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Well first, pre-fab means that the house is constructed elsewhere, then transported on flatbed truck to the site. You can find examples of this in the 40s in Far Rockaway. Those houses are pre-fab.
And yes, I have noticed the wood pilings. I would think that they have not penetrated the water table so they should stand for some time, as they are heavy timber. As for flooding, I dont think it will be an issue. The last nor'easter produced virtually no flooding in ABTS.
The houses in Charlotte Gardens, South Bronx are also pre-fab.
The first house arriwed by by truck in December 1983.
Last edited by Northwindsforever; 06-24-2011 at 10:30 PM..
Thank you everybody for replies. I started considering moving upstate as suggested and Weschester area in particular. Hastings-on-Hudson and Croton-on-Hudson seem very appealing but I won't really know until I visit there. Is there a difference in cost of living between Brooklyn and Westchester? I guess I need to ask in Westchester forum?
I am very worried about commuting to downtown Manhattan, and wanted to try to avoid driving a car as much as possible because of the costs associated with owning one. An hour/hour 1/2 wouldn't be very bad, but 2 hours on public transportation to work and back might be too much for me. If I decide to move upstate do I *need* a car or can I get away without having one?
How close are the stores usually? Right now if I get up and there's nothing in the fridge it's ok because shopping is so close so I won't be hungry at least However, that might be a problem if I need to drive to the nearest supermarket.
Thank you everybody for replies. I started considering moving upstate as suggested and Weschester area in particular. Hastings-on-Hudson and Croton-on-Hudson seem very appealing but I won't really know until I visit there. Is there a difference in cost of living between Brooklyn and Westchester? I guess I need to ask in Westchester forum?
I am very worried about commuting to downtown Manhattan, and wanted to try to avoid driving a car as much as possible because of the costs associated with owning one. An hour/hour 1/2 wouldn't be very bad, but 2 hours on public transportation to work and back might be too much for me. If I decide to move upstate do I *need* a car or can I get away without having one?
How close are the stores usually? Right now if I get up and there's nothing in the fridge it's ok because shopping is so close so I won't be hungry at least However, that might be a problem if I need to drive to the nearest supermarket.
Hastings-on-Hudson, Croton-on-Hudson as well as Dobbs Ferry are all very nice towns. I know someone who owns a health food store in Hastings and I used to be in the town every weekend. All very good options if you want to be a Metro-North ride from NYC and still be able to enjoy NYC. You can take the Metro-North into grand central terminal @ 42nd street so there will be no need to drive into Manhattan. However like any surburban area outside of the 5 boroughs things are spread out and a car would be needed. If you head further north and decide to move to upstate NY it will be even more like country living. Not sure what type of transportation options exist in upstate NY....I am sure someone can answer that for you.
Regarding cost....the farther away from the 5 boroughs of NYC you live, the cheaper things will be. Middletown NY I hear is nice also.....it is located upstate NY. A friend of mine has a sister who purchased a house there and she commutes everyday into Manhattan for her job.
Dude, if you're going to take a swipe at me, at least learn how to spell correctly mr. c'est la vie!
And while you're at it, maybe you might take your head out of your arse and re-read my original comment. Native NY'er
does not mean "insular " (which would be antithetical given the fact that many NYers accept the wonderful diversity of this city in all forms). What native New Yorkers know is that Far Rockaway still has it's fair share of crime, low income housing and ghetto areas which no amount if "gentrification " will be wiping away just by stating otherwise on it's marketing crap.
Now THAT is true!
Good grief, its you who needs to re-read, as I did not equate native NYer with insular. I equated insular among other adjectives with the particular and specific natives YOU infer and w/b familiar enough to claim pre knowledge of where they would and would not live.
This city may be diverse, but from your postings, I glean that your circle of native NYers are the sort that ahhhh perfer things to be a bit less diverse.
It is you who needs to take your head out of your arse, as often your comments smack of a quite familiar PREJUDICE!!
If living outside the city is a consideration, then you can find rural if that is what you want.
Some of your questions a little curious, as the nature of rural life requires an automobile. Truly rural requires a pickup truck.
So what is it that you are looking for, perhaps rural is not what you are looking for, rather a less dense suburban atmosphere?
Also, the nature of rural and suburban also means little if any public transportation, other than commuter service into Manhattan.
