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HI there,
ok here is our story, we are a family of 6 so 4 kids ages 10,8,3 and 5. We are hoping to get our visas this year to move from Ireland to US. I have spent hours on line trying to research different areas so decided to post here to see if anyone can help me.
I am unsure how the schooling system works as in what age children start Pre K etc and finding it tough to understand the different areas and how some schools offer Prek and some dont. So advice on this would be greatly appreciated.
The next problem is where we will live. We wont be buying initially as we will be keeping our house here in Ireland until we see how we are getting on!!!!. We want to keep the rent low so somewhere between 2,000 to 2,500. My husband will be working in the city so he will be commuting , his job is not in one location but most of the sites will be in the city I think. Anything around an hours commute is ok. My chidlren are accustomed to a big space here in Ireland and we are hoping to have some space for them, once there is a garden we will be fine. I cannot get my head around sharing a house so ideally we would want a single family home. It would be important that there are activities close by too, like football etc.
Pending visas in April we are hoping to go over to NY for a couple of days to check out a few areas to see which suits us best. Initially I wont be working, but I am an accountant and a Primary School Teacher and would like to find work when everything is settled down a little.
any advice appreciated, hope I have it posted on the right board, new to all this!
For your budget and the space you are looking for, I would think somewhere in eastern Queens or South Shore Long Island. Maybe Staten Island might also work. But you probably won't find 2,500. More like 2,700 to 3,000.
Might be a good idea to look at south shore LI because there public schools are fine, rentals are still attractive and you can send all 4 to the district. Check Bellmore, Merrick, Massapequa, Massapequa Park, Wantagh, Valley Stream and Lynbrook.
In the boroughs (Queens, Bronx, Brooklyn, Staten Island), you may have to send to Catholic schools which charge tuition. With 4 kids it could be a lot.
Jobs are so much better in Ireland and high living standards. Why come to the US? I have colleagues that moved from US to Ireland to work at our branch office that would not move back to the US.
Jobs are so much better in Ireland and high living standards. Why come to the US? I have colleagues that moved from US to Ireland to work at our branch office that would not move back to the US.
I suspect your colleagues are in banking. It's gotten better in Ireland but they are a long way from the Celtic Tiger they were before the bubble burst. They overbuilt and overspent and will be paying for it for many years to come. They will come out of it because, unlike the Greeks, they Irish know they messed up.
I think Woodlawn in the Bronx offers a nice compromise. There are large parks nearby, a quasi-Irish culture neighborhood, decent shopping on McClean Ave, and a relatively small town feel. The commute will be harder, but the neighborhood is safe and the schools are pretty good. There are also some excellent Catholic schools in the area as well. Good luck!
The *public* schools are good in Woodlawn? 38% passed state wide Grade 5 ELA in PS 19. 55% in Math. Not sure this is a good compromise.
With any luck all of the standardized tests will be eliminated by the time the OP gets here... they are meaningless.
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