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I could be moving to the NY area from europe with my famiily (consisting of me, wife and 1 year old son) because of work. I was wondering if the NY area (city and/or burbs in NJ and NY) is any good for raising a family? Are there any good schools? My budget is around 2500-3000$ for rent. We're looking for a single family home.
You would have to live pretty far out to find a single-family home in a good school district for $3k in rent. However, if you are flexible as to an apartment, then there are areas to consider in The Bronx and Queens, such as Riverdale, Forest Hills, Bayside, Douglaston. Westchester is going to be similarly difficult for a single-family home with good schools, although you may find something in Northern Westchester. Rockland would have more options, but the commute is much more difficult.
Do you know if you are going to the east side or west side of Manhattan? For east, Grand Central is easier, meaning you would want to look to Westchester, Putnam, or Connecticut along Metro-North lines. For west, trains from NJ and Long Island go to Penn Station, making the transition easier.
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You kid is just 1yr old. It doesn't sound like you need to be in a good school district now. That's probably 4 to 5 years down the road. And even then, you probably won't urgently need to be in a good district for another 4 years when your kid starts middle school.
If you don't want to live in a cramped city environment but want access to Manhattan by commuter train, look at eastern Queens - Bayside, Douglaston, Little Neck. You might be able to get a duplex, large 3BR or townhouse within your stated budget. If you go to Forest Hills or Riverdale, your options would be mostly apartments.
You can also consider Glen Oaks, Fresh Meadows, Utopia or Hillcrest but these do not have train stops. Rather they are served by express bus to Manhattan. Another community served by express bus is Howard Beach - this place is very "European" and will remind you of Tuscany. Seriously, it's a well-kept neighborhood.
Now, when you get to the point where you need to be in a good district, there are many places you can rent that fit the upper end of your budget. There's Lynbrook, Oceanside, the better part of Valley Stream, Massapequa Park, Syosset, Mamaroneck, Yorktown, Livingston (NJ), Maplewood (NJ), South Orange (NJ). They are not too far out and most are served by commuter train.
But, as stated, you still have some years before thinking about school districts. Renting in Queens initially will give you time to vet potential neighborhoods that will best suit your needs.
You would have to live pretty far out to find a single-family home in a good school district for $3k in rent. However, if you are flexible as to an apartment, then there are areas to consider in The Bronx and Queens, such as Riverdale, Forest Hills, Bayside, Douglaston. Westchester is going to be similarly difficult for a single-family home with good schools, although you may find something in Northern Westchester. Rockland would have more options, but the commute is much more difficult.
Do you know if you are going to the east side or west side of Manhattan? For east, Grand Central is easier, meaning you would want to look to Westchester, Putnam, or Connecticut along Metro-North lines. For west, trains from NJ and Long Island go to Penn Station, making the transition easier.
I would have to go to the west side of manhattan.
Thanks guys for the recommendations and tips. That's something we can work with. It's usefull. Westchester county looks nice..
You're right Forest Hills Daddy. Our son does have a couple of years but we like to look in the future.
I could be moving to the NY area from europe with my famiily (consisting of me, wife and 1 year old son) because of work. I was wondering if the NY area (city and/or burbs in NJ and NY) is any good for raising a family? Are there any good schools? My budget is around 2500-3000$ for rent. We're looking for a single family home.
Thanks in advance.
First thing I would do is use mass transit from the area that you want to move too? For instance someone mentioned Glen Oaks. There is no subway and your too far from the Lirr to walk to. Once you have pinpointed a desired area then see what amenities the area offers. Supermarkets, Bakeries,Coffee, restaurants, playgrounds/parks and SAFTEY. You work in the Westside? Downtown or Upper West Side? Riverdale isn't bad if it's the Upper West side and your using the 1 train. Bayside you would use the Lirr right into Penn. WIll you be buying a car?
If you're looking for a suburban type area, my own town of West Orange, NJ might work out; there's commuter buses to Port Authority Bus Terminal from many parts of the town. Best to ask about NJ in the NJ forum though.
Glen Oaks, Fresh Meadows, Utopia, Howard Beach or Hillcrest are served by express bus to Manhattan so there is a way to commute directly to the city without having to walk a long way. Riding the express bus is not as fast as riding the MNR/LIRR/NJT but these neighborhoods offer more spacious accomodations for less money and have nice surroundings. One good area to explore is Fresh Meadows near Cunningham Park/Union Turnpike. A few blocks down are supermarkets and small shops. It's a good place to let kids out to play. But again, only if the commuter is willing to take the express bus.
Otherwise look at Bayside which has an LIRR station.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cityofdreams
You're right Forest Hills Daddy. Our son does have a couple of years but we like to look in the future.
OK, I was under the impression that you wanted to rent and not buy now.
But if you are looking to rent, you do not need to look at the suburban counties right away. Going to Queens will give you time to figure out the best area for you. We started this way as well - by renting out in Queens for a number of years before finally deciding on a suburb that best suited our requirements just in time as kid was approaching middle school. It gave us time to look at all the pros and cons of each option and it looks like the place we will finally settle on after a few years of studying options will not be among our original choices.
First thing I would do is use mass transit from the area that you want to move too? For instance someone mentioned Glen Oaks. There is no subway and your too far from the Lirr to walk to. Once you have pinpointed a desired area then see what amenities the area offers. Supermarkets, Bakeries,Coffee, restaurants, playgrounds/parks and SAFTEY. You work in the Westside? Downtown or Upper West Side? Riverdale isn't bad if it's the Upper West side and your using the 1 train. Bayside you would use the Lirr right into Penn. WIll you be buying a car?
Good points, thnx! I'm not sure whether i'm going to buy a car or not. Would i need one if i'm living 1.5 hr away? The office is @ Upper west side.
How important is it for you to get to work on time? Trains in NYC do not run smoothly, and there are often issues and delays. The further away you live from work, the more likely it is to be a problem.
Also, commuter trains run on schedule, its not like you can get one every 5 minutes. You might want to live comparatively close to your job in Upper Manhattan until you've figured out the city and the subway system. You don't want to move to a suburb where if you miss your train, the next train arrives one hour later (and where it takes you 1.5 hours to get to work). You might mess up your JOB!
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