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Why NJ?
Property taxes are too high. People are rude. Drivers are horrible. Amongst many other negatives.
Same can be said about LI. NYC is just as bad and the taxes are even worse. I know folks that are paying $8k in property taxes in Brooklyn and paying $6500k in NYC income taxes. That is about $15k in local taxes and not including state taxes.
The big difference is that NJ schools are zoned only no liberal hacks sending poor needy kids to rich area schools and for $800k you get a real house not a refurb job.
Same can be said about LI. NYC is just as bad and the taxes are even worse. I know folks that are paying $8k in property taxes in Brooklyn and paying $6500k in NYC income taxes. That is about $15k in local taxes and not including state taxes.
The big difference is that NJ schools are zoned only no liberal hacks sending poor needy kids to rich area schools and for $800k you get a real house not a refurb job.
Please address:
Quote:
People are rude. Drivers are horrible. Amongst many other negatives.
I think jaymoney owns a boat. He must be rich to do so.
well, a lot of people seem to own boats. i dont think they are all "rich." but rich is relative. i appreciate his responses, he knows more than i do. i think i can afford a boat, especially if i split it with my brother. so im much more interested in convenience than cost.
bigger concern would be that my brother and i tend to have a little different work hours.
Do either of you have flexible hours/ability to work from home? You will soon find out that there is an implicit assumption that one parent is "around.". My kids k class has about 1 event a month that a parent is expected to attend (Halloween party, Thanksgiving show, etc). And then there's arranging playdates, dealing with emergencies (our school flooded last week and kids were sent home with a half hour notice). Just something to think about.
Do either of you have flexible hours/ability to work from home? You will soon find out that there is an implicit assumption that one parent is "around.". My kids k class has about 1 event a month that a parent is expected to attend (Halloween party, Thanksgiving show, etc). And then there's arranging playdates, dealing with emergencies (our school flooded last week and kids were sent home with a half hour notice). Just something to think about.
This can happen, but you work around it.
I raised my daughter in a town that had a lot of stay-at-home moms, but there were also some two-couple earners around, and I was divorced and commuting to the city.
I fortunately had ample vacation time and took off a day here and there to participate in the school activities, plus my "daycare" was my mother. As for emergencies such as the flood you describe, that is something that should be managed in advance. Perhaps a classmate's parent or a local daycare would provide that service.
I also managed to raise a child with lots of friends and never once used the ridiculous term, "playdate".
well, a lot of people seem to own boats. i dont think they are all "rich." but rich is relative. i appreciate his responses, he knows more than i do. i think i can afford a boat, especially if i split it with my brother. so im much more interested in convenience than cost.
bigger concern would be that my brother and i tend to have a little different work hours.
I think an important distinction would he the kind of boats we talking lol
I raised my daughter in a town that had a lot of stay-at-home moms, but there were also some two-couple earners around, and I was divorced and commuting to the city.
I fortunately had ample vacation time and took off a day here and there to participate in the school activities, plus my "daycare" was my mother. As for emergencies such as the flood you describe, that is something that should be managed in advance. Perhaps a classmate's parent or a local daycare would provide that service.
I also managed to raise a child with lots of friends and never once used the ridiculous term, "playdate".
Maybe my original response was a bit dire-sounding. Obviously it's totally doable, heck I was raised in NJ with two parents commuting into nyc (though one worked locally until I was in middle school). I guess my point is that it can be helpful to consider these things in advance, especially if there is an option that includes extra help (ie, parents that live nearby). I also am not sure how towns differ in these things - I was shocked to see how many daytime parent-included events my kid's K class has - I don't recall having that many when I was a kid decades ago, and I don't know if other towns are different.
My two cents... I moved from BK with husband and two kids to Westchester and hated it. We ended up moving back to BK after two years. Westchester is extremely boring if you love and take advantage of all there is to do in BK. We grew out of our space in BK and bought in Montclair NJ. I couldn’t be happier and soooo much to do.
I agree with the Ridgewood/ Glen Rock comment! I grew up there and there are always things to do. Both have downtowns (though Ridgewood’s downtown is much more vibrant) and the reputations of the schools are wonderful. There is an express train from Ridgewood - I don’t see a problem with getting into NYC within 75 minutes from there. Within both towns there are areas where houses are closer together and other areas where you will have more land. Doable in your budget, including taxes!
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