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Many NYC suburbs are not recognizable by that description. They are often older and rail-centric. Many were towns/villages hundreds of years before the railroad came in the mid-1800s. As for diversity, most won't go over 25-30%, still not exactly large city standards, but far exceeding many smaller cities. In my suburb, for example, many of the people not only have travelled (with passports!) they actually originate from abroad. Japan, Nigeria, Croatia, Australia, Peru, Venezuela, Korea, Philippines, France & Germany, lots from Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador are all represented locally in the school students whose parents came from those countries and some of whom were also born in those countries. Some of the schools have bilingual programs. We have live theater (with a repertory program and a once a year movie program with a visiting director), library with author readings, cinema, a real butcher, some old pasta makers, an actual bakery, a fish smoking house, Turkish restaurants, Italian, Peruvian, Indian.. There are many local parades, cook-outs, sports festivals, mud runs, fishing contests. Ice rink, swimming pools. Nature preserves. Halloween shop window painting, community soup kitchens, harbor-clean up wildlife days... But you can't just stay indoors looking at the walls, you have to get out. The suburbs can't make you interesting, but the city can't make one interesting either! That's up to you. Neighbors on our local streets include a Met conductor, a Japanese carpenter, a children's book author and two escapees from the old Romanian regime.
Sure its not NYC of course, but its not recognizable from your description. You seem to be referring to more modern autocentric suburbs. But NYC has plenty of non-autocentric suburbs. While without a doubt NYC is a fantastic place to live if you can make it work, your idea of NYC suburbs as a monolithic kind of place is a bit awry.
But good luck - sounds like you've got a good adventure ahead.
Can you please name a couple of places like this so that I can look into more details??
I'm an immigrant myself - maybe I don't look like it (I'm European, very white, have lived in a few different countries and traveled extensively) - but nevertheless, I'm not American. I've lived in a big European city in a predominantly South Asian neighborhood and was very happy there. I've also lived in an inner, white Boston suburb and hated it with passion. So I want to stay away from typical middle-class white suburbs. I don't know how else to say it, suburban life is not for me. The isolation is making me clinically depressed. It's a place made for cars and dogs, IMHO, not for humans. I need a neighborhood with people walking around. Ethnic groceries, cheap eateries all very welcome.
This may be a really unpopular opinion to suggest in the NYC forum, but have you checked out Jersey City, especially in or around the Journal Square area? Huge South/East Asian community there (primarily India and Philippines), tons of ethnic food, grocery etc and very walk-able. It's certainly not suburban by any stretch of the imagination, and I wouldn't consider it any more run-down than certain parts of Washington Heights or other neighborhoods in Manhattan being suggested here. The typical complaint I tend to hear about the area is that it is congested and run-down, but again, it's in the eye of the beholder. You'll be able to find many options there on a $90k income. The only comparable area I've found in Manhattan is Murray Hill (around Lexington and 29th or so), but my understanding is that this area would be much more expensive, comparatively.
Predominantly, the area is middle-income, consisting of students and commuters. The NJ PATH train will take you to either Penn Station or World Trade Center, from where you can connect to the various subway lines.
Again, many people would never consider Jersey, but if you are not married to the idea of living *in Manhattan* (many are!), then it might be worth checking out, especially considering what you said about your experiences in Europe.
RS is not income based. That's the problem - as some posters here are trying to explain. People screaming here that there should be low-income based housing so that's why we have RS!.... except RS isn't low-income based housing. In fact you can earn up to $199,000 a year and still be in RS protection.
The income limit of $200k/year for 2 years in a row only applies to rent stabilized apartments when the rent exceeds $2500/month. If the monthly rent is less than $2500, then there are no income limits at all.
If taxpayers and market-rate renters must subsidize other peoples' housing, then there should be very strict income and asset limits. Better yet, able-bodied/minded individuals should be responsible for finding housing that they can afford, something that many of us have done for our entire lives and can take pride in.
I think Inwood west of Broadway and the nicer parts of Washington Heights (Ft. Washington area) are wonderful for kids and probably exactly what you are looking for, but I wouldn't consider them affordable for your salary, unless you had a LOT of money for that downpayment. But if you do, them I'd go for it. I think the schools are supposed to be considered better in the Ft. Washington area, but I know several kids who went to the dual language program at Amistad and are in specialized high schools now (I used to live in Inwood).
Henna - how are the elementary schools in Jackson Heights? If they are decent, Jackson Heights sounds like a great area for you.
I can't imagine you'd like Riverdale if you hate suburban, even though the elementary schools are good and it's better for your income bracket.
Henna - how are the elementary schools in Jackson Heights? If they are decent, Jackson Heights sounds like a great area for you.
I don't have direct experience with that but I have observed that even the newer residents of JH (the ones moving young families from Manhattan and Brooklyn) tend to be highly educated and are still happy sending their children to the local elementary schools.
On the other hand, the OP didn't respond at all to my post -- only to the one about nice suburbs in Westchester, so now I am guessing that Jackson Heights wouldn't appeal to her after all. There is quite an immense difference between living in Hastings on Hudson vs. Jackson Heights
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