Surprise!!
We’re moving to the big apple!
If you would’ve told me at Christmas that by March we’d be living in Manhattan, I would’ve truly fell out of my chair. The last few weeks have been the biggest whirlwind of my adult life as my husband was offered a job in the city and we decided to take it. In the days that followed, we prepared our house to go on the market (more on this later), flew up to New York to start apartment hunting, started saying our goodbyes to friends and family, and mentally preparing as much as we could to move from our quiet little southern Florida town to the big hustle and bustle of NYC.
I still feel a little emotional about leaving the South and all our people—the place we brought Shep home in, our routines, our comforts—it’s bittersweet. But living in NYC is something I’ve always dreamed about, and I’m thrilled for the change and opportunity for John and me. Getting to do it with our sweet baby Shep is truly going to be such an adventure that we’ll love to talk about as he gets older. We’re reverse-Hallmarking: leaving the coastal town for the big city! Lol.
Anytime I’ve felt overwhelmed or nervous over the last few weeks, we just keep saying “do it for the plot”. There’s been so many more moments of leaning on the Lord, as there always is with stress or big decisions, and I look forward to see how He uses all of it.
Where are you moving?
Upper East Side. Apartment reveal coming soon, I can’t wait to share!
We’ve truly had the best agent in NYC. Adrienne Gallus made the entire apartment hunt so much easier. She was incredibly attentive, handled all the heavy lifting with scheduling and applications, and somehow found us the perfect place with every single box checked. The New York rental market is no joke, and with such a short timeline coming from out of state, we couldn’t have done it alone. There’s so much to navigate, and she made it seamless. If you’re moving to NYC or just need a great local agent, I can’t recommend Adrienne enough!
When are you moving?
March 8th!
But what about your house?
I know…
For those of you who don’t know, we moved into this adorable historic Tudor in Avondale, Florida in Jacksonville last March and have spent the past year completely redoing it. Take a look at past home design blog posts here and here. I’m sure you’ve seen all the reels, videos, and Instagram stories of the before-and-afters—and there’s still more I need to post! We had every intention of renovating the kitchen this year, tackling more projects, and staying put for at least a few more years before even thinking about another move. We have absolutely loved living in Avondale, and it will always hold such a special place in my heart. I’m going to miss it so much.
Most of all, this was the home where we brought our first baby. Leaving it behind while he’s still so little has been the hardest part for me. I’m doing my best to hold space for both the excitement of this new chapter and the bittersweet feeling of how quickly time is passing. Our big move to NYC has made life feel even faster, and I’m holding on tightly to each day with our sweet little love. What a gift this season has been! I’m praying that even in one of the busiest cities, we’ll be all the more intentional with the time we have.
Will you keep the same design style?
I’m sure New York will influence my interior style in some ways, but my taste is my taste! I’m excited to learn from designers and see how my style evolves while we’re in Manhattan. But don’t worry—you can still expect plenty of traditional, grandmillennial, and coastal decor from me. 😉
How do you think Shep is going to do?
From the moment I found out I was pregnant, throughout my pregnancy, his birth, and every day since, Shep has been the most calm child. He takes in the world with such a quiet curiosity and incredible patience—I just know he’s going to love having so much to see. He’s always been observant and calm that we joke he’s been here before. I can’t wait to introduce him to everything that comes with city life—music, parks, museums, food, and the incredible diversity of people. NYC is full of energy, and I know experiencing it together will be so special.
I still feel a twinge of sadness when I think about the moments I once pictured—his first birthday, baby dedication, or first steps—and how different they’ll be from what I imagined. But now, I feel at peace with it. Life changes, and that’s okay. ❤️ Motherhood has made me so much more sentimental, and sometimes that makes letting go a little harder.
Are you going to market your photography business in NYC?
I’ve gotten this question quite a bit from friends, so I figured you’d want to know too. This is probably no. I love photography, and while I no longer shoot weddings, I still love to photograph families, couples and babies when I can. But as of now, I plan on keeping Mary Catherine Echols Photography on the backburner. I still shoot so much for content creation that it still feels like MCEP is in full swing to me – just only for myself haha!
What’s next for Mary Catherine?
First order of business is to get my family settled in. John and I really enjoy moving (we’ve done it now 5 times), so we’ve gotten pretty good at making sure everything is comfortable and figured out for day to day life as quickly as we can.
As far as work, be on the lookout for some exciting partnerships and city content coming soon! I am thrilled to be in such a creative city, and hope to meet & work with interior designers and influencers as we continue to figure out life here.
Photos by Maggie DiVirgilio
Editing by me
That’s all for now!
I am the most active on Instagram DM’s and comments, so meet me over there if you want to connect about anything or have a question. I can’t wait to share this new phase of life with all of you!
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