Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > New York > New York City
 [Register]
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.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 10-14-2007, 08:11 AM
 
3 posts, read 9,937 times
Reputation: 10

Advertisements

I'm an Aussie mum of two (4 y.o. girl & 2 y.o. boy) whose husband is strongly considering moving to NYC to work as a consultant next year (for about 3 years). The company he would work for takes care of work visas, etc, so that's under control. We're both excited but somewhat apprehensive because we've never done anything like this before (part of the reason we're doing it!). I have a million and one questions and just discovered this wonderful site. I've read lots of threads which have answered some questions and created more! Some of my questions are (and I apologise in advance if they seem idiotic or simplistic but we're complete novices at the USA system and lifestyle!):

1. Where to live? While we'd like to live in Manhattan (I'd love Greenwich Village but who wouldn't?!?!), it seems more sensible to live in one of the other boroughs. We'd need a three-bedroom house or apartment to rent. Woodlawn has been recommended to us and it seems a strong contender as my husband is of Irish descent and I am off Scottish descent (and Irish, way back too). Dob's Ferry has also been mentioned. My husband wouldn't be working directly in Manhattan; instead, he'd drive to different areas surrounding it, so we'd have at least one car, probably two.

What do people think of Woodlawn or Dob's Ferry as places to raise a young Aussie family? Are there any other areas that would be suitable that are less than Manhattan prices!?

2. At what age do children in the USA start school? And what happens before Grade One - kindergarten? How does this work? Is it free or do we pay?

3. How does one go about enrolling a child in a school? Does it depend on where the family lives or can anyone attend the school they choose? What about public vs private - are their both at a primary/elementary school level?

4. What criteria should I consider when looking at schools? In other words, what makes a "good school" in the USA?

5. If I decide to eventually work too (I'd work as either a lawyer or a consultant too), does anyone know if there are good childcare facilities in the Woodlawn/Dob's Ferry areas? How hard would it be to get a childcare place for my son (and maybe my daughter) if I haven't put his name down, years in advance?

6. Are there Playgroup organisations or Mothers' groups that I could join to get to know people ( I guess I'm thinking in the Woodlawn/Dob's Ferry areas now)? (I've looked on WoodlawnNYC.com)

6. Any other advice on immigration stuff I ought to know or any general advice on moving to the Bronx area would be VERY WELCOME!

Many thanks for any information - we recently visited NYC and couldn't get over how polite, helpful and friendly you lovely New Yorkers were! You just won us over and we are in love with the city, miss it already and look forward to returning.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 10-14-2007, 08:40 AM
 
Location: Bronx, NY
1,526 posts, read 5,590,461 times
Reputation: 300
Can you give an idea of how much you could afford to spend on a house?

I think Dobb's Ferry is very nice, far as I know, but Woodlawn would probably be less pricey and is technically part of the NYC/five boroughs--thus the price question. Also less suburban, more city feel. I hear parking is a nightmare in Woodlawn, but if you have a garage I guess you'd be ok though it still might be cramped.

The schools are probably good in Dobb's Ferry, and someone on this forum said Woodlawn schools are good too (or some of them, if memory serves?)

School generally starts either with kindergarten or Pre-kindergarten. I think kindergardeners are usually about 6 years old or so. City school systems are free. There are some that are very good, but plenty of private and parochial schools as well. Pre-K you might have to pay for, but Kingergarten and on are free as far as I know via the NYC public school system.

Some of my former coworkers hired nannies, since they returned to work shortly after giving birth. If it's a choice between a pricier home and a less pricier one in a good area with money left over for good child care and perhaps private school, it might be worth it to go that way. I have a sneaking suspicion that some of the young residents of Woodlawn might work as nannies, though if they're illegals it may not be a great idea to hire them (some prominent people have gotten into trouble for this, so it might be a risk you don't want to take.) But there are also legal residents there, and my impression is that it is a very close knit community, which seems good if you have children.

If you go to the citydata forum main link on this site, you can get a lot of info on a particular area. Just search for Woodlawn and Dobbs Ferry, and you will likely find loads of stats about income, schools, crime, etc.

Also the NY Times real estate section has neighborhood profiles you can check out. If you do a Woodlawn housing search, there should be a box or option to see the demographic profile as well. Almost all writeups will talk about the school system since this is a major concern for parents here.

Some of the wealthier NYC residents (for instance, in Park Slope) can be manic about getting their kids into the "right" pre-K, pushing them to compete well before they should be concerned with it, IMO. So you may not want to go to that extreme, since I think it drives kids and parents berserk. Again, Woodlawn might be more down to earth than Dobbs Ferry in this regard, but I don't really know for sure.

