Which is least urban Ridgewood or Queens (North Salem, Rockland: apartment, houses)

[ssleestack]

I'm moving to Queens over the Summer for school (in Manhattan) but I have a family and I am looking for the most boring quiet place I could find. I don't care about night life or bars or restraunts. Give me somewhere to park my car and I'm happy. I have a 5 year old so schools are important.

My decision has come down to Ridgewood and Astoria, which of these two is most rural (I would live in the country if it was up to me).

Thanks.

[Wes927]

Try "Upper Glendale" or "East Glendale" It's the same zip as Ridgewood (11385) and has a more suburban feel (not rural!) than Ridgewood or Astoria.

East Glendale is bordered by 73rd place on the West, Cooper Ave on the the North, Woodhaven Blvd. on the east, and Myrtle Ave (the main street) on the South.

Good Luck!

[MosX]

Astoria seems pretty far from what you want.

[DoomDan515]

Ridgewood and Astoria are easily the most urban areas in Queens. Many sections of these neighborhoods look more like Brooklyn then Queens. Like another poster has said, I recommend Glendale. It's basically a nicer, quieter version of Ridgewood.

[UpstaterInBklyn]

Why not just live in the suburbs? Northern Westchester, Rockland and Putnam counties plus lots of areas in Jersey have a rural feel and are very commutable to Manhattan.

[ssleestack]

I have to be 40-50 minutes from manhattan tops, Westchester, Rockland, New Jersey and just too far.

[jcoltrane]

Neither of those areas are "rural", particularly when you equate with "country". Anything "rural" would be WELL, WELL, outside the city. Rockland or Orange county might be for you, BUT it would be long commute.

If Westchester and New Jersey are too far, then you totally out of luck. I suggest you do some serious homework on NYC and its surrounds, as little if anything will suit your desires of a relatively short commute and rural/country. Doesn't appear that you have a full grasp of what NYC is like.

Broad Channel is closest thing to "rural" within the confines of the city, but it is a long commute.

Also, keeping a car in NYC can be VERY expensive and total PITA, especially for newcomers.

[7 Wishes]

The only parts of Rockland I think really have a "rural" feel are areas in the north that are protected state parkland or a couple of towns that border the parkland (i.e. Sloatsburg). Much of it to me looks like a hilly version of Long Island or suburbs of LA minus the palm trees.

Northern Westchester, especially the eastern parts of it, has a rural feel, but it is very expensive and most of the housing stock is large "mansion" houses. One major exception is the Peach Lake area of North Salem, which used to be a vacation cottage community. Also (though the village itself isn't rural but very near woods and horse farms) look at Mt. Kisco in that area.

[ssleestack]

I understand there is a trade off. I have to commute to manhattan. I guess what I really want is not to live in a box aparment like in manhattan. A 2, 3, 4 family home/apartment will work.

I like the look of the houses around Astoria Park.

[gf1025]

Originally Posted by ssleestack

I'm moving to Queens over the Summer for school (in Manhattan) but I have a family and I am looking for the most boring quiet place I could find. I don't care about night life or bars or restraunts. Give me somewhere to park my car and I'm happy. I have a 5 year old so schools are important.

My decision has come down to Ridgewood and Astoria, which of these two is most rural (I would live in the country if it was up to me).

Thanks.

Ridgewood is not that close to Manhattan, so the commute wouldn't be much better than somewhere in NJ or Westchester, to be honest with you. The Metro north is super fast in rush hour and you can get to Manhattan in less than 40 minutes. Totally depends where in Manhattan you are going of course. (Westchester, good choice if you need to be on the east side of Manhattan.) For the West side NJ is better since you have Penn Station as the main hub for NJTransit.
As far a Queens is concerned Astoria is less rural, young-vibrant area. Ridgewood, umm, I don't personally like it too much on the side close to Brooklyn, but if you go high enough closer to Glendale it gets much nicer and very quiet.