Hey friends, it’s been a while since I last updated you with our downsizing journey. If you missed it, no worries, you can catch up here.
We are going on a year probably by the time this is published, and I have to say, it’s been less challenging than expected, and we are loving it and living with zero regrets. Did it come with a lifestyle change, sure, but we knew that going into it and embraced what was to come. One of the reasons we chose to downsize and move into the city was to reduce stress and begin our journey of planning how to live differently and with less. We still don’t own a car and I’m proud to say it’s been a year now and while it can be challenging sometimes, it’s less than you’d think. And not only are we reducing our carbon footprint, but to be honest, I don’t miss the expenses that come with owning a vehicle. Now, it just takes a little more planning and intentionality around travel.
Back story — When searching for apartments, I was very particular about the location as well as the overall structure. I didn’t want to leave our house (here’s the living room and kitchen) to move into a new construction box of an apartment. I was looking for something with character, square footage, and proximity to the places and things we frequent along with greenspace for Remi (our dog) and all of that had to fit within budget. We first looked in the North Loop district of downtown Minneapolis, but the main challenges were parking and greenspace. What we did find was an old commercial building being reconfigured as apartments about two miles away. Fun fact that I didn’t realize at first, this building was where my parents first met and worked together while they adopted me. The building was originally built in 1956 by Northwestern Bell (also where my grandmother worked). I guess it was sort of kismet that we ended up living here.
Our unit is a 2BR/2BA – just under 1800 sqft. And with full transparency, it’s $3600/month + all utilities to give you an idea of the rental market rate in Minneapolis, MN. Personally, I love living on one level and having an elevator within steps out of our front door makes it easier on my