You might try a NYC search on meetup.com for possible parenting groups. They have groups for just about any interest imaginable.

And finally, you might send a private message to others on this forum who live in Woodlawn for a more inside scoop.

Best of luck!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-14-2007, 10:02 AM
 
Location: New York City
564 posts, read 1,723,454 times
Reputation: 174
Woodlawn sounds good for you. Warning though, other parts of the Bronx could be hell for Aussies. Stick to the Northwest Bronx, specifically Woodlawn or Riverdale. Pre-School has to be paid for (the one I went to 15 years back was $300 a month, but prices vary from way less to way more). Kindergarden up is all free. Public schools in New York aren't brilliant, but Woodlawn's public school is actually above average and one of the better in the borough.

By the way, some of the things the NYTimes say are absurd. I was looking up a neighborhood profile, and according to them, Woodlawn was 55% Hispanic, 30% Black, 6% Asian, and 9% White. It's actually AT LEAST 85% White, mostly Irish, with some Italians, Albanians, and Germans sprinkled in.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-14-2007, 10:51 AM
 
Location: Bronx, NY
1,526 posts, read 5,590,461 times
Reputation: 300
Quote:
Originally Posted by Freak View Post
Woodlawn sounds good for you. Warning though, other parts of the Bronx could be hell for Aussies. Stick to the Northwest Bronx, specifically Woodlawn or Riverdale. Pre-School has to be paid for (the one I went to 15 years back was $300 a month, but prices vary from way less to way more). Kindergarden up is all free. Public schools in New York aren't brilliant, but Woodlawn's public school is actually above average and one of the better in the borough.

By the way, some of the things the NYTimes say are absurd. I was looking up a neighborhood profile, and according to them, Woodlawn was 55% Hispanic, 30% Black, 6% Asian, and 9% White. It's actually AT LEAST 85% White, mostly Irish, with some Italians, Albanians, and Germans sprinkled in.
Why would other parts be hell for Aussies in particular? (as if I don't know what your answer would be, lol). I actually thought that since Woodlawn is so heavily Irish that they might not "accept" anyone who isn't the same. If it were Brits moving in, I'd bet they'd have a bit of tension going on.

Can't speak on the NY Times, but again, CityData info/stats here might be more up to date or whatever. Things change so rapidly that demographics can quickly become out of date, and it might also depend on what the boundaries of Woodlawn are considered to be.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-14-2007, 11:03 AM
 
Location: Bronx, NY
2,806 posts, read 16,331,995 times
Reputation: 1115
I don't understand why anyone would reccomend you to move here to Woodlawn. I've never even heard of an Australian moving here. Its all Irish, with some Italians and Albanians thrown in.

I don't think there are any neighborhoods in the city where there is a large number of Australians, at least that I know of.

Are you guys upper class? Because Woodlawn is definitely a working class/blue-collar type of neighborhood. The neighborhood has lots of good pubs and you can find more Irish/British food items that you can't find in the rest of the NYC area like good fish & chips (impossible to find just about anywhere else), shepherd's pie, beef stew, scones, etc.

How much are you able to spend in rent? I would reccomend the good neighborhoods of Manhattan or Northern Brooklyn first, but these areas are very pricey because they are highly sought after.

If you can't budget that then you should probably look into Westchester county, where Dobbs ferry is. I honestly don't know too much about Dobbs ferry, but I'm assuming its a pretty nice place.

Tarrytown which is about 10 minutes north of that area is a really nice town with a good public school district, so you should check that out as well.

I believe Australia has a special relationship with the USA when it comes to getting visas. So I believe it is much much easier for an Australian to work in the United States than people from other countries. So you should look in it. Australians (along with Singaporeans) receive special visas to come and live in the United States. So consider yourself lucky I guess.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-14-2007, 12:14 PM
 
Location: Bronx, NY
1,526 posts, read 5,590,461 times
Reputation: 300
Well, if you're of the mentality that all New York hoods should be ethnic ghettos, then I guess Mead is right...no room for you Aussies unless you make your own Aussietown!

There are plenty of illegal Irish immigrants in Woodlawn, so I don't think they have the "right" to dictate who will move into their area. In fact, many of the Irish abandoned the Bronx as did most other white ethnics long ago, so has there been some special town law passed that doesn't allow any non-irish in now? And is it a-ok for them to move back home as soon as their economy picks up again, abandoning their newfound "home" in the process?

