (we’re both piping hot weather people). But now that all of the above have been resolved we can move onward and upward!
What prompted this move is the decision for both my husband and I to pursue our dreams. We’re at the point in our lives where the timing just seems right to “go for it.” I have been accepted into the New York School of Interior Design (NYSID) where I will be getting my MFA in Interior Design and my husband, Jon, is following his passion by breaking into the software industry. After my three-year masters program, exposure to the design world in NYC, and opportunities with what sounds like a great alumni network, I will hopefully be 100% prepared for what I have always wanted to do. And who knows, perhaps my Double Take feature may become even more detailed after taking a set design class!
We’re excited, nervous, and anxious all at the same time as we will have to make some significant changes and sacrifices e.g. squeezing into a tiny 1-bedroom apartment from a 4-bedroom house. I do like change but it always takes me awhile to adjust to new surroundings. And quite frankly, New York scares me a little. Jon says I have to toughen up 
But I could not ask for a more wonderful, loving, and supportive husband who is always reminding me that it’s all about the journey and that we’re in this together.
If you have any advice about living in Manhattan then we’re all ears. For starters, we’re deciding on an area to live. Our dog, Aura, is a huge factor in this decision so we’d like to be close to Central Park plus it makes more sense for the proximity of school and work. Overall we prefer the neighborhood feel of the Upper West Side but we may get a little more room on the Upper East Side.
Opinions are very welcome — Upper West Side or Upper East Side? Also, it looks like we have secured a rental real estate agent to work with but please let us know if you can recommend anyone.
Things around here won’t change too much except that I will be sharing our experiences of living in New York and design school. I hope you’ll all come along for ride!
xo, Kylie
Image credits: Richard’s Flickr, NYC Tourist, and Milton Glaser Works via M.A. Belle
54 responses so far ↓
1 Jessie Cacciola : Jun 29, 2009 at 10:59 am
Kylie! This is so exciting! We’re going to have to meet up for coffee or something. West side or east side… I wish I could tell you more about real estate, but the West Side looks out to the Hudson RIver and the amazing Macy’s 4th of July fireworks! Both are very nice, affluent neighborhoods.
2 Paige : Jun 29, 2009 at 11:34 am
Kylie, wow!! That is such big and exciting news! I am so thrilled for you! I will miss you here in Houston but it sounds like you have an amazing experience ahead of you! Congratulations on taking the plunge and I wish you and Jon the best in NYC!
3 alison : Jun 29, 2009 at 11:35 am
congratulations and good luck! what an exciting transition…it is going to be worth all of the nerves and anxious feelings!
xox
4 robin : Jun 29, 2009 at 11:52 am
congrats!! what an incredible inspiration you are. i am uprooting and moving to san francisco to pursue a bfa in graphic design – huge career change & decision, so I share your excitement! probably some apprehension too, as can be expected
can’t wait to hear about your new adventures.
5 Paloma {LaDolceVita} : Jun 29, 2009 at 12:43 pm
Congratulations, Kylie! This is such amazing news! It sounds like you and Jon are about to embark on an incredible new chapter in your lives. I am so excited for you, but also a little sad because I will really miss you.
6 crystal : Jun 29, 2009 at 12:54 pm
Congrats congrats! That is such great and exciting news! Sounds like a huge move, but will most definitely be well worth it! NYC has always been a city I’ve wanted to live in as well!!
7 Ivan Chan : Jun 29, 2009 at 12:56 pm
Congrats on the move and design school! NYC can definitely be scary and overwhelming (and moving is a huge stressor, too), but that’s also the flip side of exciting and lots of opportunities.
Definitely along for the adventure!
Best wishes,
I.
8 Angie : Jun 29, 2009 at 1:21 pm
Hi Kylie,
That is great news!! We did much the same thing two years ago, moved from the sunny south and a big house to a small apartment. We live on the UWS a block from the park and it is heaven. I work on the UES so my commute is a walk through Central Park. I recommend the West Side, it’s much more communal and informal and that suits us. Let me know when you get moved in, I can give you some great tips for new New Yorkers!
9 Benson : Jun 29, 2009 at 2:38 pm
how very exciting for you and your husband! Go for it! We are on the other side (50 year olds and empty nesters) and will be doing the same thing very soon- have to sell our house first–but will be nomads a-go-go traveling and experiencing places we’ve always wanted to see and live. Enjoy and best wishes!
