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I currently live in New Brunswick and I'm graduating from Rutgers-New Brunswick in a few months. I'm planning on attending law school and I will be taking the LSAT in October. With that said, I don't know which law school I will be admitted to yet but I have to move by August b/c that is when my lease is expiring and I have no desire to remain in New Brunswick. The schools I'm applying to are in Newark, Brooklyn, Manhattan, White Plains and Queens. To add to the conundrum I'm in, I also have a 4.5 year old son who will be attending kindergarten next year and I need to be somewhere that has quality public education. I've narrowed down my options to either Staten Island (b/c I'm familiar with the area having grown up there), Brooklyn (although I cant really afford anything in a safe area), Bayonne (Alexan CityView in particular), or Jersey City (Society Hill/Droyers Point, Port Liberte, Harismus Cove, Westside Station, or Liberty Harbor). My budget is maximum $2000 for a 2 bedroom. Please let me know if there are any other areas I should consider, if the areas I've mentioned are safe, and if there are any quality schools in the areas that I've mentioned. Thank you for your help!
Sorry not that familiar with the desired area, however I can ask in my office, we work with a real estate agents there. Just reply back so I'll know weather to go ask around.
Based on your timeline, it sounds like you wouldn't begin law school until fall 2013. Living in SI and commuting to White Plains would be difficult. SI to Queens (like Queens College or St. John's for instance) would be pretty brutal too.
If you end up attending any of the schools in Brooklyn, Queens or Manhattan, I would recommend looking for a place in Queens -- rents are affordable in such neighborhoods like Sunnyside, Woodside, Astoria. I would feel comfortable sending my own kids to public schools in these areas, at least when they're in the lower grades.
Harsimus Cove in JC is a nice area, but pricey. Cordero by Hamilton Park is a decent public school, but I'm not sure where kids from the Harsimus Cove attend. Many JC families I've known have left the area once their kids reached school age or have sent them to private schools. Society Hill/Droyers is nice, but isolated. Not too sure about schools in the area. The good charter schools in JC use a lottery system and have limited space. The neighborhood and schools by Westside seem rough. Personally, I would pick Queens and hope I get into a school in NYC. Good luck!
@isaar no thank you. @kmny thanks for your response. I honestly haven't even considered Queens just because I'm not familiar with the area. My only concern with Queens is that if I were to get into Rutgers-Newark or Seton Hall I would have a long commute. In addition, if I remain in NJ and get accepted into Rutgers-Newark my tuition would be much less as an in-state resident. However, you definetly have a point and so far from the research I've done the public school system in the JC-Bayonne area is terrible and I'm not willing to compromise on my son's education. In addition, If I were to get into any school in NYC I would much rather be there anyway than Newark. Thank you for your insight again, it was very helpful.
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