Moving To NY - No clue where to live. Help? (New York: real estate, broker)

[countdrak]

I am moving from a small Midwest town to NY for work. I will be working in Harrison NY in Westchester county, and my wife might be getting a job in Manhattan.

We don't know or cant decide where to live. My top priority is safety and rent in the range of $1500-2000. Everyone I talk to has a different opinion. I would also want to keep my car.

Some people suggested living in Manhattan , so at least one of us is close to their jobs. Some suggested NJ, others Queens. That pretty much covers everything!! Couple of places I was looking at were in Forest Hills , Astoria Queens. Or White Plains in Westchester county. I was told I could drive from Queens to Harrison because i will be going against the traffic and will be fairly close to the city. I have some family in forest hills, hence I picked it in Queens.

I am totally confused any help would be great. What would be the best place for us, safety, rent and commute in that order.

[ddv0569]

As a lifelong NYer, I can make a few suggestions to you. If your rent range is $1500 - $2000, most of Manhattan would be eliminated from your prospects. If it is very important to be in Manhattan, you'll probably have to start your search north of 96th street and you'll have a very difficult time maintaining an auto in Manhattan. With all the street parking rules and congestion, it gets very frustrating. Forest Hills is a very nice area and you should definitely be able to find something in your price range but parking could be a challenge in some parts. Astoria is a bustling area because of its proximity to Manhattan, the train, bridges and highway and you shouldn't have a problem finding something in your price range. Astoria would be a great launching place for a commute to Harrison. Both Forest Hills and Astoria are busy areas with Astoria being a more congested area because it being across the river from Manhattan. Some other areas you may want to investigate:

Greenpoint, Brooklyn
Woodside, Queens (near Astoria)
Woodhaven, Queens
Maspeth, Queens
Glendale, Queens
Middle Village, Queens

All of the above have great/good access to public transportation and lots of residential dwellings vs. heavy concentration of apartment buildings.
I don't know much about the Bronx, New Jersey, or Staten Island, so I can't recommend anything in those areas. I grew up in Brooklyn but have lived on Long Island for the past 11 years. I'm sure I left a bunch of areas out but these areas would definitely be a good start, along with Forest Hills and Astoria. I hope this was helpful.

[need2move]

I drive from Long Island to Westchester every day for work, and it's a b*tch. Obviously, I don't recommend that and am a bit skeptical of recommending Queens because of it. I suppose it might depend on where in Queens, and at what time you would be leaving for work. Keep in mind that if you're going to Harrison, you will need to take the Whitestone or Throgs Neck bridge and that will run you $8/day with EZPass (a must-have). Possibly the Triborough Bridge if you're far enough west, and I think the toll is the same. I usually cross the bridge around 10:00am in the morning, and 7:30pm at night. My company allows me flex time because of the commute - if I had to be here at 9am every day, I would probably drive OFF the bridge sooner or later. I have to come in early on occasion and it's usually a nightmare, especially if there's construction, inclement weather, or someone sneezes the wrong way.

Will your wife take the train into Manhattan? You might look in North White Plains (NWP train station as opposed to WP train, more residential than downtown White Plains). It's on the MetroNorth/Harlem line, which would take her to Grand Central in a little over 30 minutes and you to Harrison in 10-15 minutes. You can also check out places along the MetroNorth/New Haven line (Greenwich or Stamford, CT). Greenwich is generally more expensive but closer. Avoid Port Chester, NY. Mamaroneck might be OK, and would be very convenient to Harrison, but I'm not as familiar with it. New Rochelle is borderline, I think, depending on the area, and after that you're getting into the Bronx. You can check out the MetroNorth maps at http://www.mta.info/.

I wouldn't even consider Jersey. The George Washington Bridge/Cross Bronx Expressway commute would suck the life out of you.

[SClarke]

I sympathize with you. I have lived all over New York City. I love NYC, however, parking, and over priced apartment units for little space is a big issue. My husband and I got so fed up that we moved one hour outside NYC. We moved to middletown Ny. Yes, we had to deal with paying the toll at the George Washinton bridge or the Tapanzee bridge and the traffic, but there are other ways to get in and out of the city. Between Middletown NY and Manhattan, you have Rockland County, Monroe and also Orange county. Anyone of those counties, would provide you with the breathing space at the right price that fits your comfort zone. A big factor for us was safety..and getting away from the hustle and bustle of NYC. I might add, since we have moved up here and (it has been 6 years), i have never been happier.

Yes, we commute to work..and Yes, depending on what time you commute it can be hectic, however, we are comfortable in knowing that we are not living just to pay rent and we are not fighting for a parking space every time we move our car. Since i moved up here, I only got one parking ticket, and that was in NYC..lol, prior to that my car was constantly ticketed and towed, Those tickets are costly.

The beauty about where we live is that we, can drive into NYC or NJ at any time we want for the spectacular night life, and restaurants as well as shop at the various malls, and shopping outlets these places offer.

I wish you the best in your search, if you need any more information just ask.

[countdrak]

Thank you all so much for the quick response. After talking to a few people I think the best idea would be to stay closer to Harrison.

I am from a small town in Iowa and I drive 3 minutes to work So I think driving in NY everyday for 45 minutes and paying tolls is definitely not my thing.

I think white plains is something everyone I spoke to recommends. I am trying to find some apartment buildings in white plains near downtown (apparently its the best area). Do you guys have any idea what are the nice parts of town in white plains?

Some people also recommended New Rochelle, tarrytown. I am trying to live on the Metro north red line. I think white plains would be perfect for us. Any views on white plains?

[mhogan10010]

White Plains

A friend of mine at work, just remarried and moved from CT to White Plains. She is a few blocks from the Metro North and says she can be in Grand Central in less than half and hour. She loves it.
Given your background, I think you are making a good decision to live outside the City. The train ride into the city for your wife will be much less hectic than you trying to drive from Queens out to Harrison.
Just be prepared. You aren't in Kansas (Iowa in your case) anymore!

[countdrak]

It is a little nerve wracking to move to NY Are there any big rental companies that I should find in white plains? Any areas I should avoid?

Where can I find more info? I don't understand why I have to pay a Realtor a fee to RENT an apartment! !!

[mhogan10010]

You should check out craigslist.org and backpage.com. While not a silver bullet, they can help you find rentals with no broker fees. Its often said that Real Estate is in New York like Oil is in Texas. Hence the brokers.
Sorry, but I don't know enough about White Plains to endorse any specific neighborhoods. You might check on their local police website, to see if you can get a sense of places to avoid. Of course, seeing it for yourself is the best way.
Understand, that an area you feel uncomfortable in, may be one that a life long New Yorkers wouldn't hesitate to live in. I visited and researched NY for 7 years before we moved here.
PM me if you like.

[77t]

the noth shore of staten island a famous ferry ride from nyc.

[need2move]

Originally Posted by 77t

the noth shore of staten island a famous ferry ride from nyc.

But the commute to Harrison would be an absolute nightmare. Next!