So if I move out of the city......

[arivecchi]

I won't get to use my strollers as much. :crying:

Should that factor into the decision? LOL.

[babychi]

Look on the bright side...maybe you can change your line-up! Your criteria might change to best fold and ease of getting the stroller in and out of the car more often? I'm already thinking about how our Atlanta move may change my stroller needs! :)

[roseyloxs]

You live in such a great area now! I don't think strollers should factor into if you should move but they could factor into where you should move.

There are some great suburban "downtowns". You can live near one of these and still do a lot of walking for your daily errands.

[AnnieW625]

If your strollers contribute to your quality of life then yes that should factor into your decision, but honestly like my DH says the kids are only young for _____ amount of time. A home that could possibly be your last purchase and have much more lasting impressions on you and your boys than any stroller ever will.

[BabyBearsMom]

I think that this is just the reason you have been waiting for to buy a new stroller. You will want a nice light weight car stroller now, maybe Al needs a brother? But seriously, your mountain buggies will be awesome on those country roads.

[TwoBees]

I think this is the perfect opportunity to have a BBB-members' only garage sale to make some money for your new stable. I'd happily be first in line. :waving4:

[poohbear]

LOL - I live in a suburb where you are looking and I use my BOB and my BJCM and my Mac all the time. But... you will probably use a car stroller more often no matter what, but that's what your Swifty is for! And sadly, eventually, your LOs won't want to use strollers anymore anyway, so I wouldn't factor that in too much. But, hey, at least you won't be so upset if you live in an area with poorly maintained roads!

ETA - Twobees, are you on strollerista yet? That is the garage sale!

[TwoBees]

ETA - Twobees, are you on strollerista yet? That is the garage sale!

Excuse me? Strollerista? I have not heard of such a thing. Please tell me more. :bowdown:

[blondflava]

:yeahthat:
You might realize that going for a walk requires taking a car now to the park or a closest little 'downtown', the heaviest strollers will be the first to 'sacrifice'...

[MontrealMum]

I can't imagine what you'd need to change. You already have two lightweight "car" strollers, an in-between, and is it one or two heavy duty ATs now? So you've got the car and rural and potential bumpy neighborhood walking covered, with an extra thrown in for good measure :D I live in the close-in burbs. I walk around my 'hood, I sometimes travel into the city (on public transit or with Mac in the car), and I sometimes travel to the country and I'm able to do it all with a BOB and a Mac. The Chariot's exclusively for cycling/skiing.

[arivecchi]

I currently have 3 MB ATs and 2 Macs. I think if I move out to the NW burbs the Swift and the Terrain would still come in handy. Not sure if we would use the Duo as much. We shall see. Still looking in the city as well, in which case the Duo will still be the workhorse....

I seriously think about stroller use when considering places. :hysterical:

[scriptkitten]

the idea of having to deal with putting kids in car seats, out of car seats, into strollers, out of strollers, into car seats and out of car seats all for one quick errand BLOWS MY MIND.

its way too much work.

but there's no way i could get errands done with 2 year old twins running willy nilly all over every store/pharmacy/doctor's office etc.

half the reason i'm scared to leave the city is because it would complicate my life. i stroll in and out my front door for everything.

[arivecchi]

I hear ya. Dealing with car seats often sucks. I do like the ease of putting the kids in the stroller and going. :)

[poohbear]

Nah, it's not that bad. And for your trouble, you probably get a backyard, and a lot more space, and good schools! And some quiet, though it did take us some time to adapt to the lack of sirens and traffic noise when we moved from the city - LOL!

[pampers37]

now that you all are talking about how life is different in the suburbs in relation to strollers, i must admit.. there are less strollers being used as we drive everywhere. maybe i wont need so many strollers after all, i guess thats still TBD!

[WatchingThemGrow]

the idea of having to deal with putting kids in car seats, out of car seats, into strollers, out of strollers, into car seats and out of car seats all for one quick errand BLOWS MY MIND.

This is my life. Errands are horrible. Preschool dropoff across the highway takes up the better part of an hour because of this. I wish we could walk more often, but getting out the triple stroller to get over or wearing the Ergo with a rider would be almost as much of a pain.

[golightly1118]

Well, I live out in the western 'burbs, and my Mac and BJCM (aka the newest addition) get the most use. I have a feeling Mac is about to be displaced by the BJCM just because of the easy fold, plus DD seems more comfy in it. The Zoom gets the least use-I use that one when our sidewalks are snowy or when I want to go to the forest preserves.

