alternageek

Thank god for the parkways!
Currently learning to drive in the UK and the roads on LI remind me a lot of British ones. Theyre not your typical massively wide US roads... Very windy and bendy to fit around what was already there.

Clahal

Thanks Sarah, useful to know where to avoid as well as the nice bits! I think we might struggle in Park Slope / Cobble Hill etc with our budget.
Where is worth looking at further south in Brooklyn? Thanks again 😀

retzie

Bay Ridge. It is catching up to Park Slope, though, both in amenities and rent (it will never be able to compete with Prospect Park). I wouldn't go East (eg. Borough Park).

hudson view

Hi Clahal

For New York property and transport try:

streeteasy.com
nybits.com
mta.info

For New Jersey:

njmls.com
njtransit.com

We moved to Ridgewood, NJ last year, a commuter town with great schools and lots going on because we wanted to be able to walk to dinner, shops, movies, library, town pool, etc. There's also a duck pond/bike trail about 7 miles long along a route that follows a river and is tree-lined. Have also heard that Ridgewood, NY (in Queens just north of Brooklyn is a nice place to live with lots going on but not yet been there.)

Ridgewood (NJ) is about a 45 min commute to Penn Station (train changes at Secaucus terminal) or Port Authority (by bus - Ridgewood bus terminal in town centre and lots of stops on surrounding neighbourhood roads) and and hour to Wall Street via Hoboken and PATH train to the World Trade Center Path Station.

Here's a rental (in a 2-family home) a stone's throw from Ridgewood, NJ town centre (with lots of shops / restaurants) Whole Foods and train station: MLS Number 1523093 - 2 bed,1 bath, Rentals-Residential Property for $2,100 - 16 Ethelbert Pl, Unit 1, Ridgewood, NJ - New Jersey Multiple Listing Service.

More Ridgewood, NJ rentals too in case you want to have a look: Real Estate Search Results for RIDGEWOOD, BERGEN County - New Jersey Multiple Listing Service

All the best with your move!

Clahal

Ok thanks..Is Prospect Park a really good area then?

sir_eccles

I liked it, you have the park itself, botanic gardens, art museum, library and a ton of great restaurants. Good farmers market. good subway lines into Manhattan. It used to be a very Caribbean neighborhood, a couple of restaurants evidence this serving goat curry and jerk chicken. Heavily gentrified now though, rents have sky rocketed and pushed a lot of the normal people out. Just like Park Slope.

Clahal

Interesting..thanks for the info! Sounds like a great place with lots going on 😀

sir_eccles

It's great when you're young.

retzie

Prospect Park, as in the actual park. It is relatively convenient from anywhere in Park Slope and is a great community outdoor area that could go some way to make up for lack of your own yard.

There is no neighbourhood call 'Prospect Park'. There is a Prospect Heights (nice, well-connected to the Financial District, pricey, not sure about schools), and a Prospect Park South (still very Caribbean, not particularly gentrified yet, I used to live there but wouldn't start here as an expat). Not sure if sir eccles is referring to (n)either of these?

sir_eccles

Duh, I meant prospect heights though technically Eastern parkway and Washington ave where the museum is located is really the border with crown heights. Keep going east down eastern parkway and it's black hat orthodox Jewish.

retzie

I thought that might've been where you meant. It's a great neighbourhood, but yes, it's getting very expensive. I was talking to someone the other day who owns a house there - it has quadrupled in value over the past 10 years

Clahal

Ok I'll look at Prospect Heights then..thanks 😃

sir_eccles

Yeah, my wife had been living in the same apartment building for ages (I want to say about a decade) before I turned up and was rent stabilized so it was affordable. We managed to move into a slightly larger apartment in the same building when I arrived and maintain stabilization. I think they cheered and doubled the rent when we left.

Clahal

Can I get some thoughts on this place please...hoping the link to Zillow works:

http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/2103599402_zpid

It seems like a good price and still only about 45 mins commute to the financial district.

The local school seems good but it says that 85% of the pupils are on reduced meal prices. I'm guessing this means it's quite a poor area?

Michael

My son lived in Prospect Heights for 5 years and two years ago moved to Minneapolis because of the rent. He had a very small 2 bedroom brownstone apartment on the forth floor walkup (about 650 sq ft) for about $2,700. If you don't mind a very small apartment, then Prospect Heights is nice. If I remember correctly, he was on Sterling Place.

If you want room, you'll have to move to the suburbs.

They could have moved to the suburbs but he and his wife like the charm of certain areas and in Minneapolis, they could buy a house around Lake Harriet which has plenty of charm with well kept older houses but he is still able bike to work in downtown Minneapolis.