Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
So here is the situation...I am evaluating a job offer that would see me, and the family (elementary & pre-elementary kids), move to the New York area. As exciting as it may sound, uprooting your whole life and moving far away into an unfamiliar area is daunting. Yes, for the past week or so I have been reading through this forum and searching all I could, plus looking at Trulia/Zillow at properties and got some answers, but perhaps also created just more questions.....WOW, property taxes are HUGE!
As my wife is Japanese, all my research pointed to Westchester County and Scarsdale in particular, although it seems that the Japanese in Scarsdale are expats. Is that true? ...and where would the non-expat Japanese in Westchester County be? You know, she would like to be at least within a reasonable 15-20min driving range of other moms. Are there any Japanese on this forum, or someone whose spouse is Japanese?
Now, since the well being of kids is the priority, the quality and safety of schools is an issues. And once again everything points to Scarsdale or a few other areas, all having high house prices in common. I guess this is something to be expected although this kind of segregation is rare where I am, Toronto area. Now, what I am trying to understand is, based on Trulia/Zillow, some houses in places like Scarsdale Downs (slightly cheaper) have Scarsdale schools listed as their school zone. I just wanted to verify that that is true. Would you need to be in Scarsdale proper to belong to the school district or not. Oh, the house budget is $700-$850 preferably with some room to go up, but I would not want to.
Turning to commute. Currently I live in a suburb of Toronto with a commute of maybe ~70min by train/walking, HOWEVER, this new job offer is in Nassau County. Is this even a possibility or an impossible idea to commute from somewhere in Westchester to Nassau. Conversely, what about the Japanese and school questions on Long Island? ...I may post on that forum too.
Thanks in advance for all the abundant answers that will flow in
That's a very tough commute, public transportation is out (it's just not set up like that) and driving requires going over one of two bridges which are perpetually under construction and costs you $7.5 each way just for for the bumper to bumper experience.
That's a very tough commute, public transportation is out (it's just not set up like that) and driving requires going over one of two bridges which are perpetually under construction and costs you $7.5 each way just for for the bumper to bumper experience.
Does not sound promising. Would you know the approximate time this would take in the morning and evening rush hours?
Your best bet is probably somewhere in Queens. I'm not too familiar with the neighborhoods there, but there is a big Asian population overall (over 5,000 Japanese, according to Wikipedia). I agree, driving to Nassau each day from Westchester would be hell. Right now (and it's not even peak of rush hour) Google is putting the ride at well over an hour.
There are a number of Japanese at Rye Neck, and also there is a cluster around the Keio Academy school in Harrison (along with some Japanese grocers). However, you need your head examined if you intend to commute from Westchester to LI each day! - just live in LI instead. Plenty of good schools and neighborhoods to chose from. There must be some nucleus of Japanese there somewhere.
Yes, the idea of the commute is quickly fading.... I will take a look at the areas you guys mentioned and yes, focus on Long Island. Probably, I will have to decide yes/no by middle of next week, so there is a lot of number crunching over the weekend.
My wife is also searching and talking to friends who lived in the US. One actually lived in Scarsdale but the verdict so far is stay away from there, life would be hell, if not impossible, due to the nuances of expat/non-expat chasm on life outlook. Apparently it is not even about the money. Apparently even in the expat community there is segregation between finance and non-finance expats. Why does it have to be so difficult?
Yes, the idea of the commute is quickly fading.... I will take a look at the areas you guys mentioned and yes, focus on Long Island. Probably, I will have to decide yes/no by middle of next week, so there is a lot of number crunching over the weekend.
My wife is also searching and talking to friends who lived in the US. One actually lived in Scarsdale but the verdict so far is stay away from there, life would be hell, if not impossible, due to the nuances of expat/non-expat chasm on life outlook. Apparently it is not even about the money. Apparently even in the expat community there is segregation between finance and non-finance expats. Why does it have to be so difficult?
It doesn't really. There's an epidemic in Scarsdale of a condition called "status anxiety".
A doable commute from Westchester completely depends on where you will be working in Nassau County. I go from Larchmont to New Hyde Park and it's usually about 40 minutes door to door at rush hour. Sometimes longer, but never more than 50min-1hr - and that happens rarely. I know a lot of people at my company who live in Westchester, so I'm definitely not alone.
Having two bridges to choose from is great, because if one route is backed up, you can pick the other (thank you google maps!). The heavy traffic on 95 is mostly going north to CT when you are going south. And you get off 95 before you hit the cross Bronx Expressway traffic - or you can avoid 95 south traffic completely by going on the Hutch. On Long Island its the same thing - most of the heavy traffic is going toward the city, not east. Yes, the expense is more than train commuting, but not insanely so. I was also looking at jobs in Manhattan, and my commute would have been longer - at least an hour, probably more door to door. So I wouldn't rule Westchester if you really want to focus here - just stick to lower Westchester, Harlem or New Haven Line towns (if you live in the Hudson towns, you'll add a lot of time going W-E in Westchester).
So here is the situation...I am evaluating a job offer that would see me, and the family (elementary & pre-elementary kids), move to the New York area. As exciting as it may sound, uprooting your whole life and moving far away into an unfamiliar area is daunting. Yes, for the past week or so I have been reading through this forum and searching all I could, plus looking at Trulia/Zillow at properties and got some answers, but perhaps also created just more questions.....WOW, property taxes are HUGE!
As my wife is Japanese, all my research pointed to Westchester County and Scarsdale in particular, although it seems that the Japanese in Scarsdale are expats. Is that true? ...and where would the non-expat Japanese in Westchester County be? You know, she would like to be at least within a reasonable 15-20min driving range of other moms. Are there any Japanese on this forum, or someone whose spouse is Japanese?
Now, since the well being of kids is the priority, the quality and safety of schools is an issues. And once again everything points to Scarsdale or a few other areas, all having high house prices in common. I guess this is something to be expected although this kind of segregation is rare where I am, Toronto area. Now, what I am trying to understand is, based on Trulia/Zillow, some houses in places like Scarsdale Downs (slightly cheaper) have Scarsdale schools listed as their school zone. I just wanted to verify that that is true. Would you need to be in Scarsdale proper to belong to the school district or not. Oh, the house budget is $700-$850 preferably with some room to go up, but I would not want to.
Turning to commute. Currently I live in a suburb of Toronto with a commute of maybe ~70min by train/walking, HOWEVER, this new job offer is in Nassau County. Is this even a possibility or an impossible idea to commute from somewhere in Westchester to Nassau. Conversely, what about the Japanese and school questions on Long Island? ...I may post on that forum too.
Thanks in advance for all the abundant answers that will flow in
The commute from lower/mid Westchester to Nassau is not that bad. We have an office in Garden City (near the parking lot of the Roosevelt Field Mall) and I can make it there from White Plains in approx 40 mins most mornings if I have to go there.
For most of the commute you are going against traffic (Hutch and LIE/Northern State) The commute into the City by from either Nassau or Westchester is much more painful.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
