Moving to NYC and would love some advice (New York, New Rochelle: apartment, rental)

[BigDan]

Hey all,

I'm so happy to see a forum like this! I've just accepted a job offer that will be in times square. The job will pay about 130k/yr. I have a wife and a kid, and we're moving from the Phoenix area. As of now i'm not sure if my wife will work.

I'm wondering, taking into account the location of my job, and taking into account the level of pay, and the fact the my wife is definately not a big city lady (we want something relatively quiet and as safe as possible with good schools.. daughter is 4), what would be your suggestion in a place to live? Right now we're thinking of renting until we can find a house so maybe rent a year or so... I don't mind a commute to accomplish this task even if its in Long Island or something...

Also, we have two cars.. I suppose they are basically worthless where we are going?

I'd love any input you can be on this! I'm so grateful that forums like this exist, and I am able to easily get in touch with knowledgable people using them.

Thanks for your help!

-BigDan

[Viralmd]

If you're planning to move to Manhattan, check out the schools FIRST. Then see if you can afford an apartment. Schools generally are not good for the middle school years - that's when private schools are inundated and tuition at the good schools starts at about $25,000/year and goes up with the grade.

Check the moving to NYC thread at the top of this board.

And, yes, unless you're moving to one of the other boroughs, NJ or Westchester, you won't need a car. And parking STARTS at around $400/month and goes up from there.

[bmwguydc]

If your wife does not like the city feel, and you need good schools, definitely check out Westchester County. The MetroNorth trains go to Grand Central Terminal from Westchester on the Hudson, Harlem, or New Haven Lines. Some excellent districts are within Westchester, and you can keep your cars as they do come in handy more than one thinks. Just as in the city, you want to look by school district and then find a rental apartment or house within a good district, since not all districts adhere to town or zip code borders.

Check the Westchester-Putnam Multiple Listing service as it allows for searches by school district. Some districts to consider are: Larchmont and Mamaroneck (under Town of Mamaroneck); Eastchester, Bronxville, Tuckahoe (all 3 under Town of Eastchester); Scarsdale, Edgemont, Rye, and Irvington (under Town of Greenburgh) in lower Westchester. Ardsley (Town of Greenburgh) also has decent schools, though it's off the train lines proper and parking can be a premium at some stations. They offer easy commutes to Manhattan, and some like Irvington offer proximity to the Hudson River and Larchmont-Mamaroneck, and Rye offer proximity to Long Island Sound. I find Westchester to be an easier area to live in than Long Island or New Jersey.

[holden125]

I personally also like Westchester, perhaps because I find Grand Central infinitely preferable to Penn Station. There are towns in Westchester where it's as little as 30 mins on the train to GCT, and there is a subway shuttle, the S train, that goes back and forth from Grand Central to Times Square. It's very easy. Penn Station, where the commuter trains from NJ or LI go, is also one subway stop from Times Square. There are also nice towns in New Jersey and on Long Island. Living outside the city limits also means you don't pay city income tax, which is about 4%.

If you live outside the city, you will definitely need a car. If you live in Manhattan or the more urban parts of the other boroughs, you not only won't need a car, it's a pain to keep one.

Be warned that the suburbs, particulary the closer in ones that have good public schools, are expensive and the property taxes are very high compared to other areas. As in often over $10-15,000 and in some cases over $25,000. Unfortunately you'll find that your income does not go anywhere near as far as in Arizona.

There is traffic even in the suburbs, but in my experience it's worst on Long Island as it is a contained space with a lot of people in it, and you have to drive across the city (Queens/Brooklyn) to get off it to the rest of America. There is also significant beach traffic in the summer.

[NJ Chutzpah]

if you have a kid and your wife does not like big cities, then stay away from NYC

Come to the burbs like most other white collar men w/ family

NJ is corrupt and has mad taxes, LI is just expensive, try orange, rockland, or even NEPA

The commute will stink, but that is the way of life around here, you must accept it and move on

[holden125]

Originally Posted by NJ Chutzpah

NJ is corrupt and has mad taxes, LI is just expensive, try orange, rockland, or even NEPA

The commute will stink, but that is the way of life around here, you must accept it and move on

It is expensive but, especially with only one kid at this point, I'd really try to get something closer. Rockland, Orange, and especially NE Pa. is an awful commute. People in Pennsylvania are waiting for a bus at 5:30 AM or earlier just to get to work in the city on time.

Commuters wake early, vie for coveted spots at park and ride - poconorecord.com - The Pocono Record

I had to house-sit and do this for two weeks, and it seemed like life was hardly worth living. A lot of people in this area do the 2 hour plus commutes, to PA, south Jersey, upstate New York, way out on Long Island, Connecticut, but I don't think it's worth it. If I couldn't be a lot closer than that, I'd just leave the whole area entirely.

