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Dear Fellow Members,
This is my first post. We are moving to NYC area from Boston. My spouse has a job in the Upper East side, and I have a job in CT.
Our main priority at the moment is to live in a commutable distance to my wifes job (preferably train), as I can work from home on most days. The second priority is the availability of good daycare's for our 3 year old son.
We are narrowing down on the Riverdale area based on lots of forums we read online. I wanted some feedback from members about their thoughts on living in the Riverdale area?. Also, I would very much appreciate if I could get some pointers on good apartments and daycare facilities. We are willing to pay a little extra for safer and commutable options.
You're far enough north to move to Westchester County. You wont have to pay NYC taxes and your wife could take Metro North into Grand Central and it would be an easier commute.
Westchester is the way to go...work in NYC but live elsewhere.
Riverdale is a very nice community but it is really far and hard to get to. To commute you have to take Metro North and it's a ripoff considering you live in the city and he subway is a fraction of that cost. But the subway takes forever and you have to get to a station, and the MNR station is by the river so that's hard to get to also! And do you really want to spend $400 a month on a parking garage in Manhattan and pay the $5+ toll each way on the hudson bridge plus deal with traffic?
Forget it man, like the other guy said check out Westchester first but I would do Western Queens if I were you
Riverdale, NY is the perfect community for those who want a short commute into Manhattan and want a mix of "urban" living in a suburban community, both of which Riverdale has unlike Westchester. It is a bedroom community with very easy commutes if you drive to Manhattan, New Jersey and Westchester. Metro North is also another option and I believe the commute is under 30 minutes to Midtown. There are also express buses which go to West Midtown, East Midtown and Downtown. Your wife would have a quick commute.
It is very family oriented here with lots of young families moving here from Manhattan (Upper East Side and Upper West Side especially) and even Westchester. We have a very diversified housing stock, from mansions, to English tudors, to co-ops and luxury condos. We have a town like atmosphere here where everyone looks out for everyone and it's very safe and pet friendly too, as many people have dogs.
It is certainly not out of the way, seeing that Westchester is to the north of it. It offers Manhattan style living with concierge service, doormen and other amenities such as dry cleaning on the premises and the like, all things you would generally find in Manhattan, but at the same much more green and open space, which you find in suburban settings. I would be glad to answer any questions you may have and we hope you and your wife decide to make Riverdale, NY your home!
Riverdale is one of my favorite areas of the city but I'm going to agree with others who say you should consider Lower Westchester (Phelam, Yonkers, etc..) instead since it might be more practical- Riverdale is basically Westchester in the Bronx and Westchester Co is only a stones throw away. The MNR stop in Spyten Duvil isn't that bad of a walk (considering you don't live in upper Riverdale) but like the other poster said the Riverdale Metro North train stop is right on the Hudson River and wouldn't be a fun walk during the winter if you live over near Broadway or Riverdale Avenue and don't have a car. There's always the subway stop at 242nd Street but it's the 1 train which I don't think you'd want to put up a commute to Midtown since it a local train.
You didn't mention the amount you're willing to spend on rent but if you have the money for owning a car and spending on a Metro North monthly pass, plus Metrocard monthly than it's a great part of NYC to live in for those who want to live in the suburbs but don't want to leave the city limits.
Forest Hills or Kew Gardens might be a better commute if you really don't want to leave the city and want a suburban neighborhood of the city. LIRR stop is located in downtown FH and is walkable from almost any part of the neighborhood and the E and F express trains are nearby. Take around 45 mins to commute into Midtown on a good day. There's also Ditmars Park in Brooklyn which is nice. In upper Manhattan Hudson Heights and parts of Inwood (west of Broadway) are also worth looking into.
Riverdale is one of my favorite areas of the city but I'm going to agree with others who say you should consider Lower Westchester (Phelam, Yonkers, etc..) instead since it might be more practical- Riverdale is basically Westchester in the Bronx and Westchester Co is only a stones throw away. The MNR stop in Spyten Duvil isn't that bad of a walk (considering you don't live in upper Riverdale) but like the other poster said the Riverdale Metro North train stop is right on the Hudson River and wouldn't be a fun walk during the winter if you live over near Broadway or Riverdale Avenue and don't have a car. There's always the subway stop at 242nd Street but it's the 1 train which I don't think you'd want to put up a commute to Midtown since it a local train.
You didn't mention the amount you're willing to spend on rent but if you have the money for owning a car and spending on a Metro North monthly pass, plus Metrocard monthly than it's a great part of NYC to live in for those who want to live in the suburbs but don't want to leave the city limits.
Forest Hills or Kew Gardens might be a better commute if you really don't want to leave the city and want a suburban neighborhood of the city. LIRR stop is located in downtown FH and is walkable from almost any part of the neighborhood and the E and F express trains are nearby. Take around 45 mins to commute into Midtown on a good day. There's also Ditmars Park in Brooklyn which is nice. In upper Manhattan Hudson Heights and parts of Inwood (west of Broadway) are also worth looking into.
How would Forest Hills or Kew Gardens be a better commute when his wife works on the Upper East Side? Riverdale offers the same thing that Forest Hills or Kew Gardens has in terms of suburban living in the city has with a much shorter commute. We have a more diversified housing stock here and certainly far more mansions for those that can afford them than Forest Hills.
There are numerous shuttle buses that are very convenient that can take them to the Metro North stations so they would not have to drive or walk. A friend of mine lives in Spuyten Duyvil and walks to the station, but the shuttle buses run throughout Riverdale. I don't see how anyone could say that Riverdale is far to get to from Manhattan when we are only separated from Manhattan by the Spuyten Duyvil Creek and have Metro North and express buses, all of which run pretty frequently from what I hear and driving to the city is only 15 - 20 minutes from Riverdale. Am I missing something here?
Forest Hills is very similar lifestyle-wise to Riverdale, but the commute to the upper east side is going to be such a drag because the Queens Blvd line is jam packed horrible / way way way over capacity. The LIRR from there is an option but it doesn't go into Grand Central yet.
Western Queens is definitely the way to go. Astoria or Sunnyside would be perfect
Forest Hills is very similar lifestyle-wise to Riverdale, but the commute to the upper east side is going to be such a drag because the Queens Blvd line is jam packed horrible / way way way over capacity. The LIRR from there is an option but it doesn't go into Grand Central yet.
Western Queens is definitely the way to go. Astoria or Sunnyside would be perfect
Astoria is not at all suburban and I don't see how Sunnyside would be any quicker than Riverdale to the Upper East Side?
Folks, Thank you for your quick response. Any thoughts on which place in Westchester area ? Your response is much appreciated...
Not to worry. You will see plenty of nannies here in Riverdale taking care of the children and we have daycare centers here as well.
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