Where to live on Long Island when working in Brooklyn (Redhook). (New York: mortgage, how much)
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Possibly moving from Barrington, Il to NY for a job in Brooklyn (Red Hook). We loved Barrington's small town life with its good schools, good library and good park district. Our three elementary school aged children need a swimteam, tennis program, scholastic chess program and a school with something for gifted children. Spouse stays at home and I would love a 60 - 90 minute commute via car or public transportation. Job pays $140 but we are very thrifty and have no debt. Originally, friends suggested New Jersey but a few New Jersey posters suggested Long Island. We thank you in advance for your responce.
We will begin looking at houses in the 400 - 800k range. Presently live on a golf course in a 5 BR 5 BA 4 car garage two story w/formal dining room, family room and living room (where we keep our grand piano and musical instruments). We would like something similar but we are flexible.
Are you willing to downgrade? LOL....you're going to have trouble finding what you seek in that price range. Maybe Garden City or Rockville Center but it will most likely need some work. Factor in property taxes of $14-$20K as well.
Maybe you should try to find the best area in Brooklyn and just work and live there. Maybe Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill, or Park Slope would work for you. Then you have no commute and are close to far more interesting sights and sounds than Long Island can offer you.
Are you willing to downgrade? LOL....you're going to have trouble finding what you seek in that price range. Maybe Garden City or Rockville Center but it will most likely need some work. Factor in property taxes of $14-$20K as well.
Seriously...
Red Hook is also one of the most annoying places to get to anywhere in New York. No subway service at all and no direct bus routes from the LIRR. Driving in requires daily travel on the BQE - arguably the worst and slowest road in any first world nation - so you should make sure you enjoy spending lots of time in your car staring at the back of barely moving 18-wheelers. If you leave early enough in the morning, you could easily do it in under an hour... but the trip home? Two hours, three hours sometimes... not pretty. The most painless way to go would probably be taking the LIRR to Atlantic Avenue and taking a cab from there, but that will get real expensive real quick.
Red Hook is also one of the most annoying places to get to anywhere in New York. No subway service at all and no direct bus routes from the LIRR. Driving in requires daily travel on the BQE - arguably the worst and slowest road in any first world nation - so you should make sure you enjoy spending lots of time in your car staring at the back of barely moving 18-wheelers. If you leave early enough in the morning, you could easily do it in under an hour... but the trip home? Two hours, three hours sometimes... not pretty. The most painless way to go would probably be taking the LIRR to Atlantic Avenue and taking a cab from there, but that will get real expensive real quick.
Technically, there is a bus route (the B61), but the problem is that it doesn't travel directly from Atlantic Avenue. The last stop is further west, by Smith Street, so that would require a transfer from another bus (luckily, there are plenty of buses that make the short hop from Atlantic Avenue to Court Street)
We will begin looking at houses in the 400 - 800k range. Presently live on a golf course in a 5 BR 5 BA 4 car garage two story w/formal dining room, family room and living room (where we keep our grand piano and musical instruments). We would like something similar but we are flexible.
Are you coming with a lot of cash in hand from the house sale? What your money will buy here will be a complete shock to you. Is the 140K your only income or is there more in the family?
Commuting to Red Hook is a major PITA, to say the least. A 90 minute commute would put you somewhere in Nassau CTY. Keep in mind 11K in property taxes every year on top of your mortgage at least, with a house the size you're looking at substantially more.
I would love a 60 - 90 minute commute via car or public transportation. Job pays $140 but we are very thrifty and have no debt.
As indicated above, $140K is not all that much for LI! You certainly won't be able to afford more than the $400-500K range when you take property taxes into account. Then you have to look at school districts. The better one cost bigger $$$.
You may have to increase that commute time to get what you're looking for in a house.
You guys are hilarious... $140k is nothing... right, yeah ok. A $500k mortgage today ($600k house w/~100k down) is $2500 a month, $30k a year. Add $15k in taxes and that's $45k a year with a huge write off at tax time.
dman, if you really believe this, then every argument you've made about the cops on LI being overpaid just went out the window.
Reality is $140k is well above median household income of $92k, and plenty of money to live on LI, especially without having any existing debt. A few of my neighbors make well under that much and they are living comfortably in $500k+ houses.
To OP, I'd check out Rockville Centre, Garden City, possibly even Merrick.
Last edited by Pequaman; 08-15-2011 at 09:15 AM..
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