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.
Myself, my wife, and our 2 year old will be moving to the city for work and school. We found a few apartments down in East Villeage, not too far from Tompkins Square Park that we like and a few in UES closer to Rockfeller University/the East River and then a few closer to Carl Schurz Park/the East River. Are these areas pretty decent for a younger family? I have read it is all about the neighborhoods in Manhattan. I will be attending NYU during the evening and working around Bryant Park during the day, so I am looking for the best access to public transportation.
My other concern is, being from Texas, we are expecting colder weather, but we are curious to know how you go about life during the snow and everything. Is the norm just to bundle up yourself and your kid and walk down to the store if needed, Doctor Appointment, etc.? Being from Texas we are use to getting in our car, no matter what the weather and driving whereever we want, so this will be the biggest culture shock for us.
And assuming we stay long term, and another baby comes along the way, are there several hospitals spread throughout the city that can be accessed if there is an emergency or labor strikes in the middle of the night?
Also more recently, when the NE was slammed with all this snow, what was the basic city life? Everyone stay shut up in the house or actually venture out? My wife's biggest concern is during the winter, if it's too cold to get out, do you just stay cooped up in the house and does it drive you crazy?
We do not drive much in Manhattan and it's much better that way during the winter. You do not have to worry about driving on ice, digging out your car, etc. Living here in the winter us much better than other places where the mass transit is not as good and people drive everywhere.
The cold is seriously not that bad. I just moved back here after living in FL for 10 years and I'm already used to it. It's not like you are standing outside for long periods of time. You are usually walking somewhere, waiting for a train/bus, etc. We spent around $1,200 (my husband and I) buying boots, coats, sweaters, thermals, etc when we first moved and we've been fine in the weather.
There are hospitals here just like everywhere else.
The day after the storm life was pretty much back to normal in Manhattan. I'd take a snow storm over the hurricanes we had in FL that pretty much shut everything down for a week.
I'm originally from Texas too and wasn't sure how I'd handle the winters. Honestly, they're way overhyped.
Sure, it's cold, but like the previous poster said, it's not like you spend hours outside. You walk to the subway station, which isn't that far depending on where you live, and then you walk to your final destination. There's not a ton of time outside where you're freezing your arse off.
Buy a good coat, scarf, cashmere sweaters and boots and it's really not bad at all.
East Village is personally my favorite neighborhood out of all that you listed (and definitely the most convenient to NYU), but I know others have different opinions. However, depending on where you will be in the EV, subway access isn't great. I'd focus on being close to the 2nd Av.-Lower East Side F train. It will take you directly to Bryant Park, and you could easily walk to and from NYU.
If you can afford it, the East Village is a much better choice. I live a block from Tompkins Square and love it. Lots of restaurants and shops and very family friendly. Also, you can walk to NYU, which you can’t do from the UES.
It’s odd to move to a neighborhood for the hospitals, but the East Village is actually very convenient to the “hospital district.”
New Yorkers go out in all weather, especially in Manhattan. The real problem is the outer boroughs because the subway lines go above ground and are at the mercy of the elements. In a neighborhood like the East Village, anything you need on a daily basis (groceries, drug store, liquor store, post office, etc.) is a 10 minute walk away. If you have a pair of boots it’s impossible to get snowed in. If you don’t have food you just order delivery and it becomes someone else’s problem.
One thing to factor into yr decision is education, because athough your kid is only 2, you're thinking abount another one and they may both initially start kidergarten or pre-k here in public schools. The two Upper East side locations will probably have better elementary schools that the East Village, where many of the students are likely to be poorer, the teachers newer, and the curriculums less advanced. (Yes, they think of curriculum now even for 5 year olds.) I can't speak of particular schools. I've never lived on the UES and lived in the East Village only many years ago before marriage or kids. But I'd check the education angle out carefully. Even some desirable schools are now so crowded that kids living in the zone aren't always guaranteed admittance.
One thing to factor into yr decision is education, because athough your kid is only 2, you're thinking abount another one and they may both initially start kidergarten or pre-k here in public schools. The two Upper East side locations will probably have better elementary schools that the East Village, where many of the students are likely to be poorer, the teachers newer, and the curriculums less advanced. (Yes, they think of curriculum now even for 5 year olds.) I can't speak of particular schools. I've never lived on the UES and lived in the East Village only many years ago before marriage or kids. But I'd check the education angle out carefully. Even some desirable schools are now so crowded that kids living in the zone aren't always guaranteed admittance.
I actually have not disected the school system yet for those areas, just basic research. All that info is really good to know, thanks!
I'm originally from Texas too and wasn't sure how I'd handle the winters. Honestly, they're way overhyped.
Sure, it's cold, but like the previous poster said, it's not like you spend hours outside. You walk to the subway station, which isn't that far depending on where you live, and then you walk to your final destination. There's not a ton of time outside where you're freezing your arse off.
Buy a good coat, scarf, cashmere sweaters and boots and it's really not bad at all.
East Village is personally my favorite neighborhood out of all that you listed (and definitely the most convenient to NYU), but I know others have different opinions. However, depending on where you will be in the EV, subway access isn't great. I'd focus on being close to the 2nd Av.-Lower East Side F train. It will take you directly to Bryant Park, and you could easily walk to and from NYU.
It's good to hear from a fellow Texas transplant that enjoys it! Thanks.
I actually have not disected the school system yet for those areas, just basic research. All that info is really good to know, thanks!
The East Village is very gentrified. I see affluent (i.e., white) professionals dropping their kids off at the elementary school in the morning. Yes, there are a lot of kids from the Projects, but the schools are very mixed. I would suggest real, on the ground research and talking to parents rather than anecdotes.
I actually have not disected the school system yet for those areas, just basic research. All that info is really good to know, thanks!
Don't assume at all that the schools in one neighborhood might be better than another just because it might be a higher income area.There is very little consistency in the quality of public schools in NYC.There are crappy schools in upscale areas and some great schools in some downscale areas.
When the time comes,investigate individual schools rather than neighborhoods.
Mea culpa. I was suggesting you could make a quick cut about school quality by looking at demographics. Typcially in NYC, demographics are destiny when it comes to the quality of elementary schools. Poorer nabes will have worse schools, richer ones, better schools. But as others correctly point out, not always. And, as they point out, also correctly, the East Village has gentrified greatly since my "Rent" days there.
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.
