Ball drop or "Don't drop the ball," as the Ridgewicks move from Castle Rock to NYC
Haunted Homequest
Norris and Myra Ridgewick have lived most of their adult lives in Castle Rock, Maine — a quaint and charming New England town to outsiders, and a suffocating place to those on the inside .
Now in their 50s, the Ridgewicks are familiar figures about town: neither important nor admired, but deeply woven into the fabric of Castle Rock . Their marriage has followed a similar arc — years of silent suffering, public embarrassment, and resignation .
Castle Rock is not simply sleepy ; it is cursed .
Bad things happen to ordinary people here, and escape is rare . For Norris and Myra, the realization that they are shaping up to be characters in a Stephen King novel has them pondering what life might look like elsewhere . Moreover, they have no children, nor do they have anyone or anything they’re leaving behind — except painful memories .
They’re turning the page — as many of us are today, on the first day of 2026 — and moving to New York City , a place where they can remain anonymous while recapturing the love that first brought them together . While their means are modest, they have excellent credit , a solid nest egg , and they’re looking for a home that feels just right .
What does this mean in terms of their search?
The Ridgewicks have a $1,000,000 budget . Ideally, they want to have two bedrooms , but mostly to have a dedicated second room for an office or study . Views are not especially important , but they want to have light spilling into their world . They don’t have a car , but don’t mind walking , trying out the train , or riding the bus .
In terms of the purchase, they plan to apply for a mortgage , looking beyond local providers like the Bank of Chester’s Mill . They should have no problems with a conventional 30-year fixed-rate loan , for which they’ll be offered a rate of 6.18% , putting down 20% .
Here’s the thing . They really don’t know New York .
Rather than narrow down their search , they’re looking far and wide — across all 5 boroughs — for a home between $950,000 and $1,000,000 that provides access , light , meets their budget , and has the restorative powers to repair their marriage . Also, not being haunted is a bonus!
They’ll see five homes in each borough . Here are all of them, and we’ll unpack one borough per day . Let’s go Stephen King fans: This’ll be fun, not scary!
Bronx
Brooklyn
Manhattan
Queens
Staten Island
Up first, the Bronx!
