Moving to NYC with school age children - where to live? Post Reply

[LStephens]

Hi,
We are looking to move to New York in Christmas for my husband's job. I have two girls, 7 and 4 (she is due to start school in September). I feel pretty overwhelmed about where to start looking to live (having realised my dream of living in Park Slope multi-storey brownstone might not happen having seen the price of rentals). I am looking for a community feel, places where I can walk to and, most importantly, how to begin getting my children into local (state) schools. If anyone is from there or has moved there I would be so grateful,
With Many Thanks
Laura

[Jen66]

I used to live and work in NY.

The American friends I still have out there have nearly all moved to Queens having been priced out of Brooklyn.

Areas like Forest Hills, Corona and Ridgeway are worth a look.

[rachelko24]

I'm not sure of the steps for getting into schools as we moved when our son was 1, but I did love living in the South Slope area of Brooklyn, which made my husband's commute to the financial district very convenient. Lot's of families had started moving in and shops/restaurants were just beginning to grow around us as we left. We lived on 20th street between 5th and 6th avenue in Brooklyn. It used to be called South Slope but someone just told me it is now called Greenwood Heights?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenwood_ ... ,_Brooklyn

I lived by myself in Astoria and absolutely loved that part of Queens. Great views of the city, convenient shops, the best Greek food in the tri-county area, easy commute as well. I didn't see as many families around there as in Brooklyn, though. Mostly singles.

I'm not sure which part of Manhattan your husband will be working in, if you're not too far downtown, have you considered one of the commuter cities? We lived in Stamford, CT right before moving to London. A 45 minute train to Grand Central Station, MUCH more space for your money, easier with a car, and fantastic schools, great shopping centers, access to northeast trips are easier (Cape Cod, Vermont, etc), and most of all, better taxes! The other bonus is there is a fantastic mums network throughout Fairfield County.

For school reviews, here's a great site:
http://www.greatschools.org/connecticut ... st=charter

I did live in Manhattan for 4 years...but no clue on the current market. I remember always seeing families living in neighborhoods like Murray Hill, Upper East and West side, Tribeca/Chelsea, West Village, all depending on your budget I suppose

PM if you'd like any more info on Stamford/CT areas. Good luck!

[AmeriMummy]

You are in luck!!! Park Slope is indeed amazing. We moved there from Dulwich (before we moved again ... and again). South Slope is fine, but definitely not gentrified yet. Faced with the same dilemma we moved out of the city -- in fact, of my original moms' group of 11 in Park Slope, only 4 are still there.

What commute will your husband do? If he comes into Times Square, look at Maplewood in NJ. If he comes into Grand Central (as my hubs does), look at Westchester / Fairfield County. We live in Fairfield -- 76 minute direct train, but he always gets a seat & the public schools are amazing. Smaller & more New England-y than Stamford, and you could feasibly walk to train.

We're moving back (we were here for a shorter term assignment) to Fairfield in August. Any tips, just ask. Do you have realtors / a relo consultant?

[auntiefrills]

Hiya, we are in exactly the same situation! Looking at moving at the end of the year with a 3 and 5 year old. We're going to do a recce and meet the relocation people from my husband's company in a couple of weeks! Scary but v exciting!

I've spoken to quite a few people who've done the move plus read up quite a bit and we're now focussing on Ridgewood and Summit in New Jersey. The schools are apparently amazing and they are very family orientated towns with close communities and a village style feel about them (with a downtown highstreet of shops, restaurants etc). Plus both under an hours commute into town.

I'd love to hear more about your findings etc, its all a bit daunting so would be lovely to talk to someone else doing it and all the things a big move entails! Please do email me on phillythirlwall@hotmail.co.uk if you'd like to chat more. Will keep an eye on this post for more advice and info! Thanks everyone. X

[AmeriMummy]

Just a few general tips!

(1) Good Schools guide is a great starter website to find out more about schools. The good news is that a lot of the Tri-State public schools are fantastic. As such, the locals would probably tell you that even a score as low as an "8" would be somewhere they'd be less likely to choose to send their kids. FYI, schools are generally out in the US now, so you probably won't get to see your children's school "in action" until the new school year now.

(2) Outside of NYC, all realtors use a multiple listing service, which you can find online at Realtor.com. Of course, for the most up to date listings, you'll want an agent, but you can get a good idea of what's on the market & what the price ranges are there. Additionally, if you look on an individual property's website & scroll down, it'll tell you for which schools the property is zoned, and their good schools guide. This is useful because your realtor in the US is going to be limited on exactly what they can tell you -- they're legally prohibited from steering you towards one property or another. Also, in the US realtors make 6% of the sale, but they will work harder for it. Rental will of course be different.

