range of the rovers

We're moving to new york Q1 2010 and starting to investigate the options for places to live.

we'd welcome suggestions for a family orientated location within a 45 min commute of mid-town (penn or GCS). Seeking small-town community with good child (pre-school) facilities.

Budget around the $2.5-3k per month mark for 3-4 bed house.

Rete

New York is one hell of a large state. It would have been easier to note first hand that you were moving to work in the City of New York as opposed to just New York. As for Q1 is it safe to assume you are an accountant and are referring to the beginning of the year, 2010?

Please do a search of this forum, the search function is on the yellow bar at the top of the page, and you will find tons of info on living accommodations in the tri-state area of New York City and its boroughs.

Also go to citydata.com and look around there for info.

IPM

I am doing the same and am focused on Park Slope, Brooklyn. It's a great area for young professional families and close to Prospect Park which is fantastic. Note, however, that you might want to increase your budget a bit for somewhere nice. Alternatively, upstate neighnourhoods like White Plains, Westchester and Scarsdale would fit your commute criteria. You would get more open space here, but you would be more car-reliant.

Bob

Search the forums, plenty of threads to get you started, especially posts by Englishmum

Rete

White Plains, Scarsdale ... right plan on spending 3 to 4K a month to rent a place. I'm envious ... I live in Westchester and couldn't afford that in a million years even with my college degree

moving2nyc

Hi We are in the process of doing the same thing. Relocating in 2010 to NY from the UK. Yesterday we looked at Milburn NJ. The schools are outstanding there and the area is very leafy and superb. It is similar to the countryside of Sussex back in the UK. The commute is really simple 30 mins train into Penn Station. The cost of a ticket is ridiculously cheap in comparison to the UK. We paid 12 dollars return!

Good luck I know there is a lot to look at and you really need to identify some areas and then get out there yourself. We also had an Agent take us to look at some properties too which gave us a great look around the area.

There are houses within the budget you suggest.

MattHague

On that sort of budget you will be hard pressed to find anything decent sized in Brooklyn (in terms of a family home) - Park slope is excellent but be wary of areas that seem close on a map but are a lot cheaper - Brooklyn still has a number of shady areas that often delineate street to street.

I would recommend NJ, Long Island or Westchester; they all have quick reliable transportation into Penn Station and have that leafy, suburb type feeling.

I believe that NJ also has lower taxes than NYC; which can make a fair difference in your decision.

If you find areas that look good check out http://www.mta.info/mta/schedules.htm

Metro North is the line going from Penn Upstate to places like Westchester/Pelham etc

LIRR is the Long Island Railroad.

You can us this site to check commute times to see if they seem reasonable.

Good Luck.

Matt

chrisfromusa

When was Park Slope any good? My cousins live on President St. and it's somewhat ghetto there.....

Jerseygirl

We paid over $2K per month 13 yrs ago for an unfurnished duplex in NJ...about 25 miles from Manhattan.

You must be referring to income tax because NJ's property taxes are the highest in the US. If you are working in NYC you still pay NYC city income tax if you live in NJ.

Englishmum

However, rental prices have definitely come down because of the recession - many people can't sell and are renting their houses out instead, which is leading to oversupply and a drop in rental prices.

My friend is in Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ (near Ridgewood) in a 'Blue-Ribbon' school district and renting a 3 bedroomed Cape house on a train line in the commuter belt to NYC....the initial asking price was $2400 per month but the basement was a bit damp...offered the landlady $2100 per month and it was accepted.

I was considering renting out our house, but it would seem that in the state of the current market and discussing it with a realtor, the predicted rental income would probably not cover the mortgage and housing tax, maintenance, insurance etc.

Rete

Correction Metro North is the line that comes and goes from Grand Central Station (42nd St and Vanderbilt Avenue).

There is the Hudson line that goes along the Hudson River through Western cities in Westchester County. There is the Harlem line that goes through the middle of the Bronx and through Central Westchester. There is the Connecticut line which goes through the Bronx and splits at Woodlawn from the Harlem line tracks and continues north along the Eastern cities of Westchester County into Connecticut.

None of these trains go through Pelham. You need to either drive to a Westchester County city to get Metro-North and/or take a subway to Manhattan.

This is the railroad from begins and ends at Penn Station (34th and 7/8 avenues).

Penn Station is also the station where the NJ railroad line ends in Manhattan.