10 Angela & Richard : Jun 29, 2009 at 2:58 pm
Congratulations, Kylie & Jon! We are both incredibly happy (and insanely jealous) about your move to New York! We wish you both the very best of luck in your new endeavours and perhaps we will see you soon! NY is only a 7 hr flight away from London!
Lots of love,
Angela & Richard
xox
11 Katrina France : Jun 29, 2009 at 4:26 pm
Yay!! We now have an excuse to visit NY!! I love it…
When we were there we tried very hard to convince ourselves we needed to live at The Plaza… If only.. Good luck chick!!
12 Kelly : Jun 29, 2009 at 5:17 pm
I will miss you terribly but am so excited for all of the new opportunities that await you. You will do wonderful and I think you and Jon will fit right in. I can’t wait to come visit!
13 Kelly : Jun 29, 2009 at 5:17 pm
I will miss you terribly but am so excited for all of the new opportunities that await you. You will do wonderful and I think you and Jon will fit right in. I can’t wait to come visit!
14 camila : Jun 29, 2009 at 5:20 pm
Kylie,
This is such exciting news! I’m so happy that you are coming to NY!!!! I don’t live in Manhattan. We have a house in the suburbs, but I’m only 30 mins away! My favorite part of Manhattan and where I wanted to get an apt is the UWS. So many cute shops and restaurants. You are by the museum, the park, lincoln center, etc. My favorite! Let me know if you need any help with anything at all! My sister lives in Chelsea so I’m in the city frequently.
Super excited you are coming here!!!!
15 nina renee designs : Jun 29, 2009 at 5:25 pm
Congrats!
Interior design school in New York sounds so exciting…best wishes to you & your hubby
16 Jessica : Jun 29, 2009 at 6:23 pm
Hi Kylie!
I’m so excited for you! Now you’ll be closer to PA and I would love to get together some time. I read your blog all the time and have been telling many friends to go to your blog and jewelry site because everything is so gorgeous.
xoxo, Jess
17 mum : Jun 29, 2009 at 8:41 pm
Congratulations to you and Jon. I am so very proud of you for having the courage to pursue your dream.
New York is ready for you
I love you,
mum.
18 kathryn : Jun 29, 2009 at 9:11 pm
always good to pursue your dreams. may prove to be something entirely unexpected and fabulous. good luck!!
19 Eunice : Jun 29, 2009 at 9:20 pm
Well done you guys. Follow your hearts – follow your dreams. I believe it was Eleanor Roosevelt who said “the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams”. Love you both.
20 Crystal Cierlak : Jun 29, 2009 at 11:13 pm
Wow that’s awesome! I’m not a NY person myself but it’s a terrific thing when you challenge yourself to a different life. Best of luck to you!
21 Candi : Jun 30, 2009 at 12:52 am
Congratulations! This is wonderful news. I am sure you are absolutely going to love it. A few friends moved to NYC a couple years ago, and they love it. I’m always jealous of the fun things they’re always doing, the amazing restaurants they frequent and all there is to do there.
22 Tamstyles : Jun 30, 2009 at 2:09 am
Congrats on the big change girl! WOW..i sure will follow your adventure…I wish you and your love the best of luck!
23 Emily : Jun 30, 2009 at 2:18 am
I’d be sure to look into the transport opportunities available from wherever you decide to live. When I lived on the UES I found it difficult to get anywhere (including work) quickly because the 6 was the only subway around. (and I find getting across the park a drag, unless your near one of the bus cross-overs) I now live on the UWS, and though the 1 is closest it’s not long till I can transfer to an express – makes life SO much easier. I’ve found that the UES is mostly working couples, with children etc. On the UWS there are lots of cute areas with tons of restaurants and bars and young couples! (I’m a little biased, I’ll admit, but I love the UWS in the 80’s!)
24 cindy : quaint : Jun 30, 2009 at 5:10 am
congratulations, kylie! that is so exciting. scott was born and raised in the upper east side, which is near your school. but, our first choice would be the grammercy park area. there’s so much going on there – union square, chelsea, high line, etc. good luck, wherever you move will be great. such an adventure.
25 Meg : Jun 30, 2009 at 7:03 am
Kylie! That is so so so exciting! Congratulations! I admire you for going back to school! NYC will be amazing, enjoy every second!!! I hope we can meet up for a coffee before you take off
xxx
26 Courtney : Jun 30, 2009 at 9:42 am
I am so so happy to hear of your news and fully understand all of your emotions…all too well. You are going to flourish there, no doubt about it, and it will probably be harder to come home than it was to leave. NYC is a fabulous city and surprisingly has a wonderful “small town feel” once you get your feet wet. Everyone commutes, obviously, so you’re always seeing the same faces coming and going…it’s a wonderful feeling in a town so large!
