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Project manager, consultant, seeking information on relocating from Seattle to New York City, seeking advice on finding place 30-45 minute commute by train or car
Hello all! I am new to this - so bare with me - I am trying to move to NYC in September/October - Consultant/Contractor by trade in Project Management.
While I would love to live in the city - I am not sure that would be my best bet - what are some of the outlying cities (NJ, CT, etc.) that are within a 30-45 minute commute by train or car - and are reasonable as far as renting goes. I also have a teenager - that will be entering high school in the fall.
I am living right now in Seattle, WA - and am looking online for every resource I can possibly find to help me in this endeavor.
if you are moving to nyc, one of your first concerns should be your son's high school. like many other things, high schools in nyc are different from many areas of the country. all areas have a high school that they are zoned for. other than that, you can submit an application to attend a different high school. some high schools have entrance qualifications/exams. you probably won't qualify for a specialized high school b/c you won't be a city resident soon enough. concerning the neighborhood zoned HS, don't assume that just b/c you live in a nice neighborhood that the HS is nice. it's not unusual to find a bad HS in a good neighborhood. you will definitely need to do your research on that front. there are also many private and parochial schools available, but they can get quite expensive. also, i'm biased in favor of the nyc public school system. i'm sure many will disagree, but i think the education provided there is better than in private school. westchester and LI also have very reputable school systems. i'm not as familiar with those as nyc, but i've heard mainly good things. i can't speak to NJ or CT public or private schools.
your next concern will be your housing budget. i don't know your finances, but b/c you're posting here instead of your personal assistant/butler, i'm guessing you don't have the $1 mil. cash that you would need to buy a place. there are many threads on here where people talk about good neighborhoods and bad neighborhoods that you can read. most people are pretty honest. in general, in manhattan the upper east, upper west, either midtown, and all lower manhattan (except the lower east side) are ok. stay away from harlem, washington heights, inwood, and morningside heights. most areas in queens are ok. i wouldn't recommend jamaica, sunnyside, or east elmhurst. and, although i like jackson heights, it might be a little too intense for someone moving to queens for the first time. in brooklyn, i'd recommend brooklyn heights, park slope, bensonhurst, marine park, bay ridge, and gravesend. i'd stay away from anything east of brooklyn heights. honestly, i don't know too much about the bronx or staten island. for a 2-bdrm., be prepared to pay at least $1500/month, probably more. like schools, housing in nyc is different from everywhere else, too. for starters, you will need to have your credit and finances organized and ready to present. most places are rented through brokers who charge between one month's rent and 15% of the annual rent for their 'services.' additionally, most landlords will require the first (and maybe last) month's rent, a security deposit that is usually equal to one month's rent, a credit check (that you pay for), a current bank statement, and a letter from your current employer that states your salary (which must be > than 45 times the rent).
another concern will be transportation. if you decide to live in nyc, i recommend ditching the car. we're about to pass (hopefully) a congestion tax, and all things considered, it's a liability. if you live in CT or NJ, you will probably want to keep the car, but if you drive into manhattan for work, be prepared to pay at least $12 (and probably more very soon) in tolls every day and wait in maddening stop-and-go traffic. many areas of CT or NJ have access to metro north (CT) or the NJT or PATH (NJ) trains. these take you to main transportation hubs in manhattan where you can catch the subway.
start this process early. as you can see, there is a lot of research you will need to do.
Anyone from the outer boroughs remember the 1970's-1990's? I spent my youth in Queens and Brooklyn working class neighborhoods. Not once in 20 years did I ever meet one American person that was not either born in NY or a foreigner. American people did not move to the outer boroughs during that era. It was considered some sort of warzone.
The first time I really left the city was when I was 16. I go for a walk around a suburban development out west. This white waspy power walking lady is coming right at us. Then she does the most shocking thing, the complete stranger says hello, good morning. I was completely shocked and my lips were stung and unable to respond. This was such a shocking incident that I had to made it priority #1 to come back home to the scowls and blank stares on the train that warm my heart like a fresh slice right out of the oven.
Are friendly kumbaya types really moving here? Are they going to be saying hello in the streets? First it was the those weird looking hipsters who got back at their rich parents by moving here, now the parents are coming too. Good luck if you come here, I hope you are not American white because your kid is screwed if that is the case. He is not going to fit with any of the racial groups from the city and is going to be ignored or beaten. You should look to the suburbs where the culture is homogenized and vapid like Seattle.
Anyone from the outer boroughs remember the 1970's-1990's? I spent my youth in Queens and Brooklyn working class neighborhoods. Not once in 20 years did I ever meet one American person that was not either born in NY or a foreigner. American people did not move to the outer boroughs during that era. It was considered some sort of warzone.
