Paint or Move?

Written by Jaqui Lividini

My journey from Carnegie Hill to the East 80’s streets began one afternoon when I walked into my apartment on East 95th Street and caught the waning afternoon light coming through the windows, onto the walls. I was caught in that moment of dread that many New Yorker’s face - “My apartment needs to be painted.” 

Now I don’t want to sound flip, that a decision this big was based solely on a paint job. I had been thinking about the ever-elusive NYC outdoor space as well as Calliope’s transition into the teen years and the imminent need for more space.

I loved my Carnegie Hill Apartment, it had been photographed several times as well as featured on an episode of NBC’s “Open House.” I loved its location between Madison and Fifth, my second floor windows that looked out onto a row of big oak trees for a magical moment of “country living” in the city. But, If I were going to go through all of the trouble to paint, I might as well just look into moving. From there, my journey began.