If you go north of the city, then your transportation option to downtown will likely be by car to metro-north train station, then by train into Grand Central, then by subway to downtown. A bit arduous. Most working downtown do choose to live north of the city because of the commute I described. I do believe there may be bus service into Port Authority.
People who work downtown choose either Staten Island or New Jersey.
Staten Island is the cheaper option, tax wise, as it is part of NYC. Someone else can advise you better as to the most rural options on SI.
New Jersey may be the best option. The commute w/b similar as already described. Either car to PATH train into Penn Sation, then subway downtown; or PATH into the old WTC site terminal, then walk; or car to NJ Transit or private bus service station, bus into Port Authority, subway to downtown. The farther out you live, the more likely private bus line services the area.
NJ has many options of older suburbs, new suburbs, lots/homes abutting nature preserves, etc. It all depends on the commute you can tolerate, home price, and most of all taxes.
An area you may like is in an around Greenwood Lake, it is on the border of NY/NJ. The commute is a bit longer than average, but there is bus service in Port Authority. It is relatively rural. You can find homes to rent or to purchase. The area is a bit hilly so there are homes which overlook the lake. The general area may be precisely what you are looking for. Just need to determine in you can deal with the commute.
So what is it that you are looking for, perhaps rural is not what you are looking for, rather a less dense suburban atmosphere?
Hi jcoltrane,
I think maybe that's it. I just want to move away somewhere more peaceful and more quite, but would also like the convinience of having stores close by or not too far away as well as commuting to work using public transportation. I think maybe I just want too much I think I'll start visiting some of the places people have recommended in this thread and these forums and see what fits me the most. Thank you!
Had a little typo, "most working downtown do" s/b most working downton don't
Kinda what I figured. Two versions of suburban for comparison, check towns in Essex county NJ, west orange, south orange, montclair, glen ridge. Check the map you'll note the nature preserve. A variety of price options in those towns and the county. These are older established suburbs relatively close w. Short commutes.
Further out in and around Parrsippany (sp?) You'll find newer developments and McMansion land. Far less dense in comparison, larger lots, etc. A bit more suburban rural and a little less established comparatively.
I lived not too far away from the Rockaways and agree with this. The area is crappy, regardless of how fancy the marketing materials for Arverne by the Sea or those new condos are. I wouldn't want to live there and neither do most native NYers.
I have lived at Arverne by the Sea for the last 5 years and have seen the Rockaways transform in to an even better place to live. Of course we have the ocean which is awesome, but they recently opened a huge Stop & Shop supermarket and are completing a new retail shopping strip and YMCA as well. I have not had any issues with the surrounding neighborhood and could not be any happier with my choice to live at ABTS. My neighbors feel the same way I do.
You would definitely need a car in Croton, but Hastings might be possible to get by without one, though still could be a hassle. Your costs as a renter in Westchester might not be too significant a jump from Brooklyn, but buying a house would entail a significant increase at the same price point, due to the property tax situation.
You could always minimize your car expense by finding a reliable used vehicle that would not cost much to insure, especially if you only intend to use it locally for errands and the like. The only truly car-free areas in Westchester, IMO, would be White Plains, parts of Yonkers, and parts of New Rochelle. Just about everywhere else, there will be occasions when you would like a car, and ZipCar is not in Westchester, unfortunately.
Northeastern Westchester: Bedford, Katonah, Lewisboro, Pound Ridge, tends to have some very rural areas, protected because of the reservoirs in the area that limits new development, but a car would be required and it's an hour to GCT. In the same area, though not set amid open space, you might consider Mount Kisco. It could be possible to minimize use of a car in Mount Kisco if you were in walking distance to the station, especially since the downtown has many shops/services, and a slightly long walk from town would bring you to the A&P and Target. There is local cab service that operates from the station, and would be available to pick you up at the A&P and Target if you had heavy shopping, too. And, there's a bike shop in the downtown area, should you get around by bicycle.
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All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.
~William Shakespeare (As You Like It Act II, Scene VII)
NJ has some areas that are very close to the city that have a semi-rural feel. Northeastern Bergen County (Alpine, Rockleigh, Cresskill, and that whole area near Rockland County). Also, check out Gillette and Watchung, about 25 or 30 miles west of the city. There are buses and trains there, and it's fairly rural.
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However, that might be a problem if I need to drive to the nearest supermarket.
