We (Wife, Me and 2-children ages, 1 & 4) moved from LA to NYC in August 2019. It was our hope to recapture city life and give that to our children; culture, restaurants, atmosphere - all the things that make NYC great! We grabbed a 1,200 sq ft 2-bdr on the UWS, paying peak prices for the time. It was about 1,000 sq ft smaller than our LA apartment however had the energy and location we dreamed of. When COVID broke out in March we were confined to our tiny apt with the madness ensuing around us. Our breakfast nook became a conference room, computer station, painting room, dining room and sometimes time-out area (for everyone). I took conference calls in the bathroom, taught the alphabet by ipad and our kids scooted in the hallways of the building during rainy days. We tried our best to keep each other healthy and sane. With my company cutting my salary by 15% (I was one of the lucky 45% that was not furloughed) I asked my multi-building owning landlord for a rent-reduction. Their reply was that they would waive 'late-fees'. It became clear that even a horrible pandemic wouldn't allow for compassion from this set and that their friends at the State Capital in Albany or even the FED Capital in DC wouldn't be helping out... $600 doesn't go very far in a city. We started our home search in the Jersey Suburbs, the next day. I have been a resident of NYC off/on for the better part of a decade and it will always have my heart. Unfortunately city livings appeal for the middle-class isn't supposed to be indoors all day. Other than the countless lives COVID has taken, it has stripped us or our human connection (or desire for connection) and replaced it with fear, uncertainty and suspicion. Human connection is what makes NYC and all cities great! The random conversations and community-closeness is what gives us our attitude and prepares us for all of lifes challenges. On July 30 my family will move to a tree-lined suburb with a backyard. 'My house' is now nearly 3-times the size of my apt. I can now shop at the suburban IKEA rather than its city-version. I haven't lived in the suburbs in 20 years since I left for college. We now have 3 floors and 4-bdr (and 2 bathrooms) to take a conference call. My kids will hopefully make multiple friends with one of the dozen or so houses that line our street. After dinner walks to the local ice cream shop will now be replaced with 10-min car rides. I hope my community has similar values and personality that my city does. At the end of the day, I hope I don't feel old...