[roseyloxs]

I hear ya. Dealing with car seats often sucks. I do like the ease of putting the kids in the stroller and going. :)

It really doesn't have to be like that. When I visit my parents in action heights, I would walk "downtown" to the jewel for grocery trips, or Harry's for lunch or to theatre for an afternoon movie. There were concerts every Friday night during the summer that my kids loved. My parents are also in walking distance of 2 parks, 1 pool, an elementary school and a middle school. Find the right area and you can still use your duo plenty.

I love that area. I plan to move back there when my husband retires from the AF(too bad that won't be until 2016 or more likely 2024).

[arivecchi]

Sadly, the house we really like is off a main road without sidewalks just outside the village. The downtown area is totally walkable but it would be a bit dangerous to walk to the DT area down that main road without sidewalks. :(

[lhafer]

the idea of having to deal with putting kids in car seats, out of car seats, into strollers, out of strollers, into car seats and out of car seats all for one quick errand BLOWS MY MIND.

its way too much work.

but there's no way i could get errands done with 2 year old twins running willy nilly all over every store/pharmacy/doctor's office etc.

half the reason i'm scared to leave the city is because it would complicate my life. i stroll in and out my front door for everything.

This is exactly my life, and why going to the grocery store, a quick run into CVS or Walgreens, and dashing into Target for something takes me more than 3 hours to accomplish!!

[tmahanes]

I have to say.... my first thought when I read your other thread was.... OMG how is she going to survive without using her awesome strollers every day! :) I hope you find something that works for your family and your stroller stash!

[MontrealMum]

I have to agree with roseyloxs. I live in a 'burb, but it's a close-in one. We have sidewalks everywhere, cross walks, and alleys where many houses have garages for cars.

Sure, our house is much smaller than what we would have been able to afford out in the West Island or on the South Shore, but that would have been an hour to hour-and-a-half commute each way, and would have meant driving everywhere. I have a friend that lives that far out and they only have one car. Many times (especially in the winter) her bus has failed to show up so she's missed meetings, classes, work!, and her volunteer job. Because if the bus doesn't come, she can't get into the city. If my bus (which deposits me literally door-to-door) doesn't come, I have the option to walk to the metro. Sure, it's a bit of a longer walk than I'd like in the winter or with heavy bags, but it's doable.

I can be downtown via public transit (or driving) in under 20 min. I can also walk - with stroller - around our neighborhood, where we have a library which includes a children's library, swimming pool, tennis courts, the TransCanada bike path, concerts, a hospital, a butcher, several grocery stores and pharmacies, a hardware store and several gyms. There's also a hockey rink which DS is slightly too young for, and the circus school. In the good weather I can walk to drop off/pick up DS from daycare.

I know I'm much happier, even though we're getting a bit cramped, here in the "almost-city" than I'd be way out in Montreal's true suburbs. Sacrificing on space and yard has been more than worth it for the rewards gained in convenience and time. If there are closer burbs to consider, I'd keep them on your list for a bit longer.

[blondflava]

You'll still get out and find stuff to do, no doubt. But it'll require more planning or 'strategizing'. Bigger yard and better schools will be a trade-off. But with that, more yard work, house maintainence and further distances to travel to get to places as well. I live in a 'urban suburb', walk to the library, around the downtown, to the park (with a sprinkler complex great in summer when we don't feel like getting out to the beach farther away), some neighborhood shops -bakeries, groceries, CVS, coffee shops, bank or a Mandees (good for killing time while walking if anything). But other places require driving and dealing with carseats and such (good comfy car stroller is irreplacable here), trip to the mall takes 30-40 minutes, beach even longer, zoo another 20 minutes, other parks and playgrounds I need to drive to. I don't know anyone local so I attend meetups and playdates about 25 minutes away. The closest Gymboree is 20 minutes away. It's a way of life and easy to get used to. Besides, if I lived in the city (NY), we'd never be able to afford 2 cars (parking if anything!) and taking PT is pain, some places like pools and the beach I wouldn't be able to get to that easy. I'm sure it'll be similar in your case too!

[roseyloxs]

Sadly, the house we really like is off a main road without sidewalks just outside the village. The downtown area is totally walkable but it would be a bit dangerous to walk to the DT area down that main road without sidewalks. :(

Start lobbying for some sidewalks!

That's a tough one though. Give up on a house you love or the stroller-led lifestyle.

