After their daughter was diagnosed with breast cancer, Bob and Lynn Pearson left their family home of decades to move closer to her in Brooklyn. Now renters found they preferred it to owning it. Here is their story as told to Kelly Kreth.
I was born in Kansas, but grew up in Northern California, primarily in Santa Rosa, where I met and married my husband, Bob. Most recently we lived in San Francisco, where we raised our two children.
Our house was built in the Edwardian style, which is common in the area. We bought it in 1988 for just under $300,000. It was originally 900 square feet with two bedrooms and one bathroom on a large lot. We added two floors and expanded it to 3,700 square feet with five bedrooms and three bathrooms, ten years after we bought it. It had a backyard and a garden.
Our neighborhood, Mission Terrace, is very quaint and we knew all of our neighbors. We were within walking distance of a pool that we used every day for exercise. I loved the hills, the views, and the mild weather in San Francisco; Being close to the Pacific Ocean and the bay was wonderful.
[Editor’s note: Brick Underground’s series The Newcomers features first-person accounts about why a renter or buyer decided to take a chance on NYC.]
The neighborhood is filled with great ethnic restaurants, including delicious taquerias like Guadalajara and El Farolito. And of course there are many great Chinese, Vietnamese and Thai restaurants. Some of our favorites were Beijing Restaurant, Pho Day, Chase Luck Bakery, Jo Jo’s, Beep’s Burgers. We often met friends at a wine place called The check-in lounge. We loved our Italian deli Calabria Brothers and the local sandwich shop Roxie Market.
But of course, San Francisco is known for its great restaurants, so it was easy to take BART [Bay Area Rapid Transit] downtown if we wanted fancier dining options.
There was a Safeway and Whole Foods within walking distance and we shopped at the every Saturday Alemany farmers market. We bought fresh bread Bakery Arizmendi Valencia on Valencia St. and fresh fish at Sun Fat on Mission Street.
I have had a career in advertising. Bob is also retired. He was a tool and die maker, a profession unfamiliar to most Americans. It’s like a machinist, but with higher knowledge.
We had a car, but we were also close to the BART, Muni streetcar, and multiple bus lines.
We enjoy looking after our granddaughters, Alina, three years old, and Inez, 16 months. My husband and I love museums; I take piano lessons and am involved in several Italian language groups, including a book club and a conversation class, both in Italian.
Why they decided to move
We decided to move to Brooklyn to be closer to my daughter after she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
We knew we wanted at least two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a patio, a gym, and a pool, if possible. We didn’t really have a budget. We wanted space because we are used to living in a large house.
It all happened very quickly. We only saw one building. Our daughter lives in Carroll Gardens, so when I saw the apartment 499 Chairman St. in nearby Gowanus it was perfect. I walked in off the street and we applied online later.
What they like about their new place
Our new place is a large unit with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a large living and dining room with a modern kitchen. We have in-unit laundry machines and a large patio. We have great views and lots of natural light. Our rent is $7,364.
We love that the apartment has lots of light, a swimming pool, a large gym and a beautiful outdoor area.
We have great amenities and the staff hosts great tenant events. There is a great garden on the ninth floor. We cut herbs and vegetables to use in preparing our meals. Since my husband and I are avid swimmers, having a pool was great. The lifeguards are super friendly and so are the staff.
We are so happy we found this building. The tenants we meet at the gym, by the pool or in the elevator are also very sweet, so different from what we thought life in New York would be. We expected New Yorkers to be more interested in their own thing and too busy to say hello or chat. We were so wrong. In fact, we’ve already had meetings with neighbors on our floor.
Keeping our home in San Francisco, we moved here with just our clothes; we had to completely redecorate the apartment.
What they think of the neighborhood
Gowanus is very vibrant, artsy and a mix of modern and industrial. It has working-class charm, combined with young tech energy and hip restaurants and bars.
The supermarket and dining options are great! We tried many places. We love Of course BK, Always, Kiosk 787, Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, PDA pizza, Central Market for canned fish, and the bodega at Fourth Avenue and Union. We walk to restaurants and shops on Smith and Court streets, go to Prospect Park and regularly visit places on Fifth Avenue. There is so much to do.
We find life in NYC easier, faster and more efficient than California!
Our lease is for two years, after that we’ll see. Moving here was the perfect decision. We always assumed we would buy an apartment in New York when our daughter got married and had children.
However, after renting at 499 President St., it opened our eyes to a 24-hour concierge, porters, handymen, and beautiful grounds and amenities that we don’t have to maintain ourselves. We are so happy that we may continue to rent.
And our daughter is doing great. She has completed two-thirds of her chemo treatments and the surgery was successful.
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