I am so happy for you and Jon and am more than happy to answer ANY questions you may have! I still have my Houston cell so let me know if you need to chat anything out before the move. Wishing you nothing but the best. xx
27 Angie : Jun 30, 2009 at 6:44 pm
Congratulations!! I go to NYSID now (just finished my first year)…feel free to email me! We should get together for drinks or something and talk design.
28 Rachel Follett : Jul 1, 2009 at 3:03 am
How exciting! Congrats on your decision to move. I love that both of you are following your dreams and passions. The only way to live in my opinion.
29 Emily @ Material GIrls : Jul 1, 2009 at 12:57 pm
OMG! That’s so exciting!! I am so jealous you are getting your masters in interiors and in NY of all places- what an incredible opportunity!!
Too bad we never got to meet up in Tejas! Good luck with everything!
30 Heidi @ Zenadia : Jul 1, 2009 at 1:20 pm
I’m so excited for you!! How fun to be able to go to design school in New York! Such an inspiring place. =) Good luck and I can’t wait to hear how everything is working out!
31 Vitania : Jul 1, 2009 at 9:20 pm
Wow – just found your blog through La Dolce Vita – How absolutely exciting for you !! What an incredible time in your life to be chasing your dreams !! I can’t wait to read about all your experiences.. ok – i am off to see what else I can find here…:-)
All the Best
Vitania
32 Lindsay : Jul 2, 2009 at 10:20 am
Congratulations! I am so happy for the both of you! (Yesterday, when I was reading your post I clapped out loud – even though I only know you through your blog) I love Chicago, but NYC is my dream city to live in. While I have never lived in NY, I do live in a one bedroom condo in the city. (750 sq. feet with a small dog) Here is my recommendation for living in a small space:
(Trust me, it is hard at first because I didn’t grow up in the city)
*only buy what you need – I go to the grocery store almost every day – this is also considered being green (I wish I did this to be green, but I do it because we just don’t have the space) – but I do save money because I have stopped buying random crap/stuff at Target. And don’t join Costco!
* store things you can’t part with (like wedding china, etc.) I store things at my in-law’s house
* have another garage sale – if you don’t it use get rid of it
* every thing I buy must be multifuctional – including clothing
* I have found that I am able to buy less stuff, but nicer stuff (For example, we only have one nice set of bed sheets because we don’t have space to store an extra set)
* invest in a closet organizer (from Ikea or the Container Store)
* we eat dinner out or on our couch – so we don’t have a dining table. This saves us room in the living room for a nice big comfortable couch
* be organzied (I even have our DVD in a special smaller organizer)
* under the bed storage containers
I hope this helps!
33 Marianne : Jul 2, 2009 at 3:59 pm
Yeah! That is so exciting! Congrats on following your dreams! I lived in New York for a while and it was the best experience! It has been a while though so I don’t have housing recommendations.
34 blair : Jul 2, 2009 at 6:15 pm
Oh how incredibly exciting and I think a big congratulations are in order! Very excited for you. Happy 4th weekend.
35 Sofia : Jul 3, 2009 at 10:09 pm
Just discovered your blog and already like it so much!:)
And Congratulations!:D
I want to be an interior designer too and remember looking at NYSID website and sending emails with questions:P It seems to be a really good school in a really great city, a challenge that’s for sure, but a really good one.
Another thing, while looking at your posts I saw one about Paddington and its amazing houses and you truly made smile because I posted about that too days ago. If one day I go to Australia that’s where I wanna live (a girl can dream right?:P). And I found about that place through Australian realstate sites:P
Anyway, it was cool to see someone writing about it:P
Now that I found you I’ll be around here:)
*
36 Small space living with Ron Marvin : Jul 6, 2009 at 10:44 pm
[...] about our upcoming move. In fact, Lindsay shared some excellent tips for small space living in this post (scroll down to Lindsay’s name in the comment section). I just wanted to make sure you all [...]
37 jamie : Jul 6, 2009 at 10:45 pm
kylie, I am so excitied for you! Design school in New York is so exciting! I wish you and your husband all the best there. Hopefully the beaches there will be nice to go to when you need some reminders of the ocean and the cool breeze. I know you will make the most of downsizing and your place no matter how much smaller will look amazing! xxx jamie
38 Lauren : Jul 7, 2009 at 8:16 am
Hi Kylie!
