Nice Bronx Neighborhood for Black/Jamaican couple? (New Rochelle, Nassau: coop, buying a home)

[veebee14]

We are a African-American and Jamaican couple with a small child who is looking for a co-op in the Bronx. Is there any hope to find a nice, racially-mixed neighborhood with good schools?

Co-op City is not an option.

Your suggestions are greatly appreciated.

[Freak]

Norwood is racially mixed, as is Kingsbridge Heights. Schools in both areas are just like any other public school in the city, not too good but not abysmal either.

[cyan29]

I live in the Morris Park section of the Bronx. I love the neighborhood, but would not raise a family there or any other section of the Bronx (with the exception of Riverdale). I would look focus on nice communities, rather than racially-mixed (this coming from an African-American woman). Nice sections that come to mind would be Throgs Neck, Morris Park, City Island, and Riverdale. Unfortunately, you are not going to find many nice areas in NYC (especially in the Bronx) with a good racial mixup. Irrespective of the neighborhood you choose in the Bronx, I think you'd have to send your child to a private school. I don't know of any good public schools in the Bronx. That's one of the reasons we are leaving the Bronx (we're buying a home in Connecticut). We plan on starting a family next year and living in a community with excellent schools are important to us.

By the way...I also don't think it pays to own a Coop in the Bronx. I'd buy in Westchester, if I were to consider a coop. That's just my opinion though.

Good luck!

[yodel]

PS 280 in Norwood is a good school. I believe it’s elementary/middle combined. Cyan29, if you don’t mind my asking, where have you chosen to move to in CT?

[cyan29]

Yodel- We decided on Fairfield. We were also looking in Westchester County, but the taxes are incredibly high! For our price range, there wasn't much we could afford either. In the towns with great public schools, the homes were north of $650,000k and taxes were like $15k and up. Even if we could swing the $650k, the taxes alone would kill us.

Fairfield is not cheap by any means. There are some very upscale high-end communities. However, there are also some nice sections with homes in our range. The sacrifice however is space. I could move to up to Stratford about 10 minutes away and get a home for the same price with 500 more sq. ft. Schools are an issue there though. In Fairfield, the taxes are much lower and the schools are excellent. We would have considered Shelton or Waterbury. Taxes are even lower and we'd get more house for our money, but the commute is too long. We work in NYC in midtown.

We were also advised to look in parts of Norwalk and Stamford, but schools are an issue there and you have to do your homework, as there are sketchy areas there. I could stay in the Bronx for that, so I didn't bother looking in those communities.

There's always a sacrifice...you just have to choose wisely based on your situation.

[briarwood]

My suggestion? Stay out of the Bronx or even the city for that matter. Many AA with money are congregating in Wetschester and Nassau. The South Shore of Nassau is very nice and is diverse. New Rochelle is also worth a look.

[yodel]

Cyan29, I have good friends in Shelton and actually did the commute to midtown from there (out of the Bridgeport station) for several months many years ago. I had a whole group of friends on the train on the way home, so made the best of it, but it was really a killer. I think you were wise not to attempt it. Fairfield seems like a nice town—good luck there in your new home!

[Hustla718]

Originally Posted by Freak

Norwood is racially mixed, as is Kingsbridge Heights. Schools in both areas are just like any other public school in the city, not too good but not abysmal either.

You must be kidding. Norwood and Kingsbridge Heights are Dominican land and are not the greatest places to live at all. Especially for someone with a child.

To the OP. You will want to look elseware. The Bronx has too many problems and does not offer us any good options. It's especially bad for our children.

[mead]

Lots of Jamaicans live over in Wakefield, Baychester. Some neighborhoods are nice there, but its on a block by block basis (some blocks are nice, some blocks aren't, you have to check it out first).

[Hustla718]

Originally Posted by mead

Lots of Jamaicans live over in Wakefield, Baychester. Some neighborhoods are nice there, but its on a block by block basis (some blocks are nice, some blocks aren't, you have to check it out first).

Those areas are declining way to fast. Throw in a kid and you have yourself a disaster waiting to happen. Wakefield is already terrible.