He moved to New York City, where he worked as a magazine editor and submitted stories to small publications. In 1932, Baker met Pauline Elizabeth Paulsen, an heiress to the Paulsen mining fortune, on a world cruise where he had signed on as the cruise line's publicist. After they were married they had built for them an art deco house called Java Head in Coconut Grove, Florida in which they lived for thirty years.
He shifted his focus to New York City, where he worked as a magazine editor and published stories in smaller journals. In 1932, Baker encountered Pauline Elizabeth Paulsen, an heiress to the Paulsen mining fortune, on a worldwide journey where he was hired as the cruise line's publicist. After their marriage, they constructed a residence called Java Head in Coconut Grove, Florida, which remained their home for thirty years.