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Ok, I'm a born & raised Minnesotan (Minneapolis/St. Paul) who has spent time all around the nation due to job transfers. I have spent the last few years in Dallas, Texas.
My fiance is from Franklin Square, New York which is out on Long Island. As my parents are gone and I'm a single child, I feel (as she does of course) that as we get married and have a family, it would be nice for her to be able to be closer to her family, to be closer to 'home' as she has her own family. At the same time, when I reflect back on the 'good times' of my past, it has always been being able to explore new places and immerse myself into the things that interest me, which for a major history lover, means that part of the east coast is a treasure trove of opportunity. Within a few hour drive are places that would feed my passion, the study of history along with everything in my 'backyard' so to speak. And as a hockey lover, I would have 3 NHL teams to watch instead of one! hahaha...
It would be relatively easy to transfer in my job but there is one thing that has slowed me down. The office there is in Ramsey, NJ and her family is in Franklin Square, NY. People have said "take the job so you don't have to start over, you are close enough if you live somewhere like Ft. Lee, about 22 miles away". Others say "if you plan to go to Franklin Square alot, you will be fighting the GW Bridge and traffic on the expressways, think twice". A friend asked why not look closer to her family out on Long Island but there isn't anything close by and if I can keep my existing job, that would be huge.
So now I am looking at areas in between. Places like Ft. Lee, North Bergen, Englewood, etc. I don't think I will buy anything right away and will instead rent something for 6 months or so until I determine that the job (and location) there fits me and that all in all, it works for us. I also have a home in Minnesota and will continue paying a mortgage, at least until the poor housing market there improves to the point where selling my home makes financial sense.
So with that background, I would appreciate any opinions of where I should be looking for a place that would work for me in being able to drive to Ramsey for work and at the same time, be close enough to Franklin Square where she or we could drop by and visit with 'the family' without making it a weekend trip. A guy from the office in Ramsey suggested Hoboken, another suggested Ft. Lee due to the GW Bridge and it's proximity to Ramsey. While I would drive quite a bit, I think being close to one of the trains would be huge to get into the city before jumping on the LIRR to complete the commute.
I'm hopeful this can help in directing me to cities that might be the best bet for all the points above along with resources to find a decent rental.
I think that Fort Lee is the best choice. GWB is busy, but if you don't stay on Bronx Express--instead, take I-87 and RFK (Triboro Bridge), you should be able to get to Franklin Square in less than an hour on weekends. During week, wait until 8pm, and it's pretty painless.
Thanks Atsushi, appreciate your willingness to read through my novel and help. Your comments are mirroring emails I'm seeing as well. Thanks again!
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