Where is there a 45 min driving commute to Bronx?

[DRCR3]

Yeah, the houses they rented were usually for rent by owner. The owners bought a different house, so just rented their old houses out. And yes, mostly in Staten Island and Queens. I don't really care for Bk or Bx. Before going to CT for school, I went to college in Queens. There were many postings of houses for rent throughout the college in the $1500 range. The areas were pretty nice, as least to me.. Kew Gardens, certain parts of Jamaica (like where St. Johns University is, NOT a little further down. It gets pretty bad). I forgot the other areas, but they were all pretty decent and there was some transportation nearby (buses, train, etc). In SI, many friends rent out houses in nice areas.

[Henna]

Originally Posted by DRCR3

Yeah, the houses they rented were usually for rent by owner. The owners bought a different house, so just rented their old houses out. And yes, mostly in Staten Island and Queens. I don't really care for Bk or Bx. Before going to CT for school, I went to college in Queens. There were many postings of houses for rent throughout the college in the $1500 range. The areas were pretty nice, as least to me.. Kew Gardens, certain parts of Jamaica (like where St. Johns University is, NOT a little further down. It gets pretty bad). I forgot the other areas, but they were all pretty decent and there was some transportation nearby (buses, train, etc). In SI, many friends rent out houses in nice areas.

Sounds like you are talking about the past.

[DRCR3]

Not really.. My aunt just rented a house in SI last year. And I just left college in Queens in 2010. So it wasn't too long ago.

[Kefir King]

What's funny is that the property type says "single family home" but if you read the description, it mentions "apartment"

That's called the "suck you in" school of real estate advertising.

[DivTen]

Originally Posted by DRCR3

Not really.. My aunt just rented a house in SI last year. And I just left college in Queens in 2010. So it wasn't too long ago.

I think it will be difficult to impossible to find something to meet all of your requirements, your gonna have to compromise on something, its just a matter of finding the right balance of whats reasonable vs what your willing to deal with.

Seems to me your looking to,
avoid all the ills and/or inconveniences of urban living,
have a moderately short commute to work within same urban area
be very affordable, or really an amazing bargain by nyc metro area standards.

The perfect combo you want is the reason ppl leave nyc and move down south, it doesn't really exist here. The nice, low density, low price housing will be very long commute, or the short commute will cost you expensive housing, or affordable housing but in more urbanized area than you desire (not necessarily high crime tho, but possible).
Price, location, and commute, somewhere your probably gonna have to give a little.
I have heard of ppl renting a house or nice apt for an insanely low price, but its usually an inside thing, you wont find it advertised publicly.

I don't know Jersey real estate too well but maybe something very close to the GWB, but I suspect it would be out of the price range your looking for., plus you'd have to factor the horror that is the Cross Bx Expy. The exact bx location your going to would make a big difference.

Also somewhere in Westchester a little north of white plains/I-287, you could still make it to the northern Bx in 45 mins most times. Maybe some inexpensive spots up there?