Moodyfamily

Hi there,
Our family of 4 (two kids age 1&3) is looking to move to the East Coast with husband's work by the end of 2023. He ideally needs to be commutable to NYC where the office is based but will be working from home a fair bit as well as travelling all over the country so an hour or so from airports and NYC would be ideal. We'd love to be within reach of nature (lakes/sea/mountains) and in communities that are supportive for children to grow up in. We love skiing so if that is close enough for a weekend trip then that is a big bonus. We are clueless on the variable costs of areas be it from bin collections to income tax so open to knowedge sharing on this! My husband's salary is good but until we settle and establish childcare we will be on that salary only so avoiding the ritziest places whilst ensuring we have good education and safe neighborhoods is the goal! Any insight or recommendations would be sooooo appreciated.

Many thanks in advance

tht

depends on what you consider commutable.

1h to airport will make it hard. If EWR its NJ, it could be more than 1h from Manhattan there unless taking the helicopter. If you can do domestic from LGA you have more options.

Where we moved in Fairfield CT fits most of your desires, we have beach, lake and 1h to closest ski for learning. But my door to door to an office close to Grand Central is 2h, between drive to train, park, train and walk to office.

Also living here is not cheap… so a good salary is very subjective, like $2-300k is not a lot after housing, cars (you likely will need 2),bills, food etc. and will go quickly now you add daycare and kids activities. I spend $500+ on a weekend on kids ski lessons for 2 for 2 half days after passes and tips.


For context, I moved here on an L1a, then did a GC via EB1c and added USC citizenship 3 years ago. But my wife is a USC (we married after I became a LPR) and we have 2 sons, 6 and 8. The biggest non financial consideration is support from family, we are lucky hers are only a 3h drive now.. many things things wide going back to work would not have been possible without their unpaid childcare / support. Something you won’t have if neither of you is from from here.

Moodyfamily

Thank you for that information de-uk.... We have no near by/able/willing family here sadly so that will be nothing new!

Rete

Look at both sides of the Hudson River corridor for homes and communities. On the Westchester side of the Hudson (east side), are many good communities that are safe and offer good schooling. Sleepy Hollow/Tarrytown is such a community. The school system is wonderful. I've a granddaughter being schooled in the Tarrytown School District. Crime rates are very low. In terms of real estate, like in all NYC suburbs you have high end, middle end and low end. There is much to do on this side of the river, i.e. parks, walking trails, fishing, lakes, pools, Music Hall theater, etc. Easy commute to Manhattan via Metro North Railway. Hudson line Approximately 40 minutes door to door.

Look at Irvington, Dobbs Ferry, Croton-On-Hudson, Cortland, Somers, Mahopac.

Skiing can be done in the Catskills (NY) or in the Berkshires in Massachusetts which is not far from any of those towns. I'm flummoxed that it cost $500 for two kids to learn to ski but whatever.

tht

Hudson valley is nice, but no ocean/beach there.. Westchester is also nice and closer to beaches, and much faster commute (property tax and rent will reflect that).

40 min door to door sounds like realtor speak… it could take me 5+ mins to get off the platform at GC during rush hours, and driving and parking and walking to the train take time. When I timed it was front door to sat a desk with coffee… even wait for elevator can be 5+ mins in a high rise office during rush hour…

like my realtor told me it’s a 1h drive to Manhattan, have I done it, yes, on a Sat AM to the Intrepid, have I had a 4+h drive home from LGA on a summer Friday at 3pm, yes.

welcome to 2023…


It’s $120 for 1 lesson (2.5h) for 1 child per day, so 2 kids 2 days is $480, plus 4* $20 tip is $80, we have seasons passes else add $60-$80 to add day passes for both…

just staying local (I have season pass to 2 “mountains” and the wife and kids to 1 only) we will spend about $5k this winter, we don’t pay accommodation as it’s near our lake house. Once they are good is enough to ski bigger hills in NH/VT etc I am guessing that will be close to $10k a season, or more if we take them out west or Canada.

