[MASR]

My husbands job is relocating him to their Manhattan office, in the next 2 months and we are all moving over to US with our son (2years old) and daughter (3 months).
We haven't got a clue which area to move to (I have also posted this in the NJ forum as that is another possibility for us), we will be renting and have a max budget of £3,500 a month for a 4 bed house with garden, any extra would be a great bonus.
My husband would like his commute to be 45 mins (but doesn't mind upto an hour for a perfect house/area), somewhere near a train station that goes into Grand Central would be ideal.
I would like somewhere with a real family feel, somewhere to take the kids, and plenty of groups and activities for them.
We are likely to only be staying 2 years so schools aren't a major priority at the moment although we may put our son into a nursery or similar to get used to it as he would go to nursery in UK from age 3 so we are trying to keep it similar if possible.

Any suggestions to areas would help our search greatly.
Thanks
Marie

[JayCT]

Hi Marie - When you say your budget is 3500, is that English Pounds or American dollars?

The closest town in Connecticut to New York would be Greenwich. It is a beautiful community with a lot of charming homes, great schools, a lot of wonderful shops and restaurants and many great parks and beaches. There are four train stations in Greenwich which provide easy access into Manhattan. Unfortunately Greenwich is also one of the most expensive town in thhis country. Modest homes there go for well over $1 million.

Next to Greenwich is Stamford which is actually a small city. It is home to many major corporations, has a very vibrant downtown and is a bit more affordable than Greenwich. It also has some of the urban issues you would normally find in an American city. The Glenbrook and Springdale areas are nice and have their own stations.

Next up the line would be Darien. It is similar in character to Greenwich and only very little less in expense. Another option may be New canaan. Also very nice and very expensive it has its own branch train service into Stamford and then on into Manhattan.

You may also want to check out New York's Westchester County. It has train service into Grand Central (note that NEw Jersey does not). Good luck, Jay

[MASR]

Thanks Jay for your reply, I will look into those places you mentioned.

Sorry I did mean $3,500 in dollars rather than pounds (guess this sign is something I need to get used to now!)

[mariadbd]

Hi There
Try Katonah in Westchester County, NY. It's a lovely little town and right on the train line direct into Manhattan. I'm not sure from where in the UK you are locating - if you are "city" people then also consider White Plains, NY where there are some great corporate rentals with all the trimmings (pool, etc) but are apartments, though you can get some, what are known as "single family homes" with yards (which in the UK translates to a general family house with a garden!)!!!
You can also find condos which are like stand alone houses but you don't have to worry about taking care of the garden maintenance, snow ploughing, refuse, etc. Rentals are high because taxes are high (especially in Westchester and Fairfield counties) so many homeowners look for a higher rent to compensate for this and/or are looking to cover their mortgage costs. Send me a private message via the site and I'll be happy to give you some more info. We're from the UK - came with a 6 week old and 3 year old for only 2 years and now have been here 6 with no intention of going back! We live in CT (not NJ) and moved outwards from NY in order to get really good schools and a bigger house. That's the trade off with one spouse working in NY - schools and house versus commute time. (The commute is just as bad as commuting in and out of London). Don't pay what anyone asks for a rental - there is ALWAYS negotiating room, especially in this market. Also check into the types of houses that exist here so that you figure out what style of house/living suits you. I don't think you would like to rent a "split ranch" - it's not something that we in the UK are necessarily driven to like US people. A ranch has its bedrooms all situated along one long hallway and has much of its living space under ground level - so some of the house is above ground and some below. Basements here are a big thing - quite popular, but definitely a personal preference thing. Other house types include cape, colonial, saltbox and contemporary. What style of heating and/or air conditioning in a home will also drive your choice - especially with small children.