Because it’s Better Here

Because It’s Better Here

Alexandra (Lexie) Byrne grew up in Riverside, Connecticut. Her husband, Patrick, is also a New Englander, having grown up in New Hampshire. Now, they don’t live in either state. They live in Swampscott, MA with a new addition to the family, Barbara Byrne, age 11 months. Lexie and her husband took a circuitous path to Swampscott residency.

And they couldn’t be happier.

Out of college, Lexie moved to live and work in New York City. She has worked mostly in the human relations field. Her life in New York was what you might expect: challenging, exciting, and at times difficult. Five years ago, she moved to Boston, MA for work. It was in Boston that she met Patrick, a sales professional in the solar energy business. Their regional backgrounds are similar, both having grown up in New England, and clearly their sensibilities are simpatico because they fell in love with each other, and conceived Barbara, in the city once they were married.

Both Lexie and Patrick were starting their lives together, and when Barbara came along, they began to feel the need for a change of scenery. In Boston, they lived in a small one-bedroom apartment, which is challenge enough for even two individuals. But add a newborn to the mix, and suddenly life is more complicated in the big city. It’s more expensive. Living quarters are, necessarily, small. A one-bedroom apartment is hardly room for one, let alone three.

So, they decided to bail on the big city. Make no mistake, they love Boston, and it was important to remain close. Deciding to leave was a difficult decision, but it was a necessary one.

On the one hand, living in Boston provided all the exposure necessary to sports, dining, concerts and other activities that feed the soul. On the other hand, they asked themselves, do we really want to raise our daughter in the big city, where the schools may not be so great and where the cost of living can be onerous, at most any income level. Weighing all these factors, Lexie and Patrick decided they needed to relocate to an area that was close to Boston, because of the commute, and where the schools were superior to what they’d likely be confronted with in the city.

These are often the challenges for couples who have children in a large urban area: how to discover a home near where work is and where little ones can thrive and develop at the pace that is appropriate to them.

And it’s not that Lexie and Patrick did not have multiple options. They did.

They considered any number of local cities and towns, each possessing pros and cons. Decisions had to be made. Where do we want to live so that we have access to a social life, where we are close to the city, and where our money will go farther than elsewhere. These are difficult decisions. They take time.

But it was truly love at first sight when they visited Swampscott. Why? Because it had everything that they wanted and needed.

Here’s what they thought about Swampscott on first sight: that it was an easy commute to Boston, that it allowed them to lower their living expenses, that it allowed them to purchase a house rather than live in an apartment, that it was close to the water, and that it had great schools.

Listening to Lexie, it’s like she could almost stand-in for a city ambassador. She loves living in Swampscott. She loves its charm. She loves that it allows her and Patrick to have access to a local social life. And she loves it because it makes her life perfect: a loving husband, an adorable daughter, and proximity to a large city, the milieu in which Lexie thrived in New York and while living in Boston.

Perhaps the most important reason for Lexie and Patrick to move to Swampscott was so that they could make friends with others who are in similar situations. Lexie is happy to say that she and Patrick have already made friends with others who have young children. She’s discovered local groups that will allow her daughter to socialize with peers, without having the obstacles that a large city presents (logistics, time, and convenience).

Lexie and Patrick have discovered numerous other families in Swampscott like theirs: mostly young professionals who also commute to Boston. All these families have definite reasons for moving to Swampscott, but those are fundamentally like Lexie’s and Patrick’s—quality of life and easy access to a large city.

And, of course, they have already staked out favorite places to shop and dine in Swampscott—notably, but not exclusively, Volo Craft Pizza, among others.

Just recently, Lexie and her husband have discovered a babysitter—finally a chance for some together time. They love that this is an option for them that would be difficult, if not impossible, to manage while living in Boston.

“We are lucky,” says Lexie, “to have a great neighbor who has lived in Swampscott for a long time and who’s willing to provide us with information on local attractions, you know, things to do and see that we might otherwise not be aware of.”

If Lexie seems rhapsodic when describing her life in Swampscott with her husband, it’s because she is. Think about it: you’ve been a denizen of large cities most of your adult life, not unhappily, but not really feeling complete. Then, your personal life changes, dramatically. You engage in a reconsideration of your life. It’s not quite what you want. It’s not quite what you need.

Lexie and Patrick are not sure whether they will expand their family. As Lexie says, “we are dealing with all the new parent issues now and have not had any time to think about whether we’ll have more children. We’ll see.”

When it comes time to change your life, especially when it involves others such as spouses and children, you want the best of all worlds.

For Lexie and Patrick, the best of all worlds is Swampscott.