[jacksmoma]

yes you'll get to get to choose super nice car seats as you'll LIVE in your car in the 'burbs :) driving is a pain but much better with little ones when it's cold and rainy etc :) you'll be needing a lightweight for the car to be sure! i'm sure you'll still use your mb duo for longer outtings and walking around your home. how exciting though!

[arivecchi]

Hehe. I think I already have pretty nice car seats - a Radian XTSL and a Britax Frontier! :D

If I move to this burb, people will definitely think I am stroller crazy!

[edurnemk]

I hear ya. Dealing with car seats often sucks. I do like the ease of putting the kids in the stroller and going. :)

I miss this so much!

I don't want to discourage you but our strollers get a lot less use since we moved away from Chicago. I still use them, but not nearly as much.

[elektra]

Well, you probably won't need your Duo as much. But there is always a time and place for a Swift or Al. :)
I can see Terry not liking having to be trapped in the back of a car though- needing to be dragged in and out. It's why I had to set my MBUS free.

[purpelina]

Yes, strollers will definitely get less usage in 'burbs, but you still can have the life style you are used to. I'm not familiar with Chicago suburbs, here in MA there are towns with nice walkable town centers. You might need to drive to them, but then you can park and walk for errands with stroller. In a way it's even more convenient because every so often you can come back to your car, unload what you just bought (or picked up, say dry cleaning), and go for another errand. Then have lunch at a nice place and drive home, or to other part of town, or to a playground...

You can also choose your house with walkability in mind. There are neat streets with nice stores on them, with playgrounds nearby etc...
Also, when we drive for errands, we don't always take stroller at all, and in a way it's even more convenient. Say, I go grocery shopping, my youngest loves sitting in the shopping cart, my oldest is walking next to me. I promise them, that if they are good at the store we go to a nice playground that they like.

We then drive there, they run around wild, then when they are tired we go home. No strollers involved.

It can be done, but I would suggest that if you o enjoy walking, look for a at least somewhat walkable neighborhood, or you might feel that getting used to a new lifestyle is too challenging.

[arivecchi]

Yes, strollers will definitely get less usage in 'burbs, but you still can have the life style you are used to.


Well, you probably won't need your Duo as much. But there is always a time and place for a Swift or Al. :)
I can see Terry not liking having to be trapped in the back of a car though- needing to be dragged in and out. It's why I had to set my MBUS free. Oh don't make me sad! I love Mr. Duo! :tongue5:

Yeah, I bet Al and Swifty would be super handy in that new location. I could see using Terry a lot in the trails nearby too.

Still loking at places in the city as well. Such a hard call!

[jacksmoma]

This is exactly my life, and why going to the grocery store, a quick run into CVS or Walgreens, and dashing into Target for something takes me more than 3 hours to accomplish!!

I agree, errands by car with two little ones are SUCH A PAIN! try to get it done when older one is in preschool or when dh is home. It's even worse when the littlest starts to walk and will not sit in a stroller- two running around everywhere!!!!

[Momof3Labs]

the idea of having to deal with putting kids in car seats, out of car seats, into strollers, out of strollers, into car seats and out of car seats all for one quick errand BLOWS MY MIND.

its way too much work.


This is one big reason why I LOVE our house in the Chicago burbs. We can walk to a Jewel, Walgreens, Jimmy John's, chinese restaurant, bank, Hair Cuttery, and Starbucks. The girls go on that walk almost daily when the sidewalks are clear of snow - it is SOOO much easier to load them up once and walk on our errands than it is to go in and out of the car/stroller.

The one upside of no sidewalks is that the school bus will pick up at the end of your driveway - trust me, you'll appreciate the convenience of not having to shuttle the kids to a bus stop in a few years!! But I'll be honest, we lived in a northern suburb with sidewalks only on one side of the street for a while and sorta kinda hated it. Especially since the park was almost a mile walk away...

As far as strollers, with the twins, I use our BJCMD all the time. The Combi Twin Savvy sits in our car. I have a BJCED too but it really never gets used (especially now that the one tire is messed up) - it is really nice but overkill for most of what we do on paved sidewalks and that.

With one kiddo, once we got to the 2.5yo or so age range, we had a Maclaren (or similar) in the car. Neighborhood walks were on a Radio Flyer push trike. The P3 came out for a trip to Disney, but that was about it.

