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Ok, no more talk of visas. You'll have plenty of time to worry about that later.
We moved from London to NYC earlier this year, also with 2 kids. We found a great public school in the UES for our 6 year old but we're paying 4,500 for a two bed apartment to put us in the school district. Check out http://www.insideschools.org for reviews of NYC schools.
Sorry, I can't really help with schools outside NYC. We were keen to stay in the city, we used to live in central London and wanted to keep the same life style here.
Great help!
Are you originally from the UK?
What is "UES" my dream is to be able to stay in the city, that would be my first choice, what work are you in?
What is "UES" my dream is to be able to stay in the city, that would be my first choice, what work are you in?
Thanks again
Yes, I am originally from the UK. I understand your desire to live in the city. I came to live in NYC not the US, so not living in the city would have defeated the purpose for me.
Although the Upper East Side was not our first choice of neighborhood, it was the school that made it work. And I can get an express train to my office downtown.
I work as a creative director in an advertising agency, I basically come up with ideas for ads.
Do you have an idea of how much you'd be earning. If you can I'd check out some of the brownstone neighborhoods in Brooklyn - Cobble Hill, Park Slope, Brooklyn Heights. They're not cheap places but they're great for families and I hear some of the public schools (elementary) are pretty good.
Last edited by josephcake; 09-20-2009 at 06:43 AM..
Reason: grammar
Can I ask, do you think there would be plenty of jobs in Air Conditioning in Manhattan? would it be a in demand job?
You mention both A/C and IT jobs, so I'm not sure which field you're in. However, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average annual salary for an HVAC contractor (in Manhattan) was slightly more than $64,000 in 2006 and 2007. The site doesn't list "IT," so I chose "Computer Systems Design Services," which had an annual salary of approximately $119,800 in 2006 and $113,500 in 2007 (again, both figures are for Manhattan).
As to how many jobs are available? That I can't tell you -- only that the overall unemployment rate for the city as a whole is 12.5% (up from 9.7% in January), again per BLS.
You may need to be a bit more realistic about your goal of living in NYC. Even on a salary of $120,000 (which I doubt you will find for HVAC work in this depressed economy) per year you will not be able to comfortably provide for a wife and two children and have a decent Manhattan apartment, especially if you plan to purchase a late model or new car, park it safely, and eat more than 'pork and beans' as your major food source. If your wife is also working and making a similar income it can make things much easier. However, in this economy the ability to remain employed has become much more of a gamble. That's not going to change for the better anytime soon. The smart approach is to live below your means so that if you lose a job or income declines you can still survive. You will be far away from your friends and family, the people you can count on if things get tough. You will grow to hate this city if you're constantly struggling to make ends meet.
The beauty of NYC is that it is so easily accessed by outlying areas of NYC and NJ that are more reasonably priced and allow a fast commute into the city. I lived in Queens (a borough of NYC) for most of my life and enjoyed NYC for both work and play as much as I desired. Having a car was a luxury because public transportation in and around NYC is excellent and much cheaper than driving. I don't want to discourage you from moving to NYC, but to consider the matter very realistically. Your family will suffer if you make a rash decision.
I think you need to consider your children's quality of life. For a two bedroom in Manhattan, you're going to need an income beyond $100,000 and if we throw in the costs associated with raising children and maintaining a family, I think you would really be struggling. Why don't you look in to Westchester County? Thirty minute commute from lower westchester, good schools, and you can get (perhaps) a nice little house/town house instead of an apartment. There are lots of backyards and ammenities there. Same goes for areas in Jersey which have quick commutes to NY, and areas in Queens (Forest Hills?) and Brooklyn (Carol Gardens/Cobble Hill/etc)..Schools in Manhattan CAN be really terrible, so I agree that a good school district should be your priority. I know you want to live in Manhattan, but given the information, I am not sure you can really afford it. Any insight?
EDIT: I almost forgot.. Look in to Riverdale.. It is in the Bronx, but it is the nicest part of the bronx and it is literally right outside Manhattan at the Northwestern tip.. It has good schools to boot! This neighborhood is sometimes called an "urban oasis" as it has some greenery like the burbs but is literally right outside of Manhattan.. 10-15 Minute car ride to MIDTOWN and there is an express bus and the 1 train to consider.
Last edited by ElleNY; 09-23-2009 at 04:52 PM..
Reason: Forgot something
EDIT: I almost forgot.. Look in to Riverdale.. It is in the Bronx, but it is the nicest part of the bronx and it is literally right outside Manhattan at the Northwestern tip.. It has good schools to boot! This neighborhood is sometimes called an "urban oasis" as it has some greenery like the burbs but is literally right outside of Manhattan.. 10-15 Minute car ride to MIDTOWN and there is an express bus and the 1 train to consider.
Hi,
Yes I think that's what I'm going to have to do, somewhere like Riverdale sounds just perfect, I will look into it
Thank you very much for that bit of advice.
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