Category Archive

urban

Get started with apartment composting

When I was in Seattle for the Offbeat-empire-weekend-of-awesome, I commented to Ariel about how impressed I was at the public compost bins. I’m a big believer that one of the best things we can do for the earth is to compost. Then I casually mentioned that I had ordered a Bokashi composter to try out and she was all “Offbeat Home post?” Then I told Cat and she was all “Yes! Please!” Then we became adults again. I swear.

A paean to city living

Our cities are home to endless activity, people of all stripes, and our friendly (or creepoid) neighborhood weirdos.

Let us city dwellers sing a paean — a song of praise or triumph — for our cities. Let us stand together and celebrate our homes.

Why having our family living in 730 square feet is our ideal scenario

“Well you’ll have to move, of course” a close friend said to me the other day when I brought up our next adoption. She said it so confidently that I hated to disagree. This is easily the number one thing that people who know us bring up when the conversation turns to kids. I’m not surprised, because when we were in the middle of our first adoption process people said the same thing, or something similar.

The lie sold to young wanna-be urbanites

I was 21 years old when I moved to San Francisco. I was a glamorous big-city girl and I was ready to LIVE THE DREAM!

…oh, except for the fact that my $11/hr file clerk job barely paid me enough to cover rent and food.

Who wants to live in a livable city?

Did you guys see this article that made the rounds last week, about how lists of livable cities almost never seem to include the cities where everyone, well, wants to live?

Why trading my big house for a tiny condo was the smartest decision I’ve ever made

Shortly before starting a family, my husband and I downsized from a three-bedroom house to a one-bedroom condo. And we could not be happier.