Help! Relocating from Boston...NY, NJ or CT?

[ira]

Originally Posted by bethree5

Why on earth would you try to squeeze yourself into a congested county like Bergen (Ridgewood) or Essex if you can afford not to??

I think your post is misleading - to say that Union County (around Westfield) is less congested than Bergen County is not really true. Rt 22 (in Union), for example, is just as bad as Rt. 17 (in Bergen) but at least we get a break on Sunday because of Blue Laws. Rt 22 is congested 7 days a week.

[Diane Giam]

Originally Posted by babybluepumpkin

We just relocated to a Boston suburb about 6 weeks ago from Los Angeles. My husband is now thinking of a new job in Chelsea in Manhattan. I could kill him! But, it is an excellent opportunity, so...

How do I decide between a family-friendly town with great schools in either NY, NJ or CT?

We have a 3-year-old and 1-year-old. We want great public schools, a family-friendly place with a walkable downtown and a newcomer's club. We'd like to keep the commute down to 45 minutes if possible.

I know taxes are a big issue here. Which areas can people suggest for a 4 BR / 2.5 BA house under $1.4M? I don't want a huge yard so that my neighbors are nowhere nearby. 1/2 acre is MORE than enough.

Please help!

I would Suggest posting on the LI board. There are many towns there that would fit the 45 min commute. You do not want to travel by Bus
and the LI railroad Station is on 34th street on the west side, so only a subway station or 2 from Chelsea which is also on the west side.
With that amount of money you can find a nice house on LI.

[chettabelle]

Hi babybluepumpkin,

I am originally from Pelham Manor, NY which is only 29 minutes by train to NYC.. It is a beautiful upper class town. You can definitely get a house for under 1.4 million or even for 1.4 million depending on what you want in the house. The schools are great!! Also check out Scarsdale, Eastchester, Bronxville and Rye. These are all about 45 min from NYC and are very desirable towns.. The Metro-North train takes you into Grand Central Station which is 42nd and Park Avenue and then you would take a subway to get to the Chelsea area. There is a Newcomers club in Pelham, Scarsdale and Rye.. Check the houses out at REALTOR.com - Real Estate Listings & Homes For Sale GOOD LUCK.. The reason I did not stay in Pelham was because my husband is the only income we have since I stay home with my daughter and we couldn't afford a house there. There is also really nice towns in Long Island, NY.. Wantagh has blue ribbon schools, Seaford, massapequa are nice. Another beautiful town is Manhasset. That is upper class and very nice.. Once you pick the state you like then break it down by town or just ask..

[Siobhan22]

I totally agree with bethree5. Just bought a house in Westfield. I would also explore Chatham if my price point was $1.4M. We are moving from a condo there, couldn't find a decent single family home under $800k. It was ranked #9 best place to live by Money magazine in 2005. Great schools, taxes, community, mid-town direct to Manhattan. Westfield is wonderful but no mid-town direct train lengthens the commute slightly. Good Luck if you end up moving! vbmenu_register("postmenu_1361896", true);