UWS Oasis

We lived at 80th and Amsterdam for almost five years. It was fine. We were okay. But there was always this quiet feeling that we needed something new. Not urgently, not dramatically. Just a steady hum in the background telling us it was time.

We moved two blocks. From Amsterdam to West End Avenue. Same street, same neighborhood. And it makes such a big difference.

🤢 The day of the move

The weeks leading up to the move were stressful. But the day itself? I wanted to vomit. Literally. The only explanation I could come up with was that I was afraid the new space wouldn’t be enough. That we’d made the wrong call. That the money, the disruption, the logistics would all add up to regret.

Then we got there.

🏝️ Upper West Side Paradise

Everything is still in boxes. The living room looks like a warehouse. And somehow, it already feels like home.

This place feels like an oasis. No. A paradise.

Here’s the funny part. When I was setting up the Wi-Fi, one of the nearby networks was called “Upper West Side Oasis.” I laughed. That’s exactly how this place feels. But I didn’t want the same name, so ours became Upper West Side Paradise.

And it is. It’s so bright. So spacious. There’s something almost luxurious about it, like it was designed for great living. The location is perfect too. Quiet, but steps from Broadway and the subway. Everything you need, nothing you don’t.

I keep thinking I got a bargain. Even though I paid a lot of money for it.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Thinking about the kids

Jenny and I are both happy. That alone feels like a win. But what keeps coming back to me is imagining the kids here. Running around. Finding their spots. Making this place theirs.

We’re going to have a great time.

😨 The weird part

Here’s something I didn’t expect. I feel so happy and so scared at the same time. What if something bad happens? It’s hard to describe. Like the joy is so big that my brain immediately tries to balance it with fear. As if being this happy is somehow dangerous.

I don’t have a resolution for that. I’m just noticing it.

🌍 A note about the Upper West Side

I remember my manager Danny once mentioning Lexington and the Upper West Side, and not really knowing where it was. And honestly, the UWS doesn’t get the international recognition it deserves. People know Tribeca. They know SoHo. But the Upper West Side? It’s quieter in more ways than one.

That’s part of what makes it special. And now we own a co-op here.

I want to tell Danny, my work friends, friends from the kids’ school. I want everyone to know. We own a co-op on the Upper West Side. And it feels like exactly where we’re supposed to be.