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I am a 22 year old (soon to be 23) graduate student ready to complete my graduate studies in May. I want to work in a large urban area in an inner city environment and help some kids, hopefully. I would also like to coach basketball at the high school level. My two primary choices for job searches right now are New York City and Boston. Along with my job, I would ideally love to enjoy everything that a large urban environment has to offer. I grew up in Waterbury, CT so I am very familiar with both Boston and NYC and have been to both cities many many times. Which city has the better job market for teachers? What city would be easier for me to live in on a teacher's salary? Where could I get the most bang for my buck (as far as apartment, groceries and other amenities, and nightlife)? This may not necessarily mean Manhattan (although I would prefer it) or Boston city proper (although I would prefer it). I understand that both cities are very expensive and would really appreciate some feedback to help me along in my search. Thanks.
How do you know that NYC kids will have me for breakfast, lunch, and dinner? You don't even know me man. I'm just trying to find out what place would be easier for me to live, I'll worry about who I can and who I can't teach. Thank you for your input though.
Don't pay too much attention to SuperMario. His post are usually too negative. There are few teachers who post here, they might be able to help you, with salary and how they manage to live in the city.
These are my two cities and I know them both well. The Boston schools have a lot of problems, don't believe anyone who says the NYC kids will eat you alive and the Boston kids are easy. You would face challenges and an opportunity to make a difference in Boston.
I don't know anything about the job market but I'd go with Boston since it's much easier to live there on a lower salary. Prices are much lower, taxes are lower, and you can find a much nicer place for a lower rent. I know people who live in JP and Brighton with roommates and pay $600-700 each, which would be pretty much impossible in most comparable safe and fun parts of NYC. Since it's a smaller city, the commutes from an affordable and safe area are often much easier.
I have to disagree a bit. I don't know about teaching so can't comment on that, but Boston and NYC are my two cities as well. I really don't think that rents and cost of living is that significantly different when you are looking at outer lying areas of Boston vs. some decent neighborhoods in the outer boroughs of NYC.
It sounds true enough about a rent of $600-$700 for Brighton or Jamaica Plain in Boston, but you can find the same or almost the same prices on roommate deals in outer boroughs of NYC such as Astoria, Sunnyside, Woodside, Jackson Heights, Rego Park, Bay Ridge etc. And personally I would much rather live in Queens than JP or Brighton because I enjoy the big city atmosphere and always felt Boston was just too confining. Others may feel differently. Certainly JP is a lovely place to live and many people think it's great.
Boston is much much smaller than NYC but don't let that trick you into thinking that commuting via public transportation is neccesarily so much easier. Of course it depends on where your school is and where you can afford to live in each place so there are alot of factors. However, I have found travelling around NYC so much better than Boston in terms of public transportation. The trains just don't run as often in Boston; the subway stations are much further apart and often the commutes can be really weird on the subway. Try getting from Harvard Square to Brookline on the subway - it's a mess, having to go all the way into Boston on the red line to switch to the green line to go back out again (unless there is some secret I don't know about). I'm not a huge fan of the bus, but the bus is really the only direct route.
In terms of other costs - I guess you have to look at everything over all such as whether there is much difference in utilities, etc. And certainly have to look at car expenses. If you live in NYC, just don't have a car. For groceries, again in the outer boroughs of NYC esp. Queens there are many fantastic deals on food, both at markets and in small ethnic restaurants. In Boston, I found only one place where there were fantastic grocery deals (Market Basket in Somerville). Nothing can beat Market Basket. But unless you are living in Somerville or nearby, you are stuck with Star Market or Stop and Shop and the prices there are hardly any different from shopping at Whole Foods.
Anyway, that's my take. I think there have been a few other threads in the past year on here comparing Boston to NY so maybe try to do a search.
And personally I would much rather live in Queens than JP or Brighton because I enjoy the big city atmosphere and always felt Boston was just too confining. Others may feel differently. Certainly JP is a lovely place to live and many people think it's great.
