
For Ralph and Shamita Etienne-Cummings, the suburbs have long held a certain allure — especially since 2010, when their son, Blaze, was born and Mr. Etienne-Cummings’s mother moved into their 1876 rowhouse in Washington, D.C.
“Space became more of a premium,” Ms. Etienne-Cummings said. Her husband, she explained, is “from Seychelles; I’m from India. Culturally, we always have family that lives with us.”
But the benefits of living outside the city — having a big backyard and a bigger house — couldn’t compete with convenience of their life in Washington’s Logan Circle neighborhood, on a blocklong street coveted for its historic homes and central location.
“Our son grew up walking everywhere with his grandmother,” said Ms. Etienne-Cummings, 52, a lawyer. “We really wanted to stay in our neighborhood, but definitely needed more space, and that was difficult to do in an area that’s already filled up.”
sign up here. Follow us on Twitter: @nytrealestate.