[arivecchi]

This is one big reason why I LOVE our house in the Chicago burbs. We can walk to a Jewel, Walgreens, Jimmy John's, chinese restaurant, bank, Hair Cuttery, and Starbucks. The girls go on that walk almost daily when the sidewalks are clear of snow - it is SOOO much easier to load them up once and walk on our errands than it is to go in and out of the car/stroller.

The one upside of no sidewalks is that the school bus will pick up at the end of your driveway - trust me, you'll appreciate the convenience of not having to shuttle the kids to a bus stop in a few years!! But I'll be honest, we lived in a northern suburb with sidewalks only on one side of the street for a while and sorta kinda hated it. Especially since the park was almost a mile walk away...Wow! Where do you live? Sounds awesome!

[Lolabee]

Wow! Where do you live? Sounds awesome!

I can't speak for the PP, but we moved to Park Ridge recently and we managed to find a house that was walkable to all of these places and more (including Trader Joe's.)

Still, you can't move out of the City! I read your City-living stroller posts in part so that I can live vicariously through you. Then again, I'm still going through some serious Chicago withdrawal, I really, really miss it.

[arivecchi]

Park Ridge keeps coming up! People seem to really like it. Hmmmmm. may have to look there too. I am looking within the city as well though, so we may end up staying here after all......

If you see a MB fleet in Park Ridge, you'll know it's me. LOL!

[roseyloxs]

Park ridge looks different everytime I come back home. All the new places to eat are so yummy. I loathe driving through the downtown area though. It's so busy. Would be nice if you lived nearby so you could just walk.

[Lolabee]

Park Ridge keeps coming up! People seem to really like it. Hmmmmm. may have to look there too. I am looking within the city as well though, so we may end up staying here after all......

If you see a MB fleet in Park Ridge, you'll know it's me. LOL!

I think Park Ridge is a pretty decent compromise if you're looking for a more suburban existence but are used to city living. It kind of depends on how urban you're used to living, I would have preferred Evanston or Oak Park because they are more urban and dynamic, but they are both more expensive then PR and the commute for my husband would have been a real pia. Honestly, if you live close to the central part of PR it isn't that hard to get by with only one car, we are still a single car family. But I think that's mostly been possible because we are walkable to pretty much everywhere we would want to go (including the kids' school and Metra.)

Hope that helps!

[purpelina]

There's lots of info about all cities and towns on city-data forum. I love it.
Just in case, here's the link to your state:
http://www.city-data.com/forum/illinois/

[lhafer]

There's lots of info about all cities and towns on city-data forum. I love it.
Just in case, here's the link to your state:
http://www.city-data.com/forum/illinois/

Ha! I was going to say the same thing! I'm on my town's city-data forum!! It's interesting. I like reading about other places too.

[Kindra178]

We use Bob Duallie in the Chicago burbs all the time and we try to walk everywhere in the nicer weather. Way too icy right now, though - terrible walk to the train this am.

[LoveBeingMrs]

I'm in the same situation. We currently live in a very metro area, and use our Uppababy Vista frequently for long walks (and Bee+ for quick errands). But we're looking to move to the suburbs. There's one house that I absolutely love, but it's off of a busy road with no sidewalks. One of the first thoughts I had was that we wouldn't be able to use our Vista anymore! lol...

[edurnemk]

I'm in the same situation. We currently live in a very metro area, and use our Uppababy Vista frequently for long walks (and Bee+ for quick errands). But we're looking to move to the suburbs. There's one house that I absolutely love, but it's off of a busy road with no sidewalks. One of the first thoughts I had was that we wouldn't be able to use our Vista anymore! lol...

Went through this exact thing myself. I still have the Vista, I refuse to sell it, but I hardly ever use it. I miss our walks!

[liamsmom]

I'm in the same situation. We currently live in a very metro area, and use our Uppababy Vista frequently for long walks (and Bee+ for quick errands). But we're looking to move to the suburbs. There's one house that I absolutely love, but it's off of a busy road with no sidewalks. One of the first thoughts I had was that we wouldn't be able to use our Vista anymore! lol...


Went through this exact thing myself. I still have the Vista, I refuse to sell it, but I hardly ever use it. I miss our walks!

I'm in a similar situation and as a former city girl have adapted a bit. Luckily, I only have to walk on my busy road for 5 minutes before we get to the park. But it's a little unnerving and there are certain times during the day that I will not go. And never at night. But, I have never regretted the days where I pack up the stroller to drive somewhere for a long walk. It's time consuming, but the exercise and strolling seem worth it.