Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Hello and thank you in advance for any help you can provide! I recently got a new job in the Financial District and will be looking to relocate in the next few weeks with my family. We are looking for a family friendly area with low crime rates and good schools. Our daughter is only two now so good daycares nearby would be a plus but definitely good schools is a must. I know under an,hr commute is almost impossible with the trains and delays but somewhere that would be an hr max commute. What areas should I look into? Can anyone recommend some,areas that meet these requirements or am I dreaming here? Also, we will be renting for about a year or so to determine whether or not we truly love the area so that may be a factor. Thanks for your help!
I know under an,hr commute is almost impossible with the trains and delays but somewhere that would be an hr max commute.
New Jersey? Staten Island? Maybe Brooklyn or Long Island? Definitely not Westchester if your max commute is 1 hour to the financial district via train/subway.
If you insist on suburbs, and want to get to the financial district in under one hour, your best option is NJ. You could do Westchester or Long Island, but you would have to be right close to the city proper, and take a fast train. Even then it would be a tough commute in an hour.
I would look very closely at Brooklyn. There are some semi-suburban neighborhoods that may suit your needs. You can live somewhere like Bay Ridge, have low crime and good schools, and the prices are comparable to any random above-average suburb. And Staten Island is generally safe with good schools, and cheaper than Brooklyn (though much less convenient and not comparable overall to Brooklyn in desirability).
Brooklyn and NJ (and Staten Island) are probably the best options because you won't have to do a transfer. From anywhere else, a transfer is likely.
Thank you. I am pretty familiar with LI because I went to school there but I feel like the LIRR can be such a headache depending of course but for the most part. As far as Brooklyn goes, I am,considering Park Slope and a few other places but my husband is from upstate and is really hesitant about living in any of the boroughs but I agree it is a good option. As for Jersey I am totally unfamiliar with places in Jersey as far as living goes. I frequently take the train from Secaucus and Hoboken though so I am familiar with those specific areas but the schools are rated absolutely horrible in those areas. Would Tarrytown, Westchester, New Rochelle, or White Plains be options to consider or should I not bother? I've heard great things about the schools in those areas. Thanks again for your help!
Even from White Plains, which has express trains, you are still looking at over an hour commute. Sure the trains might be 30 minutes, but you will need to factor in at least 15 minutes to drive and park at the station (maybe more, depending on where you live and what lot you park in, some of those lots are far), then you have to transfer to the subway in GCT and then it's another 15-30 minutes depending on your stop and the type of service MTA is providing that day...
The problem from Westchester is that you're going to Grand Central, so even if you can find a short train ride (from somewhere in lower Westchester, like Pelham), you will have to transfer to the subway to Lower Manhattan.
Northern NJ is a huge area, and there are tons of good school districts. Places like Ridgefield, Westfield, Montclair, Short Hlls, Maplewood, Millburn, Summit, are all affluent close-in suburbs with good public schools, and reasonable commutes to Manhattan. I would consider these areas, if your spouse insists upon suburbia.
But the issue with NJ is that you will have to transfer to PATH at Hoboken or Newark. So the time savings may be slight (though you get much more for your money in Northern NJ compared to Westchester).
I would have your husband at least look at Brooklyn neighborhoods. Just so he sees the options. It isn't 1980 anymore, these days Brooklyn is more desirable to young, affluent, educated people than somewhere like Westchester. If hubby still doesn't like the options, then fine, you can try and find the best commute from the burbs.
I spent a year of high school in North Jersey (Florham Park/East Hanover) and I was not a fan of the area or the people.. a very entitled group of people. I moved quickly to Albany and have been here the last 11 years. My husband and I are also looking into moving to New York with our two sons (3 and 5) and our main criteria is the same as yours (safety and schools).
Our front runners are Bay Ridge, Brooklyn (you get the most for your money it seems and has lots of green space), Forest Hills in Queens and Park Slope. We like Park Slope for the proximity to downtown but if you want more suburb vs. urban feel go with Bay Ridge. We have been researching for about a month and will probably move in June when our son is done Kindergarten.
Thank you. I am pretty familiar with LI because I went to school there but I feel like the LIRR can be such a headache depending of course but for the most part. As far as Brooklyn goes, I am,considering Park Slope and a few other places but my husband is from upstate and is really hesitant about living in any of the boroughs but I agree it is a good option. As for Jersey I am totally unfamiliar with places in Jersey as far as living goes. I frequently take the train from Secaucus and Hoboken though so I am familiar with those specific areas but the schools are rated absolutely horrible in those areas. Would Tarrytown, Westchester, New Rochelle, or White Plains be options to consider or should I not bother? I've heard great things about the schools in those areas. Thanks again for your help!
I work downtown in the financial district, you can not get there reliably in an hour from anywhere in westchester. Even on the express from white plains or Tarrytown with no stops (and these schools are not much better than the NJ schools you cited) its 30 minutes on the good days to Grand Central, but I find most days its 3-5 minutes longer than they advertise, expecially from about October through May. Add in time to get to the train station, its probably 35-40 minutes just to get to Grand Central from even the fastest points in Westchester. then its run through grand central, which is a pretty crowded place in the morning rush, to get to the 4 train, or worse cross town and tranfer south on the 2-3.
On the 4 or 5, its 25 minutes to Wall Street most days. But at least 30% of the time, its more. Add in walking to work, and its probably really 75 minutes on most days. Which is not terrible, but some would not do it. I would look at Staten Island, and send the kids to private school
Budget is always a factor, but if you're going to be renting I think an apartment within walking distance of the train station in White Plains is going to be among the quickest and most convenient commuting options in Westchester. I've only done this commute a handful of times but I feel like 75 minutes door-to-door isn't out of the question (as mentioned by dr. stangelove).
On the 4 or 5, its 25 minutes to Wall Street most days.
It's been brutal this week because it's fare hike hearing season.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