The first time I really left the city was when I was 16. I go for a walk around a suburban development out west. This white waspy power walking lady is coming right at us. Then she does the most shocking thing, the complete stranger says hello, good morning. I was completely shocked and my lips were stung and unable to respond. This was such a shocking incident that I had to made it priority #1 to come back home to the scowls and blank stares on the train that warm my heart like a fresh slice right out of the oven.
Are friendly kumbaya types really moving here? Are they going to be saying hello in the streets? First it was the those weird looking hipsters who got back at their rich parents by moving here, now the parents are coming too. Good luck if you come here, I hope you are not American white because your kid is screwed if that is the case. He is not going to fit with any of the racial groups from the city and is going to be ignored or beaten. You should look to the suburbs where the culture is homogenized and vapid like Seattle.
hahhaaa....i loved this post. i don't always agree with this guy, but he's spot on here. outsiders can say whatver they want but i like the 'mind your biz; handle your sh*t' that i grew up with, like samyn_on_the_green. maybe it's just how we grew up, but that whole 'community, friendly, hello-neighbor' thing smacks of one thing to me...straight-up phony, wankster. i hope the kumbaya types aren't moving here. you're right; we've got enough hipsters to deal with, as is. maybe we shouldn't be giving outsiders such good advice on here, after all. let them all move to the do-or-die and then run for the hills in 2 years. i guess i'm just giving this guy from seattle the benefit of the doubt. i was stationed at ft. lewis for a year, and i'm sure i did enough damage to his town. i probably owe him. i think white kids can still catch a break. it's going to be especially tough since he's already a teenager, though. neighborhood kids all grew up with each other, and they won't spread rumors and ostracize him from house parties when their parents go to bermuda if they don't like him...they'll throw him a beatdown. white kids can still breathe at ft. hamilton HS, midwood, cardozo, etc. but, nothin' doin' at boys and girls, former bushwick hs, LIC, and most others. that's why i stressed looking into it. anyways, i'm with you...i want my old joint back.
The free advice given on this board plus $2 will get you a ride on the bus. Bushwick is up and coming and great for families! The South Bronx is gentrifying! Maspeth is an upper class neighborhood! With all of these city data folks running around the city with fany packs and cameras strapped to their necks it must be a great time to be a stick up kid. There hasn't been herbs like this since the 1960's around here.
If the OP wants to figure this out she is going to have to learn for herself. But I think she learned a bit from our posts. She is going to focus on suburban places where she and her little boy can have an experience filled with safety and acceptance.
With all of these city data folks running around the city with fany packs and cameras strapped to their necks it must be a great time to be a stick up kid. There hasn't been herbs like this since the 1960's around here.
Those are some pretty harsh postings. I can't believe that in a city like New York, with people moving in and out all the time, and neighborhoods changing the way they do, that you would say that neighborhood kids have all grown up together. That's what I would picture in a small southern or midwestern town, not in NYC. I'm sure that there are generations of families that have stayed in one place for decades, but I'm sure there are new people moving in all the time. It sounds like you're saying that a white kid moving to anyplace in Queens or Brooklyn should expect to be beaten up every day. Can any other posters chime in on this?
Those are some pretty harsh postings. I can't believe that in a city like New York, with people moving in and out all the time, and neighborhoods changing the way they do, that you would say that neighborhood kids have all grown up together. That's what I would picture in a small southern or midwestern town, not in NYC. I'm sure that there are generations of families that have stayed in one place for decades, but I'm sure there are new people moving in all the time. It sounds like you're saying that a white kid moving to anyplace in Queens or Brooklyn should expect to be beaten up every day. Can any other posters chime in on this?
it's not that way in the City anymore. people move in and out of the island all the time. but, BK and QZ are still very neighborhood oriented. you do find more new people moving into borough neighborhoods now. but, like samyn said, 20-30 years ago that wasn't the case. it's a little different now and more than a little disconcerting for people who grew up BK kids 30 years ago. to a degree, you're right. an outsider's experience today will probably be much easier than an outsider's experience 20 years ago. but, as this happens, people who grew up in the neighborhood become increasingly resentful of the surge of outsiders. very difficult to understand if you're not from BK or QZ.
I understand what you're saying and I'm sure you're right about natives being resentful of newcomers....I think that's true everywhere.
My question to you if you can help...I'm a white American single mom moving to hopefully Queens or Brooklyn in the next few months. I lived in northern NJ for many years, currently in Virginia, but want to be somewhere in the NYC area where I can live without a car.
Can you recommend any neighborhoods that you think would be friendly to people like us...I don't want my kid to get beaten up every day.
A lot of that talk comes from a bunch of gutless xenophobes who fled to the burbs, where the only dangerous thing you might die of is boredom.
I went to college out on LI. Uniformly, the city kids were more interesting, drank less and had less drug use than the kids from the 'burboid wasteland.
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Absolutely astounding that you are moving here
