NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) \u2014 A real estate company is tracking a growing trend \u2014 more people moving into New York City at a more mature age.
Some are even deciding to retire here.
CBS2\u2019s Raegan Medgie spoke with one woman who decided to leave the suburbs for life in Manhattan.
Robyn Eckhaus moved into the Upper West Side in August from the suburbs of Westchester County, and she hasn\u2019t looked back since.
\u201cTo me, the most important connection in my life, among others, are my two daughters \u2014 I have two girls, Samantha and Alexa, 27 and 25,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd they both live in Manhattan.\u201d
Eckhaus said she recently got divorced and realized, \u201cyou know, having worked full time raising my family, I feel like this is a little bit of a my journey and my time to explore.\u201d
Joan Kagan, the director of sales for Triple Mint real estate in Midtown, said Eckhaus\u2019 move from the suburbs isn\u2019t that rare.
\u201cA number of years ago, I noticed a trend that a lot of my friends were calling me to refer their parents to me,\u201d she said. \u201cYou have to make sure the snow is shoveled, you have to make sure the grass is mowed, and guess what? When you live in the an apartment in the city, you\u2019re not responsible for any of that.\u201d
Eckhaus is in her early 50s, but said living in the city is like the fountain of youth.
\u201cThere\u2019s so much entertainment here, there\u2019s so much culture,\u201d she said. \u201cThe symphony, the off-Broadway shows, I mean there\u2019s anything that anybody could want. It\u2019s limitless.\u201d
One big factor to keep in mind when looking for a place in the city is space, or lack of it.
\u201cYou have people who \u2014 if you have a basement and lots closets, you just won\u2019t have that here,\u201d Kagan said.
Kagan said many people sell their homes and have that money, but real estate is very expensive in the city.
\u201cA lot of financial planners advise retirees to rent instead of buy, because once they sell their homes, they have a lot of liquidity, and it\u2019s good to have that liquidity in retirement,\u201d she said.
Ekhaus is renting and enjoying all the Big Apple has to offer.
\u201cI think it\u2019s a great place for me to be, right here, right now,\u201d she said.
For those looking to live in a co-op, experts say co-ops can be really strict with financing and want to see a 25 percent debt-to-income ratio. Renters are also held to similar standards. Often they\u2019re advised to pay the first year\u2019s rent up front.<\/p>\n

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