I grew up in the woods. Then I moved to a 19th-floor condo.

When my husband and I travel, we gravitate to walkable city centers and compact towns, using walking as our primary mode of transit. Now I can take that same approach to my daily life. Three different grocery stores are within a 10-minute walk. On Saturday mornings, the year-round farmers market is a five-minute walk away.

Evenings out became centered on walking rather than driving. The orchestra hall, ballpark, and multiple theaters are within a mile of our condo. Minneapolis has a diverse dining scene, and now much of it is within walking distance, from an Eastern European deli and Latina-owned coffee shop to an Indigenous restaurant and chic Italian spot.

We also lucked out with the social scene in our particular building. In the suburbs, we never really connected with our neighbors. Social events were geared to families. As a childless couple, we didn't have much in common with our neighbors.

The majority of units in our building are one- or two-bedrooms. Most inhabitants are empty nesters or fellow childfree couples. Not having kids is less of a barrier to socializing. There's an impressive lineup of events, from book groups to an annual building-wide holiday party. During the Super Bowl and World Cup, people gathered in the common room to watch the games on the big screen. Last spring, I rocked a thrifted dress at the building's first "prom for grownups." We've made friends with a few other couples in the building. It's convenient to get together when we can walk to a restaurant a couple of blocks away.

Beyond our building, I like feeling like a part of a vibrant urban area. In the suburbs, I mostly saw cars driving back and forth. When I'm downtown, I can step outside and see people of all different backgrounds sharing the same public spaces. I appreciate the views from our condo of the Mississippi River and the Minneapolis skyline. My favorite part is watching the people down below, playing lawn chess, walking their dogs, or lining up at the neighborhood ice cream truck.

A few months into our lease, my husband and I realized that one year wouldn't be enough. We both wanted to live downtown on a long-term basis. When we reached out to our landlord, we discovered that she was planning to sell the unit as soon as our lease was up. So we put in an offer and are now negotiating the final purchase agreement.

Once we've closed on the condo, we're planning to list our townhome and live downtown full-time. I'll miss my long runs in the park reserve. It's time to swap suburbia for the convenience and connection of urban life.