AngelaM

Hi All

My husbands company are transferring him on the L1A exec business visa from the UK to NYC. We have 3 children and I don't want to live in a city (we currently live in Cheshire in the countryside). I am trying to find a good commutable suburban area with good schools that won't be too much of a nightmare for hubby to get into the city center every day. I heard Staten Island may be a good choice? Any advice?

tom169

I'm not familiar with the area at all, so unfortunately can't help much. But the following questions might help someone give a better answer as with children the area you live in will affect where they go to school (if public).

Children's age? Eg. What school level.
Private or public school?

Best of luck with the process. It'll definitely be a change.

Pulaski

Where is "not a complete nightmare" for commuting depends where in Manhattan he will be working (I am assuming he will be working in Manhattan. ) Lower Manhattan has completely different commuting options from Midtown.

I would describe Staten Island as more "urban" than suburban.

I would start by researching schools that you might be comfortable with, as that is usually how Americans plan their move to a new city.

All that said, commuting into Manhattan is pretty much the definition of "nightmare".

nun

You should probably be looking at places like Westchester County.....google Staten Island and see if it meets your criteria......I think you'll find that it's the opposite of what you want.

Nutmegger

If he is working downtown, New Jersey will probably be the answer. If in midtown, you should consider Westchester County (NY state just north of the city) or Fairfield County (Connecticut, northeast of the city), where he would commute by Metro-North railroad. It might help to ask his future colleagues where they live.

jaffy23

I'm a lazy commuter and not hugely fond of the subway so I purposely live where I can take the train and then walk to work. Commuting from Westchester should see you getting into Grand Central in around 40 minutes, but then if you have to take a subway across town the subway can be subject to delays in the rush. Like Nutmegger says; find out where the office is and look at the routes in (Grand Central for Metro North, Penn for Long Island / New Jersey / Amtrak).

Staten Island is a barrier island with limited links into the City. It's not somewhere most people would choose to live.

kyle.mc

I know Bergen county in New Jersey and Rockland county in New York have some good public schools, but do consider the curriculum you will be putting your children in. If it's an option, definitely consider an international school in the city. It's probably not where you'd want your kids to go to school, but if you're fond of the education system at home, the American one may not be up to your standards.

AngelaM

Thanks for the advice. We are looking at NJ now.