[laidofftoolong]

My husband is a welder who has been laid off since January and there have been no jobs in our area.

If he is willing to go out to Brewster, NY, he will likely be offered a job. The job would pay $24 per hour, but since there are no medical benefits, we would lose a lot of pay in getting our own health insurance (a must for us, our little boy has life-threatening allergies). So I am figuring that he is grossing more like $18 per hour after medical.

I am self-employed licensed professional, and I can take my business anywhere in NY. However, my cash flow is inconsistent. Maybe I'll pick up a lot of work moving out there, but it's not certain. Leaving self-employment is not an option right now. Even if I were willing to give up self-employment after a decade of hard work, employers demand 60-70 hour weeks in my field, and I just am not willing (maybe not even physically able) to do that. Caring for our son is too important to me.

So we have to live somewhere as if only my husband's income was there. This will probably be this way until our 10 year old son is a little older, because he is not very independent, and I am really the only parent able to assist him with his education and generally manage our home life.

We like to have a grocery store/shopping center within 20 minutes, but we like rural living a lot. We currently own a home, and the thought of living in a rental unit is not really desireable. In fact, I think that I would prefer a trailer on a plot of land to living in an apartment. We love Lake Taghkanic State Park, and love farms, natural living, fishing, camping, all of that.

But driving anywhere more than an hour each way would really push it for my husband. He's used to 20 minute commutes.

I am not a social climber, and have no interest in cliques. My husband looks like a redneck, with tattoos, jeans with the keys hanging off, etc.. However, I am a very highly educated professional. So I'd not be happy with a bunch of moonshiners saying "Ain't" all of the time, but neither of us would be happy with a bunch of foie gras eaters either.

My husband likes to work out at a gym. Access to an inexpensive family fitness center would be necessary.

Our little boy is a VERY talented dancer (being invited to intensives after only his 2nd year) and we want him to be able to continue that at a good dance school. A school district where the parents are very uneducated or narrow minded would not work, as their attitude flows through to their children. I have found that the less education of the people in the community, the more likely my son will be called derogatory names.

We are willing to consider any place in the Brewster area, even out of the state.

Any help would be appreciated.

[Slipperman]

Brewster happens to be right over the state line from Danbury which is a decent place to live. don't suggest living in Brewster proper since the place is pretty much a dump (i used to take the Metro train from Brewster to White Plains).

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by Slipperman

Brewster happens to be right over the state line from Danbury which is a decent place to live. don't suggest living in Brewster proper since the place is pretty much a dump (i used to take the Metro train from Brewster to White Plains).

I agree. Maybe the OP would like New Milford? It's more affordable and an easy commute to Brewster.

[7 Wishes]

Since Brewster is in NY, maybe you should cross-post this in the NY forum as well. Putnam and Dutchess counties are close (in fact Brewster is in Putnam county) and unlike Westchester County to the south, generally cheaper than the adjacent part of CT (though hard to say when you factor in property taxes, which will be less in CT).

While parts of Brewster are yuck, not all of it is. I know a couple in which the wife is an accountant and the husband a job somewhat similar to what you're describing (I think he fixes big machines, etc.) and they live in a house in a very nice "outer" part of Brewster, even send their son to Brewster schools. And that son (now 9) was adopted from Russia at 2 and knew no English and thrives in their school system. Not exactly "disabled" but I thought I'd note it. And I have a former coworker whose family moved to Brewster from Yonkers in her early teens and she went to Brewster schools from then on (graduated in early 90s but I don't think it's that much different now) and had no problem. I think it's "downtown" that is the (kind of) rough part (mostly due to Hispanic immigrants in the small apartments there) and where Metro North is.

Just curious what you do that employers require 60-70 hrs. week but you do self-employed. Since you say "licensed" my guess is "lawyer"

[Lowerdeck]

Best I can think of on the Connecticut side would be: New Fairfield, Brookfield, New Milford, or Sherman. Close enough, more affordable than what's to the south. Schools would not be a major issue.

[Town'n'Country]

I'm shocked by the very negative attitude toward the Brewster/Southeast area that I'm seeing on this board. While it's true that Brewster Village has become an ethnic neighborhood populated by Central American immigrants, the village is tiny and not representative of the area as a whole.

Most people who say they live in Brewster actually live in Southeast. (Brewster is a village within the larger Town of Southeast.) Southeast is a residential town comprised of middle- and upper-middle class families and professionals who commute to Lower Westchester and NYC. It is not at all a "dump." It is a quiet, semi-rural community, and it's not unusual for homes to be situated on sizable properties, some overlooking water or undeveloped land. There's something here for every income range, from "starter" raised ranches on half acres, to more expensive McMansions in developments, to authentic colonials on sprawling properties for those in the upper income bracket. Now that the market has somewhat corrected, you can find a cute two- or three-bedroom for $200-300k.

Southeast has its own train station and commercial district, which is not a part of Brewster Village. Most of the schools are located in Southeast, and they're pretty good. In fact, it's entirely possible to live in Southeast and never set foot in Brewster.

There's easy access to shopping and groceries, both in Southeast and in the neighboring towns of Carmel, Patterson, and Danbury, CT. Wherever you live in Southeast, you'll be able to find everything you need within 15-20 minutes in any direction.

If you like outdoor activities, you'll really like it here. There are two lakes and numerous reservoirs plus the Croton River, so there are lots of opportunities for swimming, boating, and fishing. There are several parks and playgrounds, hiking and biking trails, working farms, and an orchard. The surrounding towns have more of the same.

I think your family would fit in quite well here. Most people in Southeast are educated but not at all snobbish. In other words, you won't hear "ain't," but you also won't see Louis Vuitton bags. There are a substantial number of blue-collar families with decent incomes, and, yes, some of them really enjoy their hunting and fishing and pick-up trucks. Like most towns in Putnam and Westchester, we have several gyms as well as restaurants, a movie theater, an ice rink, ball fields, and so on.

Finally, I don't know much about dance schools other than the Irish dance school here, which has a very strong program. There are more traditional schools that teach ballet, tap, modern, and so on, but I don't know how good they are. However, I'm sure you can find something, if not in Southeast, then probably in Westchester or Fairfield County, CT.

Good luck! I will also cross-post this to your NY thread.

[JayCT]

Only one person on this thread says something bad about Brewster. Others defended it. I don't think that should shock you. You should note that the original post is from last August so it is pretty dated. Jay