The added benefit/saving with lessons is you don’t pay for a baby sitter so I can ski with Mrs tht… and down here sitters are up to $30 an hour if you can find one…

https://skibutternut.com/lessons-pac.../kid-s-program

Moodyfamily

Thank you both

robin1234

Hard to know where to start, so many variables. Would you consider just living in an apartment for a couple of years, bearing in mind the children are young, so you can better judge where in the greater metro area you want them to go to school? You could start with proximity to airports, and look at the profile of each airport in the area. Here’s the airport in White Plains, for instance. https://airport.westchestergov.com

Obviously, as Rete says, great MetroNorth service into NYC from that general area, assuming he needs to go in to the City several times a month.

Moodyfamily

Hi Robin, I'd say a small garden is essential to us with toddler age kids but good points regarding location choice. I'd say you are right, airports and access to commuter routes by air and train are key but we don't have any more knowledge than Google maps when it comes to those so local knowledge that can be shared is so so appreciated!

robin1234

Absolutely. I was thinking of those rural/suburban rental developments, two or three bed apartments, where there are extensive landscaped grounds including (dog free) playgrounds, a great place to meet other moms and toddlers. You’ll find a lot of rental developments like that in Westchester, New Jersey, CT etc. Probably Queens and Long Island too, but I don’t really know LI.

My thought is, (1) That may keep you comfortably under budget, and (2) Able to research other towns based on school suitably etc.

Moodyfamily

Hi Robin, that is so so useful thanks, that kind of accommodation sounds perfect and then no maintenance stress, win-win! We'd come across things like that on realtor sites but that gives us alot more focus, thanks

Rete

In the matter of airports, Westchester County's Airport is small and is for domestic flights. Major airports for the NYC area are: JFK, LaGuardia, (both in NY/Long Island), Bradley Int'l Airport in Hartford, Connecticut, Newark Airport in Newark, New Jersey.

In regards to water activities, i.e. ocean, Connecticut, lower New York, and New Jersey offer lakes, Long Island Sound, and the Atlantic Ocean within a reasonable driving distance (off season). Of course, with summer months, driving to the New Jersey shore takes longer due to congestion and a trip from Westchester going over the George Washington Bridge could take you up to 2 to 2-1/2 hours to get some shore points and getting to Jones Beach on Long Island would be about that. Lakes are plentiful and easier and less time to get to. Some complexes where you might rent have pools available for tenants.

My apologies for the door to door comment regarding commuting to Grand Central Terminal in Mid-town Manhattan. I was referring to the moment the door closed on the train to the time I got to the office building. I would get the 7:25 train and be logged in at my desk by 8:10. For myself getting through GCT was easy as I used the tunnel system from the lower level and the office was at 51st and Park Avenues. It was a bit longer when I had to leave GCT at the 42nd street exit and walk to the Empire State Building at 34th and Fifth Avenues. Time for commute will depend, of course, on where you live, if you are fortunate to get an express train or have to use a local, and where Manhattan office is located.

You have many variables as to locations to research. Wishing you good fortune in finding the perfect place for your family.

porkedpie

I have no idea the means of the poster, but I would advise a quick browse on Zillow to get a feel for housing costs. A $2m house is on the lower end in these areas.

I also presume you are referencing Cortlandt Manor, rather than Cortland?

Rete

A lot depends on the city chosen and the size of the house. I have never called Cortlandt, Cortlandt Manor. Neither do we call Briarcliff, Briarcliff Manor. I lived in lower Westchester for 68 years.

Here's one in Ardsley, NY. Well under $M with 4 bedrooms and 2 baths

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1...33017795_zpid/

Pulaski

We had similar requirements when we moved to New York in 2001, and after about six months in a rented apartment just north of White Plains, we concluded that there was no area that met our requirements, notably balancing "cost" with everything else had no acceptable compromises, and with "property taxes" being the log that broke the camel's back. I quit my job and we left New York.

Pulaski

AFAICT there is no "Briarcliff, NY", however "Cortland" and "Cortlandt Manor" are separate, but adjacent, places.