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MFP, if you decide to move to the suburbs, make a clean break from city life. Don't try to substitute what you had in the city or you will be unhappy. Another way to approach it is to ask what you can find outside that the city cannot offer - more space, lower overall cost of living, less stress in finding a placement in a non-ghetto school, etc.
Regarding Forest Hills, I think it's a good place for a young family to transition (ie, rent), but not to settle down and plant roots. I have the same impression with other quasi-city/suburban areas. The reason is that it and other similar areas is basically a 70% place - it is 70% city/urban but still lacking in many of the things you would want that are in Manhattan/Philly, and 70% suburban because you cannot get enough space, peace of mind, privacy and access to natural wonders that you can find in the suburbs (like No. Westchester, No. Central/East Suffolk). Over time, you will not be content with it.
My recommendation would be as soon as you arrive in NYC, rent in FH for a couple of years and look into Manhattan if you want to live in a city or the suburbs if you prefer otherwise.
NJ commute is a nightmare to UES. It is possible to find a great home in Mamaroneck with in your budget. There is a long strip in town with stores and restaurants. There is also a harbor and many parks.
NJ commute is a nightmare to UES. It is possible to find a great home in Mamaroneck with in your budget. There is a long strip in town with stores and restaurants. There is also a harbor and many parks.
About driving from Jersey: Many people say this, but I've known people who routinely do it by car and it doesn't remotely take an hour. But it does depend on how close you are to the GWB in Jersey, how far up or down on the UES you're going, and how early or late in rush hour you do it. Its no problem at all during off-hours, and, all things considered, far less horrifying than folks here make it out to be.
Now driving through the Lincoln Tunnel at rush hour? That is a horror story I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy.
You don't want to have to schlepp across town and then up to the UES after getting off at NJ. Plus the reliability problems of all train services having to sequuze out of the tunnels from Penn. There's some nice places in NJ to raise a family - but I'd cross NJ off your list unless you want a cranky perpetually hassled husband. If he had a job on the west side, then it'd be a different matter. If you're "city people" then stay in the city (though not all cities are the same just like not all suburbs are the same, I found lots of Philly peculiarly empty) - but as for "family-oriented" you'll find plenty of that in the Westchester towns mentioned above.
You might want to look into Park Slope in Brooklyn or maybe Cobble Hill.
Thanks, everybody, for the awesome feedback. I do need to decide what "city life" really means to me... In Philly, we live on a Brooklyn-like block of row houses, and we're a short walk away from the city's museums, restaurants, concert halls, etc. Obviously we're not going to find that anywhere in NYC on our budget! I think Brooklyn would be great, but can we really afford 3 bedrooms close to the subway for $650K? That sounds far-fetched to me...
Thanks, everybody, for the awesome feedback. I do need to decide what "city life" really means to me... In Philly, we live on a Brooklyn-like block of row houses, and we're a short walk away from the city's museums, restaurants, concert halls, etc. Obviously we're not going to find that anywhere in NYC on our budget! I think Brooklyn would be great, but can we really afford 3 bedrooms close to the subway for $650K? That sounds far-fetched to me...
In Park Slope or Cobble Hill, no.
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