Somewhere in the back of my mind, I always new I would be a city dweller. As most teens growing up in the suburbs of the Steel City, my dream was to grow up and move to New York City. To my avail, instead of moving on up, I moved on over.

Along the way however, the thought of city living vanished as all the to-dos of adulthood settled in. I graduated college, found a reliable job, got married, adopted a puppy and bought a three-bedroom house with a finished basement and fenced in yard. Going through the checklist of adulthood, my husband and I never really thought about what we actually wanted out of life, until one day we did.

Like most people in Northeast Ohio, we knew Cleveland was the place to be. We saw the latest show at Playhouse Square. We cheered for our beloved sports teams at the Q, Progressive Field and FirstEnergy Stadium. We ate at the newest foodie hotspots, and we supported the artisans at the Cleveland Flea.

If you follow any news about Cleveland, you are aware that millennials – specifically college graduates between the ages of 18 to 34 – are leading the city’s resurgence of downtown and the residential occupancy is at 98 percent. But could we actually live there?

After hearing a beloved local grocery store would root itself in Downtown, we decided we too could take the plunge and live in the NineTwelve District. So we sold our 1,800 sq. ft. home in Medina, Ohio, and moved into a two-bedroom apartment on the 20th floor.

We kept getting asked the question, “Why downtown?” though. So, let me tell you why.

The apartments downtown are much nicer than any apartments I’ve ever seen. Our brand-new 1,445 sq. ft. apartment has granite countertops, in-suite laundry, an electric fireplace, views of Progressive Field and a storage closet that is bigger than my freshman dorm room. It’s nicer than any home I’ve ever lived in.

We wanted to be close to like-minded people. Many of the people you meet downtown, are young professionals who love all things CLE and support local shops and businesses.

Additionally, we were tired of driving. When we lived in the suburbs, we drove everywhere, even one mile down the road to Target. The only time we ever hit the pavement was to walk our puppy or to exercise. Now, we only drive Monday through Friday to work and back. Any other time we are walking or riding bikes.

Cleveland is booming. LeBron is back. The City is hosting the Republican National Convention. Tower City is under new ownership. It’s good to live in Cleveland.

If you ask my family, they still don’t understand why we sold our home and moved into an apartment. However, I will tell you, it was the best thing my husband and I ever did.

I often still get asked, “Why do you live downtown?” My answer is always, “Why not?”

Do you live downtown or interested in making the move? We would love to hear what you think. Comment below!