From Brooklyn to Montclair, this Mom of two and Features Editor at The Wall Street Journal is enjoying her first spring in the ‘burbs – and planting roots in the new community she calls home.
We are continuing our Moms We ♥️ Love series with two of our favorite things: Moms and Suburbia. Candace Taylor, a Features Editor at the Wall Street Journal, shares how she landed in the town she now calls home.
What motivated you to leave Brooklyn?
My husband and I lived there for 15 years and loved city life. We loved our elementary school, but the prospect of going through the whole lottery again for middle and high school was starting to get stressful. The New York City public school selection process is not for the faint of heart.
How did your work at The Wall Street Journal influence your move?
Since I cover real estate, years and years ago, I wrote a story about Suburban Jungle when they first started, and I remember thinking, “Wow, this is such a great idea!” So when we started to consider a move to the suburbs, I thought of them right away—and they were just amazing. They were so helpful throughout the whole process and helped us figure out that Montclair was where we wanted to be.
Why did you decide to make Montclair your new home?
Well, we looked in other places but I fell in love the first time I was there. As you know, I write about real estate and the architecture in Montclair is amazing. The beautiful Victorian houses are what got me right away–it just has that sort of Americana vibe to it. And it has a great downtown. Coming from Brooklyn, we wanted restaurants, ice cream shops, and things like that. We weren’t ready to be in the country and needed there to be some stuff going on. Plus, the commute time is within an hour door-to-door, which was important to my husband.
What do you do on the weekends?
We’ve been here for less than a year, so we’re still getting into the suburban swing of things. My son, Jamie, loves rock climbing and there’s a great climbing gym called Gravity Vault, which even has a climbing team. Both kids also swim on the weekends at the YMCA, so we do the kids’ activities and just enjoy making dinner for friends and relaxing.
This is your first spring in Montclair. What do you most appreciate about May in the suburbs?
I’m really loving how the trees and flowers are so beautiful in the spring. The flowers that are blooming blow my mind when I look out my window. We have this stunning pink tree. I don’t even know what it is, but I just love it. It’s something that you don’t have as much in the city. And we even now have a lawn to mow!
What advice do you have for other working moms looking to transition from city to suburbs?
I feel like the town you choose is so important to how you raise your kids and the people you’re raising them with. Luckily, we live on a block with amazing families and little kids. Our community has been invaluable with recommendations like which dentist to go to and all those other million little things. I do think it’s really important to pay a lot of attention to that and remember it’s not just the house–it’s the whole community.
Want to find a place you ♥? Get in touch to schedule your Suburbs Strategy session.
