Anyone live in NYC area?

isabella22

Hi Ladies,

Wow!  It has been about a million years since I was on last!  Hope everyone is well, I skimmed through and see some names I recognize.

I am hoping to get some advice from some locals NYC ladies!

I am considering accepting a position in NYC and have no where to start as far as a good place to live!  I would be working around 1st ave and 71st.  I have 2 kids, 1 in KDG and a 2 yo.  I would like a house with a small yard that is a 1 hr commute at most.  Schools are of course very important! Our housing budget is ~750k.

Any advice?

Thanks so much!

lwsnake

My DH work at the american museum of natural history and we live near wayne nj.  Nice suburban area, good schools though some are better than others, some really nice houses for 750, and the commute from wayne transit center only takes him about an hour or so by bus and subway.   Not sure how it would work out getting to the east side of central park but we really like it.  Driving in would be a giant PITA so its nice to have the express bus right here.You could also look south at montclair or north at bergen county, but further east along route 80 and 3 it gets pretty urban.

 

good luck!

surprise3rd

How about Little Silver area in NJ and take the Ferry over?

juniper19

If your office is on the Upper East Side I would look in Westchester County.  The Metro North commuter train drops you off at 125th St on the east side, and then it is a quick subway ride to 68th st.

I'm a little out of the loop on real estate prices, but nice towns with good schools that might be in your budget are Ardsley, Edgemont, Dobbs Ferry, Larchmont, Mamaroneck and Pelham.  The really fancy towns are Scarsdale, Rye, and Bronxville.  They have some of the best schools in the country.  If you are willing to stretch your budget a bit and get a house that needs some work, you might be able to find something in one of those towns in your price range.

You can also find some really great spaces in Northern Westchester, but that would put your commute outside of an hour.

ETA: If you're willing to put up with a crappy commute for a few years, Long Island is also an option.  Right now the Long Island RR commuter train only stops on the west side of Manhattan, but the MTA is actively working on adding an LIRR stop in Grand Central on the east side.

You also might want to think about Queens or Brooklyn.  There are neighborhoods with good schools that aren't too urban where you can have a car and a yard.

A-baybride

surprise3rd:

How about Little Silver area in NJ and take the Ferry over?

My DH takes that ferry - her commute up there would be wayyy over an hour when you factor in driving to ferry terminal, boat ride, then transportation from 35th uptown. And the ferry schedule is pretty limited.  I hate it when I can't find an empty cab and miss it and have to wait over an hour for the next one.  There's no terminal at the 35th st drop, so you're outside in the elements.

I agree that Westchester is your best bet. 

Zenya

I would also recommend Westchester.  I detest long island, personally.  Queens/Brooklyn also fabulous but I'm not sure what you'd get for 750, house wise.

p1nklemonade

i would also say westchester cty.

jpsen

I live on Long Island and the commute in to the city is fine if you work in midtown, but it gets much longer if you work uptown.  From where your office would be, Westchester is def. your best bet.