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jenmee,
I found that in such situations, its best to define first what you are looking for. Make a list of requirements and prioritize them. See what you cannot live without and what are the things you can be flexible about.
From personal experience do not say "I just want to have a great time", or "I'm looking for NYC experience". NYC has a thousand faces, some of them quite ugly. And assume nothing. The more you assume, the more you'll be disappointed.
After compiling your list, approach the forum with specific questions rather then general advice. Think about the happiness of all family members, including yourself and the kids, rather then limiting you thoughts to "my husband has been offered a job".
1) It's still not too late for private schools. Times are difficult and they are willing to accept new registrations even later then in previous years.
2) Liberal, yoga, alternative food, etc. etc. call for the Village, Tribeca or other Manhattan downtown sections. Caution: they are extremely expensive.
Good luck with your move.
You'd probably like Forest Hills. It's somewhat suburnanish, fairly liberal, easy to commute into the city by subway, convenient shopping, nice parks, diverse dining etc. If you want the real suburbs with quieter streets and more wide open space you'll have to venture out to Long Island, Connecticut (Greenwich), Westchester, and Jersey. Staten Island is somewhat suburban but probably not what you're looking for, same with many parts of Nassau County unless you can find someplace on the Northshore within your budget.
Staten Island is a bit of pain with regards to getting into Manhattan.
1) It's still not too late for private schools. Times are difficult and they are willing to accept new registrations even later then in previous years.
No - it IS too late. The ERB tests were already given. It's done and dusted for the next year.
Staten Island is pretty conservative so if you're looking for a more liberal area, I wouldn't recommend Staten Island at all. Some parts of NJ are also conservative too. With your budget, you could probably find a nice place in the city. If you prefer the suburbs, I would recommend Westchester County over Long Island any day. It's less crowded, I find the homes and towns to be more attractive, it's more liberal, and you have both water and mountain views. With your budget, you could probably find a great house in Westchester County.
OK, that's the West side. You're going to want to look in New Jersey and Long Island. Westchester and Connecticut are do-able, but mass transit train will leave him on the East side at Grand Central and it's another subway train to get cross-town.
Actually, if her husband is working at 13xx 6th Ave, then its almost the same to commute from NJ into Port Authority or commute from Westchester/other NY state points north/CT into Grand Central Terminal.
PA and GCT are both roughly the same distance to 6th & the low 50s (and eminently walkable on good days). Long Island to Penn Station would be the least convenient option and would be the most likely to require an extra trip via the subway
>1) What's the opinion on living in NYC vs. the suburbs/surrounding areas for folks with young kids?
There isn't life you used to withing the borders of NYC. There aren't any suburbs either as you might think of. You need to move significantly farther to get some of the nice living you take for granted in CA.
>2) What are the best areas to live in NYC? I've heard Park Slope is nice...anything else?
I've heard about many "best" areas to live from locals. They all turned out to be terrible after I checked them. Don't listen to locals, people who spent most of their lives in NYC will have very biased opinions.
>3) What are the best 'burbs to live in?
I spent driving several hundred miles in NYC, NJ, and other nearby areas looking for good places to live and couldn't find anything that would resemble life in CA. If you want my advice, take a look at Nassau County, I think it's the most comfortable place a Californian can find in this god-forsaken place that is still within driving distance to the city.
P.S. One more observation. There seems to be a negative correlation between availability of public transportation and a quality of living. The best places I've seen were those locations where you can't easily get by train or bus.
Last edited by cali4ever; 03-14-2010 at 07:26 PM..
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