Making the transition to an urban home with three boys, two dogs and a busy schedule may seem like a risky decision at the outset, but for Jim and Kelly Brexler, it was the best decision for their family.
“I tell people we have the biggest backyard in the world,” says Kelly of the family’s BridgeView condo, located on the NorthShore at the foot of the Market Street Bridge. The family’s “playground” includes Renaissance Park and Coolidge Park, which are both just steps away from the building’s entrance.
Jim and Kelly decided to make a move from Signal Mountain to the NorthShore in the summer of 2009. After looking around, they decided on BridgeView because of the location, view, layout, square footage and storage.
“There is no wasted space,” says Kelly, adding that while downsizing a large blended family took some getting used to, they quickly learned how to use space more effectively.
Today, downtown Chattanooga and the NorthShore have become central to the family’s active lifestyle, which includes biking and jogging along the Tennessee Riverwalk, walking downtown for family activities, and outings for dinner and a movie.
Spending more time outside has kept their sons Mitchell (14), Jack (4) and Anderson (1) active. The boys have enjoyed “cardboard surfing” and snow sledding on the hills in Renaissance Park, as well as playing in the water fountains and riding the carousel at Coolidge Park.
Now that the family is downtown, Kelly says the family is more connected. “We used to be car and cell phone connected,” says Kelly, estimating that the family spent 1 ½ to 2 hours each day in cars commuting to work and school. “We were ‘buying time’ by hiring people to take care of our home and yard maintenance just so we could have more free time to spend together.”
Jim, president and CEO of Erlanger Health System, can now be at work in about three minutes. As can Kelly, who works for Third District Congressional candidate Robin Smith.
“Instead of driving, we are spending more time with our kids,” Kelly says, adding that the family even has a community garden spot at their church.
Another benefit to their new downtown residence is the number of other families with children living in their complex, which is apprent by the rows of bikes lined up in the parking garage.
Kelly says the kids have enjoyed condo living. For instance, getting to the parking garage from their condo has become a playful trek, especially for Jack and Anderson, who like to punch the buttons in the mirrored elevators. Jack even told his teacher at school that his house “had an elevator in it.”
When the Brexlers purchased the three bedroom condo in 2009, it was already finished with hardwood floors, granite countertops and fixtures in the new traditional style. The living room, dining room and kitchen are one large open space, each operating as a separate center and having its own identity. A tray ceiling above the living and dining areas, along with the wall color and large picture windows, serve to expand and enlarge the spaces. Having these three areas flow seamlessly into the other not only allows the family to be together, but also to enjoy separate activities.
While most condo décor is considered “metro” or glamorous, Kelly says: “Ours is definitely ‘home’ and geared toward the kids.” This is evidenced by their one-year-old’s playpen and toys as part of the living room furnishings. Brinkley, one of the Brexlers’ two dogs, has a favorite perch on the back of the sofa positioned against a large double window that overlooks the Market Street Bridge. In the afternoon, Brinkley watches for Jim and Kelly to drive across the bridge on their way home from work and barks when she recognizes their cars.
Jim says he appreciates the security in the building, as well as convenient features such as being electronically connected to their cell phones, which allows easy access into the garage and building. The building also offers concierge services.
The sweeping views from the condo were one of the selling points for Jim and Kelly. Large windows in each room, specially treated for privacy, do not require draperies and provide 180-degree vistas of the north side of the Tennessee River and downtown. The expansive balcony, accessed from either the living area or master bedroom, offers views of Stringer’s Ridge, Elder Mountain and Lookout Mountain, as well as all four bridges and downtown.
Not only is the balcony ideal for grilling and outdoor entertaining, it serves as a “front row seat” for fireworks after Lookouts’ games and the Riverbend Festival. Jim says he especially enjoys watching weather fronts as they roll through and notes that, at night, the lights from the carousel in Coolidge Park are “just beautiful.”
Thanks to their new urban home, the Brexlers have found they have much more time to be a family, to enjoy an active lifestyle together, and to experience all the advantages of downtown living. Jim concludes,“It’s the best decision we ever made.”