What exciting news!!! Houston will miss you, but I know you guys will have a blast living in the big city!!!
39 Amy : Jul 7, 2009 at 7:29 pm
Kylie,
I am so thrilled for you and Jon. The both of you will be perfect in NY. Brian and I always wanted to go back to see more of the city and now we will have our own personal tour guides!! Yea!!
Love,
Amy
40 Michele : Jul 9, 2009 at 2:45 am
Hi Kylie,
what great news!! I’m sure you will feel at home very soon. NY is such a terrific city!
I’m curious about your storys about the school and your new home!
All the best
Michele
41 {tig} : Jul 10, 2009 at 12:53 am
how exciting! certain you will have the most amazing time! new york is a splendid city
42 candice : Jul 10, 2009 at 2:05 pm
Hi! I thought I would post even though I haven’t before because we just did the opposite of you! We just left Brooklyn this month to move to San Antonio. We moved from a tiny apartment to a much larger home. Anyway, I did it backwards but I think that I could answer any questions you have about moving to NYC. We were there for a few years and we LOVED it. I was actually quite heartbroken to leave but there was a great job here for my Husband. If you have any questions seriously email me. I’d be happy to help!
Also, I vote for the UWS rather than the east side. It’s hard to get anywhere from the east side and the west side has a much more hip and artistic feel to it. I think that you would like it better.
Candice
43 Courtney : Jul 13, 2009 at 5:55 pm
Oh my gosh, Kylie, I am so behind here, but- Congratulations!!! What a big and exciting move for you all. I am truly so thrilled for you and have to admit you are living out two of my dreams– living in NYC and getting your MFA in Interior Design (I’ve looked into programs over the past three years– nothing has quite fit for where we’ve been in life, but I love that you are just making it happen!) New York is such a fantastic city, and all of my friends who live (or have lived) there love it. I wish we could have spent more time together while you were in Houston, but I can’t wait to watch as your new lives unfold in New York. Best of luck with everything! xo
44 Kylie @ All Things Lovely : Aug 2, 2009 at 6:12 am
Oh gosh Kylie, how utterly exciting!! I love NYC, I think you’re going to have such fun there and be so incredibly inspired. I can’t wait to hear all about it.
45 Steph Bond @ Bondville : Aug 11, 2009 at 9:47 pm
OMG Kylie!!! What fantastic news! Huge congratulations on acceptance into school and I’m so excited for both of you. We lived in NYC from 2003 – 2006 and had the most incredible time. We both knew that we weren’t there for the long haul, and we have a little mini schnauzer, so wanted somewhere that would give us the full experience but also not be too crazy. We landed a one bedroom apartment on Mulberry and Bleecker. The area is officially Noho, but it’s right at the crossroads of Soho, Nolita, Lower East Side, East Village and Greenwich Village. Right on the subway line and just a short walk to Washington Square Park dog run, 1 block from a movie cinema, 2 blocks to the grocery store (and Dean and Deluca!), and a 14 block stroll to Union Square farmer’s markets. Perfect! It was just out of the way of the craziness of Soho but sooo convenient. We both worked at Times Square so it was just a 15 minute commute for us on the subway with very little above ground time. Wishing you all the best in your search! Steph x
46 Nic : Oct 14, 2009 at 12:37 pm
Hi there! I literally just found your blog today and happened across this posting and am so glad I did. I currently live in LA and am just now finishing up applications for multiple schools to transfer to and my major is, of course, Interior Design! NYSID is one of those schools, and in my top 5! It feels great to know that there are others picking up, changing career paths, and making a go of it in the big bad Big Apple! lol So just wanted to say thanks for the inspiration and I’ll definitely be following your blog closely now so I know what I have to look forward to! Best of luck and hope your move has been smooth, or as smooth as possible anyway!
47 bandelle : Oct 14, 2009 at 10:00 pm
Nic, I’m so excited for you. It takes a lot of courage to pick up and move out of your comfort zone to finally pursue what you have always wanted. Congrats for making the decision! If you want any advice or have questions about NYSID, please do not hesitate to e-mail me at blog@bandelle.com. I absolutely LOVE it here but it’s an incredible amount of work. Just be prepared for that. New York is just as energizing as I thought it would be too. Good luck with your applications.
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