Let me start by saying: I love my in-laws. Let me follow
that by saying: I love them so much I wouldn’t even consider living next door
to them. Which means I won’t be part of this new trend, or “trendlet,” as the
experts in this article are calling an emerging pattern of extended families
living within spitting distance of each other. On purpose.
How does this work? And how is it working? One clan made up of the parents their grown children and their young grandchildren lives on a compound in rural New Jersey, where each family has a private house.
They use golf carts to go from one home to the other for visits. (They call
first, right?) Two new parents in Philadelphia sold their small townhouse and rented
an apartment across the courtyard from baby’s grandma. Now they enjoy -- the one
silver lining on this dark, intrusive cloud -- free babysitting.
Of course, living across the continent from the
in-laws, as I do, is just as extreme as playing house in their converted
garage. So how close is too close? The next room? A day’s drive? Corsica?
