Garden City? (New York, Hempstead, Franklin Square: houses, buying, best school)

[cookiepanda]

Hi. Currently our family of four is looking for a house in Nassau county. We have been looking in Port Washington and Herricks. Within our price range, it is really sad that we cannot really afford much. I do not mind a fixer-upper, (infact I prefer doing the work!) but it has to still be within budget counting in the renovation cost. We want to keep it under $700 but it seems very unrealistic at this point for what we want. We are willing to increase the budget but still, it would be the less the better.

Wish list
- best school we can afford
- 3 bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms plus a den since hubby works from home (I know I know, we should just get the heck out of New York right? but it is hard to leave family and friends)
- walking distance to restaurants/park
-attached garage (pretty high on my wish list, but I know the chance of finding a house with one will be a huge challenge)
- at least 1700 sq ft counting basement space would be most ideal. It does not need a huge house but still, it will be nice to be able to fit more than a full size bed in a room
- It cannot be more than 30 mins from Flushing. I need to feed my Asian blood some Asian food every once awhile.

I think with our budget, even though Port Washington does not look good at this point, we should be able to find something in Herricks. However, I do not mind looking at other areas just so I have more options. I always thought Garden City was an expensive area so I did not think it would be an option. However out of desperation I did tonight and actually saw quite a few listings within our price range, and they are much nicer in size and shape. I was shocked.

Now my questions are:
1. Is there any area within Garden City that I should avoid?
2. I have heard that it was not very diverse over there. My husband is Jewish and I am Chinese. Will we be comfortable raising our family there?

Thank you very much in advance!

[Coney]

I don't know if you would like Garden City proper. It would be a challenge to drive back to Flushing in under 30 minutes during the day. Maybe, when there is no traffic.

Garden City Schools has a big sports culture.

There aren't a lot of Jews or Chinese there, but I doubt if you would be ostracized for that.

Your biggest barrier will be your budget.

Have you looked into New Hyde Park? Stewart Manor?

[Forest_Hills_Daddy]

Extend the commute time and look at plainview-old bethpage. The school district there is similar to the ones you were considering in the north shore and herricks. District teaches mandarin.

[twingles]

In Garden City you're looking for a split that's a major fixer upper. You won't get even half your wish list otherwise. There are few splits in the western section but most oars in the northeastern section; pros, close to the parkways, cons, people use those streets as cut throughs because of that proximity. Your biggest no-gos will be an extra room for a den and an attached garage (that leads into the house).
Your should avoid the extreme east end particularly Meadow and Grove Streets.

You won't face any racism or intolerance because of your ethnicities, but the community is about 95% white and Christian. In the spring the big question is "when is your child's first communion"...will you find that tiring? Only you can answer these questions. Asians are starting to make in-roads into GC, we sold out house to Asians 7 years ago.

Good luck with your home search but I agree with Coney re: New Hyde Park (I'd avoid Stewart Manor which is lovely but the high school stinks and it is almost all Catholic and the majority of people do Catholic school from nursery through high school).

[85dumbo]

Hey, OP, I don't have any suggestions with your budget and criteria. As an asian dude living in East Hills/Roslyn, all I can say is the asian food out here is terrible. You would think with all the asians that live out here, some entrepreneurial asian would open up an authentic resturant, it would make a killing... but alas we are stuck with horrendous asian food out here.

[NSHL10]

Are you sure it is in Garden City? There is a town called Garden City South that realtors like to forget the South part when they advertise the house, lol. That town is basically Franklin Square as it is Franklin Square schools. Not a bad area at all, but does not come with amenities or school district of Garden City.

What streets/ addresses are you looking at? If it is in school district 17, then it is not Garden City.

[Interlude]

There's nothing worth buying in GC for 700k. Sorry. You're looking at a dump on a main road or next door to Hempstead for that price.

[nuts2uiam]

Parts of New Hyde Park and Albertson will put you in the Herricks School District.

[Kbinspections]

All true, $700,000 won't get you into GC. Maybe RVC by the Baldwin border.

You can look at Syosset or Jericho......closer to your budget but further away.

[ubering]

Some houses in New Hyde Park North are zoned to Herricks and they start at 500k (crappy houses)

There is one house in Garden City that is asking 575k but it's bordered next to Hempstead and you'll notice the change.
Been on the market for a while and they keep dropping asking price.