Now is it acceptable that we live downtown?

It finally happened... we have a full-service grocery store downtown. We always have our beloved City Grocers, but now Schnucks is here! I assume that NOW it is acceptable that we live downtown.




Whenever we tell people that we live downtown, the first question is, "Where do you get your groceries?" Same place you do - the grocery store. I usually will drive out of the city limits to shop, but now we have a real live grocery store with the Schnucks brand name! For my friends outside the St. Louis area that would be equivilent to Publix, Albertsons, ShopRite, Pathmark, Dominick's, etc.

Most people are shocked and can't imagine that we live with 2 toddlers and 2 dogs in a 7th story loft. How do we do it?

• We have an elevator, so getting down from the 7th floor is pretty easy. We've walked down the steps a few times - during an elevator outage and one unfortunate fire at Copia Winery (a favorite restaurant that was consumed by a fire last year). Aidan now understands the difference between going up and going down and is tall enough to push the elevator call button. Reese wants to assist so bad, but her time will come soon.



• We (mostly Daryl) walk the dogs 3 times a day. Both Tyson and Haley have always been walked, so no adjustments for them. The downtown "Scoop the Poop" campaign provides bags at various locations around the city so that we don't leave our poop on the stoop.



• Our apartment is 1500 square feet, the Gourleys don't take up that much space - so it seems to work out. This is a lie - my junk and the kids' toys take up about 1000 square feet and we live in the other 500 square feet.



• The kids love to take walks to the Arch and City Garden. They run, kick balls, play in the water, etc. Daryl and I hate to take care of a yard so it is a win-win for everyone involved.



• The kids attend daycare downtown 1 mile west of our loft. Daryl and I both work less than 1 mile east of our loft and we walk to work.
  

Everything that we need is within reach. Aforementioned grocery store is also within walking distance of our loft. We never need to leave downtown.

Our apartment building. Our loft is on the 7th floor. We have the middle two arched windows.

We are city dwellers and we love it. Wouldn't change a thing.