Moving Back to NY Soon- Need Advice on Where to Relocate? Rent/Daycare?

Hi - I live in River Vale, New Jersey which is just across the River from New York City - have you considered living in New Jersey say in Tenafly, Oradell, Cresskill or Haworth.

We have friends that live on West End and 95th Street and it is a great area plus there is a school one-half block from their house - many stores, symphony space - a great area. They are close to a playground for children in the park which is wonderful. New York is expensive no matter what but this is a great area.

K. n

Riverdale in the bronx is a beautiful neighborhood. It's very quiet and safe. The only downside is that the rent is expensive. We pay $1100 for a one bedroom. I think it's worth paying that much to have the peace of mind.

Transportation nearby is the 10,7 and 9 bus and the 1 train. It's also close to manhattan.

Other than that... I'm not sure how the other boroughs are in terms of being safe and affordable. This is the only place in the bronx that I like.

Been living here all my life, but specifically riverdale, for 4 years.

My husband and I lived in Hoboken before we had our first child. It is a good deal cheaper than Manhattan, and super easy to get to Manhattan. Over the last few years, it has also become very child-friendly, as the population has evolved from singles into their 20's into families in their 30's with young children. Lots more playgrounds, kids activities, and 2-3 bedroom apartments / condos.

We moved because we wanted a home with a yard and a more suburban lifestyle for our children, and we chose to move to Bloomfield, NJ in Essex County. We LOVE it. Very very safe, and an incredible # and variety of activities and schools for the kids, and since we found a home only 5 blocks away from the NJ transit bus, my husband's commute to work is only about 45 minutes on average (he also works about 5 blocks from the Port Authority). The key to any short commute from outside the city is to be close to a train or NJ Transit bus line. Good luck!

Did you ever consider White Plains NY? My wife and I are moving there because it's only a 25 minute ride to Grand Central via Metro North and the school system is one of the best in Westchester. There's a reason trump and the Ritz Carlton opened there so you should consider it. It's still much cheaper than the city and indoor parking is reasonable if the place where you'd move to didn't have parking in the building.
Good luck!

P.
Owner of http://reelwebdesign.com A Search Marketing Firm in NYC

Hi B.,

I used to live in downtown Flushing but recently moved to Oakland Gardens, Queens (zip code: 11364)because the school zone has an overall A rating for both pre-school and junior/senior high schools (school zone district 26). It's generally pretty quiet in the neighborhood because it's mostly residential except for the main roads where you'll find banks, diners, service roads, walbaum's supermarkets, etc. It's about 30 car commute to Manhattan but if you want to take the train, it's a bit farther because you'll need to transfer from bus to downtown Flushing before boarding the #7 train to Grand Central, Manhattan. There a lot of rentals as well as self-occupied houses/apartments. I think a 2 bedroom will run about $1100 to $1300. Best of luck to you!

New Rochelle is about 30 min on the train (metro north) is a nice area and has a lot to offer.

Hi, There are neighborhoods you should be able to afford and feel good living in around NYC. I grew up in the Bronx and there are some safer places that are also affordable there. It is also an easy commute. I would start researching according to schools (even though your daughter is only 2) it should be a major consideration and a simple way to narrow down your search. Another area you might consider is Valhalla, NY. They have great schools and you could find a decent that you could afford. If you are able to swing a 3 bedroom place a childcare option you may be interested in is hosting an au pair. For $340 per week you can have an au pair live with your family and take care of your daughter including her laundry, picking up her toys, making meals and taking her to activities. This way if you or your husband are late getting home you don't have to worry about late fees. Also, full time childcare is super expensive here! I can help you find the perfect cultural care au pair for your family. Contact me anytime at ###-###-####. E.

Hi B.,

May I suggest Forest Hills, NY...which is in Queens. You are 30 - 45 mins from Manhattan. My husband and I work in the City and love coming home to our quiet and safe neighborhood. You have acces to the subway (E,F,V and R train), express buses QM12 and QM4 or if you drive you can take the LIE or Grand Central Pkway. When we leave our house at 7:30am, we can be in the city in 15 minutes, if we drive.

Check out: http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/realestate/neighborhood/...

Good Luck and welcome back to NY!
Patty

Look at Hillsdale and Westwood, NJ in Bergen County. They are both reasonably-priced, very suburban, within a half hour's drive from NYC and have great bus and train service to NYC, as well. They have safe streets to walk on, a sense of community, good supermarkets (ShopRite, A & P, King's and others), really great recreational sports programs run by the towns for kids from 4 through 13, excellent schools, a nice swimming pool (Hillsdale), and are close (a short drive) to all the major highways (Garden State Parkway, NJ Turnpike, NY Thruway, Route 287, Route 208, Route 4, Route 46 and Route 17). I am a former New Yorker myself and really like it here in Hillsdale, where I have been for 17 years. Call me if you want more information. I. Collins at ###-###-####.

I would also mention Rockland County, NY. It is 15 minutes north of the George Washington bridge. You really have to come and drive around the tri-state area and see what appeals to you. the Suburbs can be lonely for somebody that does not know anybody. The city might be better for you.

I Have an apartment for sale you can see it on realtor.com its very affordable at 149,000 with the maintenance at 780 with the star program which includes your heat, hot water, taxes, and maintenance fees. My apartment is in new rochelle in a great neighborhood where i have raised my three year old son. You can walk to the train which my husband does eveyday and its only 30 minutes to the city. you can also walk to all stores both schools elementry and middle school, as well as parks and places of worship church and synegogue and country clubs with beautiful water views. I know you would love this area. If you ever want to look email me at ____@____.com I'm currently in contract to buy a small home as we're expecting our second so we're taking a loss on the apartment. But one plus side is we are aloud to rent our co-op if need be.
Take care and good luck
From H.

B.,

I was very happy when I lived in Jackson Heights, Queens. When I worked in Manhattan I had a 30-40 minute commute and there are several subway lines in walking distance. Most apartments are rentals or co-ops and in my experience (I grew up there) the apartments have large spacious rooms and the rental prices are very reasonable. There are lots of young families, playgrounds and schools. Great shopping nearby, lots of different poeple, restaurants and grocery stores. Most buildings have parking garages, if you have a car. I always felt safe there and never had any problems.

I moved to Westwood, NJ when I was pregnant and I HATE it here! You might like it if you are not a city girl like me, but let me warn you that anything in Bergen County will be subject to something called Blue Laws. All retail stores are closed on Sundays. Its a creepy ghost-town like scene at the malls and down the main streets. Only grocery stores are open. I've never commuted from here, but I understand that the trains run to the city in the morning and back from the city in the afternoon. There is very limited weekend service. I've seen busses that go to the city, but I'm not sure if they run on reasonable schedules.

Welcome back to NY, there is something for everyone here, so I'm sure with some research you'll find a neighborhood that's the right fit.

R.

PS- You can research a lot of neighborhoods online, if you're interested in Jackson Heights, try Googling "Jackson Heights Historical District".

I second the reco for Essex County in NJ. My husband and I lived in Manhattan, then Brooklyn, then Queens...getting priced out of each one by one. When we had our daughter, we left the city and moved to Montclair, NJ and we LOVE it. There are also great areas in Bloomfield, Glen Ridge and Maplewood. My commute to the city is 40-45 peace-filled minutes. I'm not sure about rents in the area because we purchased our home. Good luck!

ROckland County- less expensive than WEstchester and less congested (people & traffic). MOre natural greenery too.
Only 15 minutes from the Geo. Wash. Bridge on the Palisades Parkway. NOrthern NJ also a good bet.