What salary for living in Manhattan with a 2 and 4 year old? (apartment, to rent)

[Erio]

My husband has been headhunted for a position in Manhattan, and is flying there soon. We live in Australia. Just wondering what sort of salary he should negotiate? We have two kids, aged 2 and 4. I would like to live in a secure, 2bdm, fairly quiet apartment, have access to a park or garden and be able to manage with the two kids. Eventually I'd like to send them to private schools. I just want quality of life. Is this possible on a salary of say $100k? Or should we ask for $150k? I have no idea if Manhattan is a good idea or not.I might not be allowed to work. My husband doesn't want to commute more than half an hour to work. Is this possible on this salary?

Erio

[thomasm]

Try for the 150K. Consider taxes...Federal, NYS and NYC will be the first major expense.

A secure 2 bedroom near a park (if Central Park) or even anywhere will be a small fortune to rent. Food will be expensive since Manhattan has small grocery stores with high prices. Walmart and Costco are not in Manhattan. Restaurants are expensive. Dry cleaning more than most places.

You will not need a car so if you can stay away from cabs and use public transportation it will be very cheap. There are also many free activities in Manhattan. Clothes can be cheap in the right stores.

Many people who work in Manhattan live in Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, The Bronx, New Jersey and Long Island.
Most parts of these areas will require more than a 30 minute commute to Manhattan but the cost of living will be lower. In some areas a car will be necessary. Private schools should be less than Manhattan.

You really need to see how you feel about living in the city. If you feel good about it then paying the price may be worth it.
If not commute an hour or an hour and a half and consider NJ or LI.

[Viralmd]

There are many LARGE supermarkets in Manhattan - and FreshDirect, which delivers to your home from online ordering, has WONDERFUL produce and meats and is cheaper than the markets.

Daycare/preschool will be expensive. And if you're going to be here for any extended period, schools will be a BIG issue. Not only in terms of admission (yes, there are admission tests for pre-school and kindergarten) but also in terms of expense. The good private schools START at about $20,000/year and go up as the grades increase. There are some good public elementary schools, so you'd need to choose your area of residence carefully.

In my experience, dry cleaning costs the same as elsewhere. Things like cable TV can actually be CHEAPER in Manhattan. And for the complete boffin, internet access can also be cheaper
than elsewhere.

You will need winter clothing - WARM winter clothing. Which you currently don't need Down Under.

Even within the city your husband may have a more than half hour commute....You'll probably need to choose the SCHOOLS first, then the worry about the commute.

[Erio]

Thank you

Erio

Originally Posted by thomasm

Try for the 150K. Consider taxes...Federal, NYS and NYC will be the first major expense.

A secure 2 bedroom near a park (if Central Park) or even anywhere will be a small fortune to rent. Food will be expensive since Manhattan has small grocery stores with high prices. Walmart and Costco are not in Manhattan. Restaurants are expensive. Dry cleaning more than most places.

You will not need a car so if you can stay away from cabs and use public transportation it will be very cheap. There are also many free activities in Manhattan. Clothes can be cheap in the right stores.

Many people who work in Manhattan live in Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, The Bronx, New Jersey and Long Island.
Most parts of these areas will require more than a 30 minute commute to Manhattan but the cost of living will be lower. In some areas a car will be necessary. Private schools should be less than Manhattan.

You really need to see how you feel about living in the city. If you feel good about it then paying the price may be worth it.
If not commute an hour or an hour and a half and consider NJ or LI.

[mom2gurls]

Depends on what his job is...is he an IT guy..then yes 150k should be what he GETS....Is he a doctor..then he probably should get over 200k...Please dont get fooled by those that tell you "oh you dont need less than 100k" to live....because you DO..as a mother of two little ones..I can honestly say that over and over again. My dh commutes down...and its about 1.5 hours...but we also live where you dont need private schools because the public schools are phenominal. That being said..in your situation comming from australia....I would think you want to see the NYC lifestyle, enjoy the arts, walk in the park..and just take in what the city has to offer. I would reccomend the upper east side are of manhattan..but its pricey...My brother has a one bedroom and its 2500 per month..near the central park area, closeby shopping. We had expats from my dhs company in which the company forked over the cost of living as part of the package, and paid for schooling or nannies, as the moms couldnt work...If the company hadnt done that..they said the rent for the two bedroom that they were in (Right near rockfeller center)...was 5k per month. So please factor in those costs.

Perhaps you can negotiate some help for cost of living in renting a place here..esp if you cannot work due to passport/visa requirements...

But welcome and enjoy the city..best to have an adventure like this while the kids are young!

[Viralmd]

Sorry, Mom, but all doctors do NOT make over $200,000. It depends on the subspecialty, whether he/she's working in a city hospital, etc. You're sadly deluded if you think all doctors make this kind of money.

[Erio]

Hi

I appreciate the advice. Yes I am quite keen to experience the city, as an art and museum lover, although I have never been to the US or lived in a big city! Funny I was looking at the upper east side as a possibility. But its all such an unknown quantity. My husband is a structural biologist. Personally I think $150k is a ridiculous amount of money for his salary, but he is extremely specialised, and is a bit of a rarity, so you never know, they might be crazy enough to pay it.

Erio

Originally Posted by mom2gurls

Depends on what his job is...is he an IT guy..then yes 150k should be what he GETS....Is he a doctor..then he probably should get over 200k...Please dont get fooled by those that tell you "oh you dont need less than 100k" to live....because you DO..as a mother of two little ones..I can honestly say that over and over again. My dh commutes down...and its about 1.5 hours...but we also live where you dont need private schools because the public schools are phenominal. That being said..in your situation comming from australia....I would think you want to see the NYC lifestyle, enjoy the arts, walk in the park..and just take in what the city has to offer. I would reccomend the upper east side are of manhattan..but its pricey...My brother has a one bedroom and its 2500 per month..near the central park area, closeby shopping. We had expats from my dhs company in which the company forked over the cost of living as part of the package, and paid for schooling or nannies, as the moms couldnt work...If the company hadnt done that..they said the rent for the two bedroom that they were in (Right near rockfeller center)...was 5k per month. So please factor in those costs.

Perhaps you can negotiate some help for cost of living in renting a place here..esp if you cannot work due to passport/visa requirements...

But welcome and enjoy the city..best to have an adventure like this while the kids are young!

[whatsleftofbrooklyn]

150K Minimum for quality of life and the scenario you are looking for.. no questions asked.

[Hustla718]

Post here (same topic):

http://www.city-data.com/forum/new-y...-2-4-year.html