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If apartment living and a very easy and fast commute to lower Manhattan is OK, then consider Jersey City. There are many newer apartment buildings with spacious units and with amenities like balconies, indoor swimming pools, gyms and easy parking. There are also townhouse communities with private garages. Schools are not the best but improving.
If a house in a very nice suburb with really good schools and a fast commute to lower Manhattan is OK, then consider communities in Monmouth County like Middletown, Matawan and Holmdel. You commute by a fast ferry from Belford (New York Waterways) or Atlantic Highlands (Seatreak Ferries). See below.
Greenwich is where I was referring to with the 40 minute MetroNorth train time and we have found quite a few places that we can afford. It is obviously a lot more pricey than most but the schools are great. My only problem with them is the daycares all have crazy wait lists but that's par for the course I supoose in a lot of areas. Adding time to that for subway though, Im wondering if I could still manage it in an hour or so. The places we are looking are very close to the station too. It seems like most people are for NJ so I will look into that more. As for Jersey City, I found some really,nice gated communities and complexes but the schools are rated atrociously and I don't want to do that.
Greenwich is where I was referring to with the 40 minute MetroNorth train time and we have found quite a few places that we can afford. It is obviously a lot more pricey than most but the schools are great. My only problem with them is the daycares all have crazy wait lists but that's par for the course I supoose in a lot of areas. Adding time to that for subway though, Im wondering if I could still manage it in an hour or so. The places we are looking are very close to the station too. It seems like most people are for NJ so I will look into that more. As for Jersey City, I found some really,nice gated communities and complexes but the schools are rated atrociously and I don't want to do that.
I think it's semi-doable from Greenwich in an hour. If you really like the town (and I agree it's really nice), and it fits your budget, then it seems like a good option.
There will be days, however, where the commute will be a pain. If there's any "issue" you're pretty far out from Lower Manhattan. So, for example, if there's a major snowstorm, or an accident, or a malfunction, it would be much easier living somewhere like Park Slope, where you have multiple ways of getting to work (you could even walk in a pinch).
I think it's semi-doable from Greenwich in an hour. If you really like the town (and I agree it's really nice), and it fits your budget, then it seems like a good option.
There will be days, however, where the commute will be a pain. If there's any "issue" you're pretty far out from Lower Manhattan. So, for example, if there's a major snowstorm, or an accident, or a malfunction, it would be much easier living somewhere like Park Slope, where you have multiple ways of getting to work (you could even walk in a pinch).
Good point! Thank you. I am glad though that someone confirmed the commute time. That reassures me,a little more about that option but I do agree with you on Park Slope being a lot easier for commuting anytime of the year. Metro North and NJ Transit tend to have a lot of problems the minute it snows or rains a little heavier than normal. Do you know what the commute time would be about from Park Slope?
I rent in Westchester and work in the financial district, but I drive most of the time. It's about 45 minutes to the Battery parking garage and from there a 10 minute walk to Wall St. Sometimes I take the metro north but the transfer at Grand Central to the downtown 4/5/6 is very crowded and can make your commute unpleasant, which is why I prefer to drive.
Actually the boroughs would have a lot to offer you with a small child - it's easier to get to parks, playgrounds and other amenities. Some people have already alluded to the obvious locations like DUMBO, Cobble Hill, Long Island City, etc. where one can either walk/bike across the bridges or take the ferry to Wall St.
A not too obvious option is Astoria in Queens. From there one can take either the N or Q and transfer to the downtown subways at Union Square where the platforms are not as packed as Grand Central and should make for a more pleasant commute. There you will find parks, playgrounds, restaurants, cafes, supermarkets, churches, fitness centers etc. within walking distance.
I rent in Westchester and work in the financial district, but I drive most of the time. It's about 45 minutes to the Battery parking garage and from there a 10 minute walk to Wall St. Sometimes I take the metro north but the transfer at Grand Central to the downtown 4/5/6 is very crowded and can make your commute unpleasant, which is why I prefer to drive.
Actually the boroughs would have a lot to offer you with a small child - it's easier to get to parks, playgrounds and other amenities. Some people have already alluded to the obvious locations like DUMBO, Cobble Hill, Long Island City, etc. where one can either walk/bike across the bridges or take the ferry to Wall St.
A not too obvious option is Astoria in Queens.
Where in Westchester do you live or maybe where would you recommend? Driving is an option for me if its worth it. We have two cars and one is AWD so it does pretty well in any kind of weather. I just figured driving + parking would end up being a lot. I used to drive from Long Island into Manhattan all the time and during rush hr it still only took me about an hour but parking cost me $75 or more sometimes a day in midtown which is just crazy to pay 5 days a week, though I'm sure they have monthly deals or something. Long Island City isn't a very good area in terms of schools so unfortunately that wouldn't be a great option for us but I will look into the others you mentioned as well. I notice there are a lot more preschool and daycare options in the boroughs so I am definitely leaning toward that or Long Island.
Where in Westchester do you live or maybe where would you recommend?
Don't know Westchester that well, but Pelham has about as short of a commute as possible for Westchester. Looked nice and probably more down to earth than many spots in the area while still being affluent. A bunch of other towns in the area that have shorter commutes than Grenwich.
My wife commutes from Greenwich to Fulton St station in the city. Its 90 min door-to-door each way.
Thanks for injecting some realism into the actual commute time from Greenwich.
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