Are celebutante Nicole Richie and her longtime partner, rocker Joel Madden, bound for the Big Apple?

The exhausted couple are reportedly planning to move to the entertainment mecca of the East Coast after Nicole recently fell violently ill with pneumonia, celebrity snoops reveal in the Dec. 7 edition of The National Enquirer.

According to the spy, the pressures of dodging the paparazzi — two of whom were recently cited for ramming the socialite’s car — and caring for infant son Sparrow and daughter Harlow, 22 month, is weighing heavily on Nicole.

“Nicole’s been stressed and worn out since giving birth to Sparrow in September,” an informant divulged. “She was overwhelmed, and a phone call, Nicole screamed at Joel, ‘I can’t take this anymore — get me out of Hollywood!’ Nicole wants to escape Hollywood and raise their kids in New York.”

Insiders close to the couple say Joel and Nicole have decided that their young family could benefit from a change of pace and currently looking at properties in trendy Manhattan and family-friendly Brooklyn. In addition, the move will put the couple closer to Joel’s family in Maryland and centrally-located for work-related treks to Los Angeles and Europe.

“Nicole realizes that both she and her family need a change of pace, schedule, and scenery. She feels ditching crazy Hollywood for New York is best for everyone.”