At 69, we traded our empty-nester condo in the city for a much larger house in the suburbs

At first, I worried about how we'd fit in with our younger neighbors. Jackie Fishman My husband and I moved into a condo when we became empty nesters, but we started craving more space. We moved into a home in a suburban cul-de-sac — but worried we'd be much older than our neighbors. Surprisingly, we built beautiful friendships with our younger neighbors. When my husband and I first became empty nesters more than 20 years ago, we moved from our suburban Maryland home to a two-bedroom condo in Arlington, Virginia. We hoped to make some new friends as we started this chapter of our lives. The city itself was fun, and the living environment was pleasant, but the proximity made it hard to connect with neighbors; it felt like everyone was protective of their privacy and space.