Can I find an apartment in NewYork City with 3 kids? (New York: apartments, rental)

[dorothymichelle]

Hi, Im new here: We want to move to New York city with our three kids so that my husband can take a great job he's been offered there. Well it's great compared to pay here in Missouri anyway.

The problem is that niether of us has ever left Missouri, ( we live in Hannibal ) but we really want to live in the city with our 3 kids. We just want to rent a small apt the first year until we get used to it and can make a better desicion as to where we want to live. Any ideas would be so great! Im really nervous about this

[Viralmd]

What is your budget? We can't help until you've given us an idea of how much you can spend. How old are your children? I'm assuming you're looking for public schools? Private schools in NYC start at around $20,000/year for kindergarten and go up from there.

[dorothymichelle]

Oh yes, our budget is about 150,000 a year. And my boys are 5, 7 and 9. Yes public schools then for sure. Thanks so much.

[Viralmd]

That's the gross salary. How much are you going to be spending on housing? Are your renting or buying? If you're renting, how much can you spend/month. If buying, how much can you afford? How many bedrooms? How long a commute is tolerable?

[dorothymichelle]

Yes that's gross. Well we have two rental houses here in MO that we also draw income on but I hate to add that in because then Im counting on them always being rented. So that's just extra money. We just want to rent an apartment. I dont know for sure about the monthly rent....mabey up to 4k per month. At this point I would even take a 2 bedroom for the first year, just so we would have a place.

[drkman]

For what you are willing to spend on an apartment, you will have no issues with finding one in a decent area depending on where you want to live. I cannot speak for any borough but Brooklyn, but for that amount you can find something in Park Slope, Carroll Gardens or Cobble Hill which I beleive, all have decent public schools. There are so many neighborhoods in New York that may fit your needs depending on what type of amenities you are looking for. I am sure other posters can recommend other areas in Brooklyn or in the other boroughs that you and your family may be comfortable in. Best of luck on your move and congrats to your husband on his job.

[dorothymichelle]

Thank you very much for your response drkman! Im glad that's enough to get us something...my son's cant wait to exp. life in a big city. I cant wait either!

[cyrusjul]

In Queens I will strongly recommend checking out both Forrest Hills and Kew Gardens, both have great public transportation to Manhattan. Also Riverdale in the Bronx is an option for many new families with children. I hear it has a much better car parking situation. These neighborhoods are some of the best in the city with descent schools for families. Also the ones that were mention in Brooklyn.

[bmwguydc]

I would second the notion of Riverdale as a good fit. You should easily be able to find a three bedroom apartment or small house in your price range.
A bonus of this area is that it is very car friendly, and many of the buildings have garage or lot parking for an additional fee, and parking on the street is usually not a problem. The schools in Riverdale are good, and you have a quick commute downtown, views of the Hudson River in many places to the Palisades, and the neighborhood is very safe and even feels like a suburban city, though it's the wealthiest part of the Bronx. The nice thing about Riverdale is that you have flexibility to take MetroNorth, the subway, or express bus to Manhattan, depending upon where you want to go. And, you're moments away from Westchester County for things like Costco, shopping malls, etc. Many families do stay in the city and move to Riverdale as opposed to the suburbs.

Brooklyn neighborhoods that have been mentioned are also worth looking into, but I would tend to pick the location based upon the schools. Park Slope is popular with families, but many people I know do tend move out of the area when the children are in the upper grades, although this can be said for many areas as well, not just the Slope. Brooklyn Heights and Cobble Hill are also nice neighborhoods, though I have not known anyone to live in either with children, well school age children.

In Queens, you would want to look at Forest Hills Gardens and Jamaica Estates, both of which are nice.

Manhattan would be a bit tight on that budget, to have enough space for a family of five. It could be done, but you need to be careful of area and schools, and you'd give up the larger apartments that you can get in the outer boroughs.

I am sure it will be exciting for your family to relocate to New York, and you will love it. Yes, it's a big city, but there are so many things to do here, that everyone can find a niche, and there's just so much to explore, especially for children. And, safe, family-oriented neighborhoods do exist in the city, which can surprise many from out of town.

[dorothymichelle]

Thanks so much bmwguydc! So much great info! I think I really want to try for Manhattan, just for the first year, even though I know it's gonna be a small apt. then after that I'll look into the outer neghborhoods. Im so sick of driving! Even though I have a really cool and comfy new cadi cts Iv been comuting 2 1/2 hours a day for work! I just want to leave my car here, in storage.