For Family Reunions, Just Walk Down the Hall
Joanne Kaufman | New York TImes
...For years, David Nowicki’s many changes of address were motivated by his career in tech. But his most recent move was all about family — and family support. In early 2022, several months after his wife, Laura, died of breast cancer, Mr. Nowicki moved from the San Francisco area to Manhattan to be near his only child, Ryan, and Ryan’s girlfriend (now wife).
“I could see that Ryan was going to be in New York for the foreseeable future, and that New York was where the grandkids would be,” Mr. Nowicki said.
At first, he lived with his son and future daughter-in-law in their apartment on the Upper East Side, then, that May, he moved to a one-bedroom rental at One Columbus Place in Lincoln Square.
But by relocating to be near his son, Mr. Nowicki was now clear across the country from his mother, Patricia Nowicki-Ross, now 81. Fortunately, Ms. Nowicki-Ross, who was just ending a relationship, was game for a fresh start.
In January, she moved from California to Mr. Nowicki’s apartment, and this month she is set to move into her own place, a one-bedroom at One Columbus Place.
“I didn’t push it on her. It was her choice,” Mr. Nowicki, 59, said. “I wasn’t concerned about her being too close and she wasn’t concerned about being too close. We’re enjoying the time together and I’ve been helping her with medical and financial things.
“But I do expect she’ll start dating again, and my girlfriend who lives in Toronto visits once a month,” he added. “I want to support my mother’s life and privacy as much as I want her to support mine.” ...
