Quality Of Life For A Child In Nyc... (New York, White Plains: fit in, apartment)

[impreziverex]

I am 99% sure I will be moving to NYC for a new job opportunity. My wife and I are in our mid 20s with a 2 year old, and are a little concerned (mostly my wife) about the quality of life for our son. I thought maybe anyone here would be able to provide some insight?

The areas we are looking to move would most likely be in Brooklyn-- Park Slope, sheepshead bay, bensonhurst, bayridge, maybe parts of sunset park.
Being that we will be compromising living space, yard space etc, how hard is it to deal with this while having young children in these areas? My wife is a stay at home mom, and likes moms groups, play groups, parks, and all that cheese . Any affirming thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

[impreziverex]

also, if anyone has any additional areas in Brooklyn that I should look into that may be family/kid friendly, please advise...thankssss

[BrooklynTx]

Park Slope is saturated with young families with children. Aesthetically, its quite nice with a plenitude of family oriented amenities, schools, parks (Prospect), ect....it's the 'hip cool family' neighborhood. Plus, its a bit closer to the city, in terms of the commute, than the other neighborhoods you mentioned.

There is also Carroll Gardens, Ft. Greene and Prospect Heights which are in the same general vicinity of Brooklyn as well.

[Hustla718]

It's tough raising a family in NYC. Good luck with that.

Bensonhurst and Bay Ridge are decent but if you want a home that can be expensive. Hopefully you will be able to afford that and not be stuck in an apartment.

The schools in NYC are also far from the greatest so you will have to do your research on that. You might want to eventually enroll your child in private school.

Brooklyn South is not your only option. Don't forget to try northern Queens and Staten Island. There are areas to stay away from but hopefully people will clear it up if you ask.

Another option is the burbs of NYC. Westchester, White Plains, Rockland and Orange to the north. To the east on Long Island is Nassau and Suffolk. Finally to the west is Jersey and the many burbs of NYC and nearby cities.

To enter NYC you can travel on the PATH, Metro North or LIRR depending on where you live.

[StillFreak]

Staten Island, the Brooklyn Neighborhoods you mentioned, and Riverdale in the Bronx should be options if you're looking for a "family" neighborhood.

[impreziverex]

perfect, I'll look into those spots...Unfortunately hustla I WILL be stuck in an apartment. As of now it looks like I'll be in the state for about 18 months. Dont think I want to invest in buying and worring about selling in that short of time. This is why I was inquiring about the general areas (outside the apartment) that might be cool for kids.

While considering other areas; is it realistic to have to commute to say... brooklyn from Bronx or staten Island? Realistic as in around 45 min or less?

[StillFreak]

I'd steer clear of the Bronx unless you choose Riverdale. While there are a number of nice neighborhoods in the borough in contrast to the bad, most are ethnic enclaves for Irish and Italians with little for a family. Riverdale has a very family-like environment. Commuting from Riverdale to Manhattan varies. If you live in the northern tip of Riverdale, you'll need to take a long bus ride down to the one train. If you live a bit closer, you can either walk or take a short bus ride to it.

Public schools in New York City are pretty bad, but in Riverdale, they're above average.

Staten Island is too much of a hassel for commuting to Manhattan, although it is very family oriented, as well.

[NJ Chutzpah]

Most people with families are already in the Burbs. that is why they built the burbs in the first place: for families.

The burbs will give you everything you want for your family.

Come to the Dirty Jerz. Our youth athletics programs are one of the tops in the whole world.

Our schools are good

[impreziverex]

dirty jerz sounds tempting...only thing is; my son won't be enrolling in school for about 2 more years so the lack of good public schools in the city won't matter.

[mead]

Yeah I wouldn't worry so much if the kid isn't going to have to go into the public schools. Most of the neighborhoods mentioned are pretty good.

Where will you be working? Because NYC is huge and where you work should basically determine where you will be living.

Park Slope is the hip neighborhood to have kids, but its pretty expensive. You could also probably fit in best around here since you are coming from the west coast.

A lot of the other neighborhoods mentioned are really nice, but people aren't going to be that accepting of you since you aren't from the area.