[coralsand2]

Originally Posted by BigDan

Hey all,

I'm so happy to see a forum like this! I've just accepted a job offer that will be in times square. The job will pay about 130k/yr. I have a wife and a kid, and we're moving from the Phoenix area. As of now i'm not sure if my wife will work.

I'm wondering, taking into account the location of my job, and taking into account the level of pay, and the fact the my wife is definately not a big city lady (we want something relatively quiet and as safe as possible with good schools.. daughter is 4), what would be your suggestion in a place to live? Right now we're thinking of renting until we can find a house so maybe rent a year or so... I don't mind a commute to accomplish this task even if its in Long Island or something...

Also, we have two cars.. I suppose they are basically worthless where we are going?

I'd love any input you can be on this! I'm so grateful that forums like this exist, and I am able to easily get in touch with knowledgable people using them.

Thanks for your help!

-BigDan

130K is not much money in NY. Trust me////esp for three people I came from there. and it is getting worse. Hate to sound negative but to live there is a fortune and it is going up daily. Private schools are out of the question the kids are put on the wait list on the way home from the hospital, unless you go Catholic, and pre K is the just the beginning of $$$. Think of $2500 rent downtown for a one room railroad flat kitchen if you are lucky and they are not cute. Riverdale is nice in upper Bronx with the 3 Private school Riverdale Country, Fieldston and Horace Mann. Skyview on the Hudson. is a nice hi-rise apt. and I heard they have vacancies, it may be co-op by now tho. I read about it on this site if you can pull it up.If you have any questions you can DM me about that area. New Rochelle is nice but the cheapest rent I know of is $1500 that was 6 yrs ago but don't forget transpo to city and all those other expense. Hope this helps a bit. Good luch nothing like being prepared////

[bmwguydc]

Yes, you should be fine closer in with your income. Compared to Phoenix, you will have to be a little more cautious with spending, and will likely have a smaller house with a larger property tax bill by a wide margin; however, there's no need to go to the marathon commute level, unless you really want a larger house out in the country. And, with the better schools, there's no need to go the private school route which can be extraordinarily expensive and difficult to get placements. There are nice townhouses and condominiums in great districts as well as single family homes, though be prepared for the higher cost per square foot. With one child, though, you can certainly find a decent house (3BD/2BA) in a nice town, since you don't need the large space for a large family.

Riverdale is nice in the Bronx, and is quite exclusive in places. The primary schools are good in the area, though it's the upper grades in the city that can be problematic. I would recommend it, but if your wife is not a city person, she might not be happy here, since though it is quiet at night, it is still part of the city.

[soho111]

Originally Posted by BigDan

Hey all,

I'm so happy to see a forum like this! I've just accepted a job offer that will be in times square. The job will pay about 130k/yr. I have a wife and a kid, and we're moving from the Phoenix area. As of now i'm not sure if my wife will work.

I'm wondering, taking into account the location of my job, and taking into account the level of pay, and the fact the my wife is definately not a big city lady (we want something relatively quiet and as safe as possible with good schools.. daughter is 4), what would be your suggestion in a place to live? Right now we're thinking of renting until we can find a house so maybe rent a year or so... I don't mind a commute to accomplish this task even if its in Long Island or something...

Also, we have two cars.. I suppose they are basically worthless where we are going?

I'd love any input you can be on this! I'm so grateful that forums like this exist, and I am able to easily get in touch with knowledgable people using them.

Thanks for your help!

-BigDan

If you want to stay in the city, and you want "quiet" away from the Big City (Manhattan) look into Park Slope, Brooklyn. Beautiful streets and very family oriented.

If Park Slope is still too city for your wife, I'd recommend Scarsdale, New York, which is really nice. Your cars would come really handy in Brooklyn and you would definitely need them in Scarsdale so I say keep them,...I don't know if you'd need two though.

Oh, and I'd strongly suggest your wife get a job. $130,000 isn't much at all in NYC (especially with a kid) and an extra income would help a lot.

[lyalya23]

I think Riverdale, located in the Bronx is a neighborhood many people either ignore or dont know about it. Its a beautiful neighborhood, VERY safe, and VERY good schools. It is close to the city (40 min from times sq on the 1 train) or you could take metro north, also about 30-40 min. Its really a beautiful neighborhood, with wavehill park smack in the middle of it, many luxury private houses and apartment buildings. Its not a cheap neighborhood, but the taxes are MUCH lower than westchester or scarsdale, and you should be able to find a good house with an income of 130k, but your wife should probably work since while your income might be higher, so are expenses. Schools include Riverdale Country school and Fieldston (both private schools), public schools are not bad there either.
Also check out neighborhoods in queens (a nice neighborhood located in whitestone for instance). many neighborhoods in the "city" but in neighboring bouroughs have very uncity like features like private homes and backyards, and good school. at the same time they are close enough to manhattan to allow for cheaper taxes, and a faster/cheaper commute.
good luck!