I do feel differently...I am plotting my permanent escape back to Boston. I find NYC confining since I can't get out of Manhattan in under 2 hours on a bus on Friday night and even after an hour on the subway I'm still surrounded by relentless concrete. To me the thing is that the OP is 22 and to my mind Brighton and JP are a lot more fun at that age than Rego Park or Woodside. Brighton or JP have a lot more people that age and a lot more nightlife for recent grads than cheaper outlying parts of Queens. And in my experience you're more likely to get a lot more space, easier laundry access, and maybe a yard and driveway for the money in Boston.
I now live in Queens (not normal Queens, a new building on the river in LIC), and I pay 4 times per square foot what my friends pay in Brighton or on the Cambridge/Belmont line. Even in my crummy walkup near Atlantic/Pacific last year I paid almost 3 times per square foot.
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Originally Posted by Henna
Boston is much much smaller than NYC but don't let that trick you into thinking that commuting via public transportation is neccesarily so much easier. Of course it depends on where your school is and where you can afford to live in each place so there are alot of factors. However, I have found travelling around NYC so much better than Boston in terms of public transportation. The trains just don't run as often in Boston; the subway stations are much further apart and often the commutes can be really weird on the subway. Try getting from Harvard Square to Brookline on the subway - it's a mess, having to go all the way into Boston on the red line to switch to the green line to go back out again (unless there is some secret I don't know about). I'm not a huge fan of the bus, but the bus is really the only direct route.
I agree up to a point. It definitely depends on where the home is compared to where the school is. A friend who lives in Brighton Center and works near South Station takes an hour on the bus/T, but if I drive him it's 15 mins. on the Mass. Pike. I am not a bus fan either, since it's SLOW, and you do have to go downtown and back out to get to Brookline from Harvard. Thus if you take a job near Brookline, you don't live near Harvard. But you can get from JP downtown in 15-20 mins on the Orange line. From Bay Ridge you can't even get to Pacific St. in that time. I find getting around NYC maddening beyond belief since everything seems to take forever given the size. And don't get me started on comparing the user-friendliness of Penn Station and South Station, or getting to the airport.
To the OP: If you do look in the Boston area, in addition to Boston public schools, there are districts such as Cambridge, Somerville, Everett that also need some serious help, and there are decent places to live near those areas as well. There are also nice, safe, affordable pockets of Dorchester, contrary to what people might tell you offhand. But wherever you go, in NY or Boston, it's important to look for an affordable place to live with easy transit access to your school. It makes a big difference.
Thanks for the input, I appreciate it. I definitely know how hard it is to get around the Boston area via the T. They don't run enough trains so if you don't catch a train you're waiting for another 20 minutes, it's rough. Plus on any night the Red Sox or Celtics play, forget the Green Line out to Riverside because the cars will be packed like sardine cans. I'll definitely look into Brighton and JP though, as well as Queens (especially Astoria). Thanks.
I cannot comment on Boston, but right now the feelings towards teachers is turning very negative in NYC (at least in my opinion.) Bloomberg and the UFT are in constant odds, and they have made major changes to the way teachers are evaluated and rated in NYC, and many times it is not in the teacher's favor. That is the politics of it.
As for the kids and schools, do not listen to the haters. Like any school in a major urban area, their will be challenges but also rewards. Working with high school age children is difficult in that many are below grade level and yet you have to get them ready to take Regents exams. Services are cut, schools are underfunded and understaffed at times which makes your job tougher.
Living in NYC is expensive, especially in Manhattan and most jobs in NYC are in the outer boroughs in the tougher neighborhoods, so travel might be long.
Good luck in making your decision!
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I find NYC confining since I can't get out of Manhattan in under 2 hours on a bus on Friday night and even after an hour on the subway I'm still surrounded by relentless concrete. To me the thing is that the OP is 22 and to my mind Brighton and JP are a lot more fun at that age than Rego Park or Woodside. Brighton or JP have a lot more people that age and a lot more nightlife for recent grads than cheaper outlying parts of Queens. And in my experience you're more likely to get a lot more space, easier laundry access, and maybe a yard and driveway for the money in Boston.
