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My husband and I will be relocating to the East Coast in Jan '08 from Brisbane, Australia due to a promotion within the company he works for, work to be based in Mahwah, NJ.
We are interested in finding an area to live which is within about 30 minutes drive/commute to Mahwah, but also less than an hour away from NYC, as neither of us have been to the East Coast before and will be keen to explore the attractions when we can.
The contract is initially for a 2 year period possibly extending to 4 yrs, so we will be looking to rent, either apartment or townhouse style, with a balcony (so used to having one down here, I couldnt live without now!).
No kids, so schools arent an issue, and somewhere a little up-market with decent restaurants/theatres etc nearby would be great.
The price range we are able to look into would be anywhere in the $2500-3500 per month range, inclusive of (at least some) amenities if possible.
We are both in the mid-30's age bracket, and pretty laid back, we like to eat out, see movies, and have a few drinks and a boogie at a club occasionally, so that's basically the rundown on the type of area I'm after.
After hours of surfing through countless sites on options in NJ and NY, I'm really starting to think White Plains looks like an ideal option, is the rental market still looking pretty good for what we're after?
The other thing I haven't been able to get a clear idea on is the acceptance of pets in rental properties (apts/condos) in the area, my cat is making the big move with us, are cats generally accepted in the properties which fit our criteria?
Alternatively, could anyone offer some recommendations of where we should be looking to settle in for a few years?
If he's working in NJ you do NOT want to live in White Plains. Horrible commute!
The commute from White Plains to New Jersey is NOT horrible. This is considered a reverse commute and my wife does it. The horrible traffic is in the other directions.
White Plains meets most of your criteria. However, the trip from White Plains to Mahwah is a little far. I would guess it is more like 45 minutes, but I'm not 100% positive.
Nyack, which is on the same side of the Hudson River as Mahwah, also meets your criteria. It is an older town with tons of restaurants and a real night life. However, the rental housing choices may be limited.
Thank you all so much, Google maps has stooged me with the drive time apparently, it showed 35 mins from White plains to Mahwah, so this info is greatly appreciated.
The nightlife side of it is really not a big deal. Truth be told its been months since we set foot in a club anyway, I guess we're getting old and boring!
Dinner at a nice restaurant with a good bottle of wine always seems to win out when we have a free night anyway.
Thank you all so much, Google maps has stooged me with the drive time apparently, it showed 35 mins from White plains to Mahwah, so this info is greatly appreciated.
The nightlife side of it is really not a big deal. Truth be told its been months since we set foot in a club anyway, I guess we're getting old and boring!
Dinner at a nice restaurant with a good bottle of wine always seems to win out when we have a free night anyway.
You really should check out Nyack. Walk around downtown on a nice day or a Friday or Saturday night and you will very impressed with the variety of stores and restaurants. However, I can't think of any luxury rental buildings that would appeal to you. But given the very slow real estate market, you could probably get a nice condo sublet. There is one nice complex on the Hudson River (can't think of its name) where you can walk to the shops and have ample on-site parking.
A smaller and very charming version of Nyack is Piermont, which is located just south of Nyack.
Bottom line - you should try to find a place west of the Hudson River.
As a former White Plains, NY resident I would tell you is the perfect choice. White Plains has everything to offer to a young couple: movies, bars, gyms, pools, etc. And as a bonus, is only a 35 minutes ride to NYC!!!
So that you know, White Plains is also a very diverse town. There are tons of people from all over the world. Many people from South America, Europe and Asia just to give you an example.
One set back would be to cross the bridge to go to NJ. The Tappan Zee can be a nighmare. But that is an small price to pay to live in a diverse full service city that is a beautiful and well maintained as White Plains is!
Rent in your range won't be a problem! Lots of choices.
I live in White Plains, and used to commute to Mahwah. What everyone is telling you is correct. It does take 45 min, but you need to take into consideration, bad weather, traffic, congestion.etc which would turn his trip into a 90 min cummute. I love White Plains, but I would seriously consider Nyack or Piermont. Good luck.
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