(3) Don't mess around on getting your drivers' license. Outside of the city, you'll need one. I don't think it's as big a thing as it is over here, but you will likely have to do a "course" (probably something like 6-10 hours over one weekend, but really dull; you'll be in there with a bunch of 16 year olds) and then take a written test (very easy) and a driving test.

(4) Taxes in New Jersey are ridiculous. Taxes throughout the tri-state are just straight up not cheap though. You get good public amenities though.

(5) The Patch websites are a good resource for finding out more about individual towns. The NYTime's commuter towns feature is called "If you're thinking of living in." If you to go the NY Times website you can read up on individual towns there, as well.

[ChicagotoClapham]

Westchester, New York
Glen Ridge, New Jersey
Stamford Connecticut

Are all great, depending on where you commute in to. That seems to be the key component in deciding where. The three listed above all give a more suburban feel. They all allow access to great public(state) schools. In all honesty, some of these public school are equivalent if not superior to private schools here.

If you want to keep your children in the private(independent) school system, or you are looking for a more urban feel, then stay closer to the city! If you have the cash, the upper east side is great. Park Slope or Brooklyn Heights are gorgeous and probably where I would live. The public schools in NYC can be tricky to navigate, much like it is here! But if you work at it, you can find some pretty amazing things.

Sounds like a fantastic opportunity!

[ChicagotoClapham]

Whoops! Missed what you said about Park Slope initially.

[AmeriMummy]

Oh, and final note -- Sterling International has moved me across the oceans 7 times now (in 10 years). I LOVE them. They're the best part of the whole process. My 2nd to last move back to NYC I was pregnant & they even hung up my clothes in my closet. Highly, highly recommended if you're looking for someone.

[AmeriMummy]

Totally hijacking this thread. I'm sorry -- I'll stop. I just want to say that on reflection my original review of South Slope is probably incorrect & dated. I had a friend buy & renovate there recently (her interiors are amazing), and it is indeed getting more amenities, restaurants, etc., every day. It's not Park Slope exactly, but you are close. The problem is public schools -- I don't think they're really an option (although for my friend it wasn't an issue as faith-based schools are important to her). If you're keen on staying in the city but can't swing Park Slope prices (or aren't keen on living in a 900 sf 2 bedroom with 2 kids), it may well be an option.

[Mina&Dorian]

If you can't do Park Slope the burbs are the only solution. North Jersey is full of New Yorkers and in my view preferable to Connecticut. Maplewood (1/2 hr from the city by NJ Transit) is a really warm, fun town (lots of concerts in the summer) with lots of artists and a ton of stuff for kids. Schools are good but quickly oversubscribed. Taxes can be high. Millburn and Chatam are also close with good communities and exceptional schools. Taxes in Millburn are not as high but the town is not as close as Maplewood. Good luck on your new adventure! GL

[LindaS]

Park Slope rules!

I lived there for 15 years and I miss it every day. The neighborhood is fantastic but it really comes down to schools for most parents, the good public schools are so few and far between and the private schools are so expensive. The suburbs have wonderful schools but it's a very different life out in the 'burbs.

My husband and I moved out to Rye (in Westchester county) when my son was ready for kindergarten. The schools are great there and there is a huge ex-pat community, both of Brits and others, which made it feel much more interesting than other suburban communities. The commute to lower Manhattan is pretty tough since you have to take the commuter train into Grand Central and then the subway to lower Manhattan.

I'd be happy to chat offline if you have questions.

[nycmommy]

I lived in Manhattan, but as a single so I wouldn't be able to help out much with the whole family thing. Most of my friends with kids have moved out of the city. Mostly Jersey and a few Brooklyn.

I lived in Midtown as a child, but that was *cough* a few years ago, so I couldn't really tell you.

I can say check out Battery Park City area, my best friend lives there with her husband and son. And the Upper East Side. If I could move back, I'd go Brooklyn, or if we won the lottery, the West Village.

Also my dad and step-mom are realtors in Queens (they do Long Island and a little bit of Manhattan). PM me if you'd like their contact info. They are very good (people buy them gifts!) They helped one friend of mine find their place in Queens.

[Stigi]

we lived in Tribecca for a year and loved it - really close to Soho and Battery Park City and the river etc. I joined THE HUDSON RIVER PARK MOTHERS GROUP when we moved there, which was great to meet other parents:
http://hrpmamas.clubexpress.com

online communities are big over there so where ever you move to do a little research to find your local one.

I also bought this book as a good starting point to find out more info (but obviously the internet is great and more up to date): http://www.amazon.co.uk/City-Baby-New-Y ... 0789320304

enjoy, I am feeling a little jealous

[chelseadad]

If Manhattan proves a bit too expensive, try Jersey City. Okay, you won't be living in NYC, but it is ridiculously close (PATH takes you into Manhattan in no time). Schools are okay but you might prefer to go private as they have similar problems with too few good public (state) schools being chased by too many.