Dancing With the Stars alums Peta Murgatroyd and Maksim Chmerkovskiy can’t stop gushing about their new lives in Florida.
The couple officially packed up and moved from Los Angeles to Boca Raton with their three sons, Shai, eight, Rio, three, and Milan, two, on June 29, documenting their journey on social media.
The blonde beauty, 40, shared another glimpse of their idyllic Floridian lifestyle in a recent Instagram Story.
‘We’ve always loved Florida, we’ve always loved the lifestyle here. We fell in love with Boca because it, kind of, has everything [and] the best of everything,’ Murgatroyd said in the clip, per Us Weekly.
She said they were ‘really close to Miami, we have the beach, like, 11 minutes from my house, really top-rated schools, amazing sports for the boys, [a] great lifestyle.’
Murgatroyd and Chmerkovskiy, who revealed why they ditched the City of Angels in earlier footage on social media, aren’t the only celebrities fleeing Los Angeles.
Dancing With the Stars alums Peta Murgatroyd and Maksim Chmerkovskiy can’t stop gushing about their new lives in Florida. Above, the couple in 2022 attending the ESPY Awards in Los Angeles
The couple officially packed up and moved from Los Angeles to Boca Raton with their three sons, Shai, eight, Rio, three, and Milan, two, on June 29. Above, the family poses for snap posted to Instagram on July 1
Mark Wahlberg relocated his family to Nevada for a fresh start and better life, while Eva Longoria has stepped away from her Los Angeles base to split time between Spain and Mexico.
Kelly Clarkson moved to New York City with her two kids for her show, which she is now leaving following the death of her ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock.
And Matthew McConaughey moved his loved ones back to his home state of Texas, while Sylvester Stallone left California behind to set down roots in Florida.
Murgatroyd, who was born in New Zealand and raised in Australia before moving to the US in 2006, said she was warned it gets very hot and humid in Florida in the summer months, but they haven’t looked back yet.
‘I know it gets hot but we’re, kind of, in it right now. I thought I would have a bigger problem with it, everyone’s like, “You’re gonna come back to Cali,”‘ she revealed.
‘Cali will always be a home of ours because we lived there for 20 years but, right now, I think this is what our fam needs and we are loving every second. It’s the best.’
The former dancing pro went on to rave about all the modern conveniences their new hometown offers in contrast to sprawling, traffic-dense Los Angeles.
‘I would say convenience is key here,’ Murgatroyd said. ‘Everything is within a five-minute drive. I feel like there’s a CVS or Walgreens on every corner ’cause it’s like in blocks with the communities.
‘Everything is within a five-minute drive. I feel like there’s a CVS or Walgreens on every corner,’ Murgatroyd said in a recent video shared on her Instagram Story
The former DWTS pro admitted ‘it gets hot’ but ‘I think this is what our fam needs and we are loving every second’
The happy couple announced they’d arrived to the new home in an earlier Instagram clip
‘I love it. I feel like at this stage of my life with three boys, I’m about convenience.’
Murgatroyd mentioned how ‘nice’ and ‘accommodating’ Floridians are, and how her sons have had lots of playdates with the neighbors’ children.
‘I do feel like everyone here is … very sweet, very nice, very accommodating,’ the mom-of-three praised. ‘I’m like, “This never happened over there.” The mothers are all really nice.’
She continued: ‘In our community, that’s all I wanted. I wanted Shai to have the childhood that I had and I can see it happening. He has playdates, he has boys knocking on our door, saying, “Hey come play, let’s go ride our bikes.” It’s the best thing for me, and it’s all I want. I’m so happy.’
The couple sold the idea so well that Chmerkovskiy’s parents also moved to Florida.
‘They just really love Boca too, we didn’t even realize they were going to do that. They have a really cute place, and they’re very happy by the beach,’ Murgatroyd revealed.
Chmerkovskiy left Dancing With the Stars after season 25 in late 2017, while Murgatroyd departed the talent competition series after season 32 in late 2023 after welcoming their third child.
‘There’s no way I’m ready physically. Mentally, yeah, I’m OK. But physically, I’m not up to par,’ she said at the time, adding: ‘I chose family over work this time.’
Murgatroyd departed Dancing With the Stars after season 32 in late 2023 after welcoming their third child. Above, she’s seen in November 2023 doing a ballroom dance with Barry Williams
Chmerkovskiy left Dancing With the Stars after season 25 in late 2017 and has been relishing the family life ever since. Above, he is seen in October 2017 dancing with Vanessa Lachey
In 2024, Chmerkovskiy told Entertainment Tonight: ‘We have other stuff going outside of the TV arena that we’re very excited about, [but] I’m focused on the family.’
The dance champ – who has been married to Murgatroyd since 2017 – said he relished the experience of spending so much time at home over recent months.
‘Peta’s doing incredible with her avenues and all that, so I get an opportunity to stay at home till further notice,’ he said.
Asked if he feels ready to become a father-of-three, he replied: ‘Are you ever? But now I’m definitely entering an elite club.’