The OP's may be white, but that doesn't mean they're super rich. Some people don't want to isolate themselves and their children from urban living, esp if they can find good schools or afford private ones. Though it is most likely true that Woodlawn is a more working class than upper class burg, some have been there for generations, I'd assume, and may be more established. So I suppose that may be something to consider.

So yes, as I said in the post above, the OP's may or may not feel out of place in Woodlawn. But I don't think they'll get killed there, let's put it that way. If they're white, they're already halfway there. Such is life in the big (unmixed) "melting Pot" that is NYC.

My gut feeling is that most Americans love folks from the UK, and IMO Aussies tend to share a lot of our outlook on life in many ways. Plus from the ones I've encountered they are super friendly and have a killer sense of humor, which helps in almost any circumstance in life, and in any place one might choose to live.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-14-2007, 12:23 PM
 
Location: Bronx, NY
2,806 posts, read 16,331,995 times
Reputation: 1115
There's no law that Woodlawn is an Irish area, its just a reality of life. Just as the South Bronx is a non-white area. There are no Australians living here at the moment that I am aware of.

Yes many white people in the Bronx did abandon the borough, but that didn't happen up here. This is still very much a vibrant community where the public school functions properly and there is no street crime.

I asked if they were rich, not because they are white, but because they will be expats. Most expats come from the top tier of the business that they are working for. I lived in Asia for a year and was friendly with many expats over there from America who had really good expat-packages.

If these guys are anything like that then they're going to want to look for a more upscale area. Usually with expat packages the cost of housing is included in the contract, so that might not be such a big deal here.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Elvira Black View Post
Well, if you're of the mentality that all New York hoods should be ethnic ghettos, then I guess Mead is right...no room for you Aussies unless you make your own Aussietown!

There are plenty of illegal Irish immigrants in Woodlawn, so I don't think they have the "right" to dictate who will move into their area. In fact, many of the Irish abandoned the Bronx as did most other white ethnics long ago, so has there been some special town law passed that doesn't allow any non-irish in now? And is it a-ok for them to move back home as soon as their economy picks up again, abandoning their newfound "home" in the process?

The OP's may be white, but that doesn't mean they're super rich. Some people don't want to isolate themselves and their children from urban living, esp if they can find good schools or afford private ones. Though it is most likely true that Woodlawn is a more working class than upper class burg, some have been there for generations, I'd assume, and may be more established. So I suppose that may be something to consider.

So yes, as I said in the post above, the OP's may or may not feel out of place in Woodlawn. But I don't think they'll get killed there, let's put it that way. If they're white, they're already halfway there. Such is life in the big (unmixed) "melting Pot" that is NYC.

My gut feeling is that most Americans love folks from the UK, and IMO Aussies tend to share a lot of our outlook on life in many ways. Plus from the ones I've encountered they are super friendly and have a killer sense of humor, which helps in almost any circumstance in life, and in any place one might choose to live.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-14-2007, 12:38 PM
 
Location: Bronx, NY
1,526 posts, read 5,590,461 times
Reputation: 300
Yes, good points Mead. Still waiting to hear what their budget is. Seems like a very big consideration is the school system and a good sized place, so some of this may depend on their housing budget (as always). I also take it they are not interested in buying, since they may only be over here for three years. But as you say, it's quite possible that price will not be a major obstacle considering their situation.

To the OP---there may be some expat sites out there re: relocating to NYC. When I was planning to visit Amsterdam (haven't gotten there yet) there was a site called Expatia that covered a number of major Euro cities and had subforums for virtually every expat group: Australians, Americans, etc etc. Very helpful info!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-14-2007, 05:05 PM
 
Location: New York City
564 posts, read 1,723,454 times
Reputation: 174
Well, if you do have a lot of money (as in $200,000+ a year) Manhattan probably still is an option. However, if you're in the range of a working/middle class type, Woodlawn probably still is good for you.

As Elvira mentioned, if you're White, you're already half way there. You're of Irish descent, so I'd say you're two thirds the way you there. You won't face any problems. Woodlawn is an Irish neighborhood, but that doesn't stop other White minorities from living there. There are a few Albanians, Italians, Germans, and with you guys, Australians. You're not going to change it, so I ask, why not move there?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-14-2007, 05:08 PM
 
Location: Bronx, NY
1,526 posts, read 5,590,461 times
Reputation: 300
Talk about succinct--Freak, you summed up the essence of it all quite adroitly, if I do say so myself.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
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.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:




Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > New York > New York City

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top