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fter enlisting in the U.S. Navy at 19, Babatunde “Baba” Ebunola became a machinist’s mate nuclear, overseeing submarine nuclear propulsion. He spent years submerged, including a six‑month deployment that overlapped with the early Covid‑19 outbreak, leaving him and his crew largely uninformed. “We didn’t receive any messages,” he says, now 30.
In 2023, back on the surface near Charleston, South Carolina, a single Hinge notification caught his eye. It was from Karina Banaduc, a 33‑year‑old Army Reserve sergeant training in the area. Banaduc had set her dating radius to the maximum 100 miles, and the match fell within that range. Their backgrounds differed: Baba grew up in Atlanta to Nigerian parents; Banaduc was born in Romania and moved to the U.S. at 19. She owned three dogs; Baba had allergies. Despite these differences, they connected instantly.
They began planning civilian life. Baba retired from the Navy this year; Banaduc continued her reserve duties remotely until her contract ended. “I could find work easily, but I wanted a place I actually wanted to live,” he said. In July, he joined the Champlain Hudson Power Express project as a technician, bringing hydropower from Quebec to the New York metro area via a converter station in Astoria, Queens.
Finding a home that fit their needs proved harder. They required at least three bedrooms, ideally an in‑law suite for Banaduc’s office and her parents’ visits, a sizable backyard for her dogs, free parking, and a reasonable commute to Astoria. Their budget capped at $700,000, financed through a VA loan. Banaduc doubted the market, noting TikTok’s tiny Manhattan apartments seemed impossible for a family with dogs.
Online searches yielded a few leads. In April, the couple flew to New York for a weekend of viewings. Many realtors laughed at their budget, but agent Alexia Duquin of Batra Group Real Estate encouraged them to look beyond the most central neighborhoods.
They focused on eastern Brooklyn and Queens, evaluating three properties:
1. A 1,620‑sq‑ft, four‑bedroom townhouse in Brownsville, Brooklyn, recently renovated, 10 minutes from a subway, 45 minutes from the job. Price $649,000, taxes $5,700. Private driveway for two cars, backyard needing grass.
2. A 1,330‑sq‑ft, three‑bedroom house in Laurelton, Queens, finished basement with kitchenette and full bath, second‑floor bedroom and bonus room, one‑car garage, spacious backyard. 45‑minute commute, bus lines but no subway. Price $649,000, taxes $6,000.
3. A three‑bedroom, two‑bath house in Cambria Heights, Queens, decorative fireplace, open kitchen, hardwood floors, bonus room, patio above garage, partially finished basement, fenced backyard. Near Cross Island Parkway, no subway. Price $689,999, taxes $5,700.
The article ends with a poll: Which would you choose? Brownsville townhouse, Laurelton house, or Cambria Heights house? And a follow‑up: Which did they buy?
