Kelly Kreth

Lauren Z. Rosenthal and her husband Marc were living near Union Square, but the many chain stores and singles scene made the area feel anonymous. They wanted more of a community feel and found it just blocks away in Gramercy. Here’s Lauren’s story.

Hulu’s comedic murder mystery series “Only Murders in the Building” debuted this week starring Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez as three neighbors obsessed with true crime (who isn’t these days?) who stumble on a mystery in their own Upper West Side building and set out to solve it.

Lauren, an attorney, was living in a rent-stabilized apartment in Brooklyn Heights. The location was great, but the place was dark and the building neglected. She saw a new waterfront condo in the Rockaways—the only building she checked out in person as part of her search—and decided to buy there—despite the fact that it would make her commute an hour and a half one way. Here’s her story.

Living in Elmhurst, Queens for the past four years, actress and author Samantina Zenon became increasingly concerned about crime in the neighborhood. During the pandemic, she decided to move somewhere safer and landed in Woodside. Here’s Samantina’s story.

After living in France for over a decade, Catherine and Dan moved to a rural part of Connecticut—and their housing was free at the boarding school where they taught. They liked being close to nature but missed the cultural amenities of city life so badly that they were willing to give up their free rent. They landed in Yorkville, which ticked all the boxes for them.

Ivy Story moved from Texoma, on the border of Texas and Oklahoma, to New York City to escape small-town life. She scored a deal on a studio rental with two months free. Here's her story.