Are we too young to move from NYC to Greenwich? (Branford: rental, house)

dionigi · 01-09-2011, 08:54 AM

Ok, admittedly my post title is a bit dramatic, perhaps the better question is "is it too early" for us to make the move. Bit of background:

We are a family of four, my wife and I in our early-mid 30's, two children 4 and 1 year old. We currently live downtown Manhattan where we moved in 2007. My job used to be near Wall St so it made sense to live downtown, but my new job is in midtown near grand central.

Currently live in a nice 3 bedroom which we rent. No real complaints other than the high cost of the rental and a relative lack of space compared to a house. Also, we are in the process of looking at schools for our older son and the public options are ok but not amazing and the private options are outrageous with their application process and 30k/yr cost (assuming he even gets in somewhere).

We also have a weekend house in Litchfield county, in Washington, which has been a blessing and one of the best purchases of our life. This has given us a taste of what it would be like to live in a larger home in a beautiful area, and I frequently wish it were in a commutable range for my work, but its not.

Over the past couple years we have been mulling moving out of the city, selling our weekend house, and consolidating everything to live in one of the more commutable towns. We like southern CT and Greenwich in particular because of the pretty area and my family lives up the shore in Branford. I also like the lower taxes of course. I want to be as close as possible to midtown NYC without being in NY state.

We have always shied away because we were afraid of giving up too many of the things we enjoy about NYC, especially the great variety of dining options (we are self proclaimed foodies) and the easy access to so many retail options. Having said that, with our latest child we find ourselves going out less and less and usually eat at home 4-5 nights a week. In addition, my old office location downtown made the commute option quite unappealing, but with my new job near GCT it would appear to be a lot more tolerable.

My wife is still ambivalent about relocating, she has made friends in the neighborhood, has a nice part time job a couple days a week that gives her flexibility, and we have a wonderful nanny that adores our kids that we would lose. She thinks we should wait another couple years. The upside is a probable improvement in quality of (home) life and a more permanent place for our kids to grow up, saving a few $ too. We are fortunate in that we can afford a nice house in Greenwich so budget is not the limiting factor. The main barrier is psychological and what our new life would be like in our new environment. I know several people that made the move and they appear to be happy but I am not certain they would tell me their true feelings if they regretted it.

I would love to hear the good and the bad from anyone that has gone through a similar process! Thanks in advance.

nep321 · 01-09-2011, 03:10 PM

I am 26 years of age and worked in the World Financial Center from 2006-2008 and lived in midtown. After that, I moved back to a semi-rural town in CT (Granby). I would never go back to NYC unless there was a very special circumstance. I had a great experience living there of course, with all the restaurants and things to do, but even NYC got boring after a while. Now, in CT, I can breathe, have peace and quiet, drive a car and go wherever I want, and not have to use public transportation.

However, in your situation, I think the commute from Greenwich is still too long, even to midtown. It's going to be about 50 minutes total, from home to work. That's pushing it IMO. Either change your job or find a better place in the city.

kidyankee764 · 01-09-2011, 03:34 PM

I don't agree with Nep321. If you're commuting to Midtown from Greenwich, you commute should be just fine. It won't be 20 minutes, but it won't be hours either. You'll join the thousands of Greenwichites who do it daily. It will likely be an hour-ish door to door, depending on where you live and where your office is. IMO, it's worth the lower taxes, nicer town and better schools for your children. Plus, you're closer to your weekend home.

renovating · 01-09-2011, 05:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dionigi

My wife is still ambivalent about relocating, she has made friends in the neighborhood, has a nice part time job a couple days a week that gives her flexibility, and we have a wonderful nanny that adores our kids that we would lose. She thinks we should wait another couple years.

No one is happy in a home when mommy isn't happy. Wait until you and your wife are on the same page about moving...CT will still be here....

jjinla · 01-09-2011, 07:03 PM

^^ I could not agree more as a wife that was just moved out here from CA kicking and screaming.

If you are happy, stay where you are until and unless you are not. Your kids are still young enough not to know the difference.

jax12479 · 01-09-2011, 08:23 PM

Greenwich is a great place to raise a family, but in all honesty, it'll be a hard adjustment from the city. Not as hard as a rural town in the middle of nowhere, but still... It won't be that different for you as you'll still be working in the city everyday, but it'll be a very hard adjustment for your wife, who will be alone with little kids all day in a house in a suburb where she doesnt know anyone and will have to drive (almost) everywhere, leaving a life where she used to be able to walk out the front door and be surrounded by people, shops, restaurants and the vitality of the city. If she's not on board yet, I'd recommend waiting.

Also, your kids are really young for you to be moving because of schools -- and a lot of public elementary schools in the city are good! (West Village, East 70s, Gramercy Park not to mention Park Slope, Brooklyn Heights & Cobble Hill). Just something to think about

JayCT · 01-09-2011, 10:21 PM

I agree with the others that your wife has to be completely on board with this decision. She is the one that will be spending the most time in the suburbs so unless she is ready and willing to move to the burbs, I would not do anything. You might consider just moving to a large place in the city.

I will say though that I understand your desire to get out of the city when your children are young. You want them to have a place to run and to establish relationships with friends. Also the thought of paying $30k on school makes me cring. To me that is what you pay for a college (granted private colleges are higher than that). As for food, there may not be as many good restaurants as New York but there are still plenty of really good places here. I think that someone who goes out a couple of nights a week should be happy. Plus the city would not be far if you want a night out. Jay

dionigi · 01-10-2011, 06:21 AM

Thanks for the comments and agreed. Seems like we will wait it out for a while longer ..

gimme it · 01-11-2011, 06:56 AM

I just wanted to let you know that there are some great public elementary schools downtown. If you are in the Wall St area, I believe you are zoned for the new green school, "Battery Park City School". It's supposed to be great. You also have PS 89 and PS 234 down there. These schools are filled with the children of professional parents and could almost pass for private schools. Don't let schooling be the big factor. I think it's more a quality of life issue. I bet your wife likes taking the kids to a nearby playground like Rockefeller playground. She can always find other moms and kids. I think the playgrounds in the burbs will be emptier. Personally, I would be happy to move to the burbs, but not everyone wants the quiet. Good luck.

dionigi · 01-11-2011, 07:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gimme it

I just wanted to let you know that there are some great public elementary schools downtown. If you are in the Wall St area, I believe you are zoned for the new green school, "Battery Park City School". It's supposed to be great. You also have PS 89 and PS 234 down there. These schools are filled with the children of professional parents and could almost pass for private schools. Don't let schooling be the big factor. I think it's more a quality of life issue. I bet your wife likes taking the kids to a nearby playground like Rockefeller playground. She can always find other moms and kids. I think the playgrounds in the burbs will be emptier. Personally, I would be happy to move to the burbs, but not everyone wants the quiet. Good luck.

Gimme, yes we currently are zoned for PS89 and live in front of Rockefeller Park. The schooling was not the only reason, although it was one of the reasons to consider it. The other is as you said a quality of life question in terms of having more space and quiet, as well as all the other amenities of a larger home. Seems like we will put this off another year and send our son to kindergarten in the city then re-evaluate ..