Burbs of NYC-- what is best?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ridgewood, Wyckoff, Glen Rock, Ho-Ho-Kus

PP above, sorry I didn't notice this one. Just think about your high school options on that budget for Ho-Ho-Kus. Ho-Ho-Kus is a very small town (with very small town vibe if you live there, for better or worse), and it doesn't have its own high school. Historically many residents have paid not small sums to send their kids to Ridgewood High School.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ridgewood, Wyckoff, Glen Rock, Ho-Ho-Kus

PP above, sorry I didn't notice this one. Just think about your high school options on that budget for Ho-Ho-Kus. Ho-Ho-Kus is a very small town (with very small town vibe if you live there, for better or worse), and it doesn't have its own high school. Historically many residents have paid not small sums to send their kids to Ridgewood High School.

Kids from Ho-Ho-Kus attend Northern Highlands HighSchool without any additional charge. Northern Highlands has been ranked higher the Ridgewood High School for years.

[Anonymous]

My guess is the average household income in many of the popular NJ towns listed above is north of $500k ($1 mil in the fancier ones), with housing prices to match.

[Anonymous]

I have quite a few friends who recently moved to North Salem, South Salem, and Ketonah areas of northeast Westchester County, NY. Housing is definitely more affordable there, your money stretches a lot further. It's also on the commuter rail lines into the city. Excellent Westchester public schools.

I strongly agree with the poster who said you have A LOT more in-state college options in NY. The tuition is CHEAP too. Like $4K per year in tuition for 4-year college. NY state highly funds the colleges. CUNY, FIT, Stonybrook, Baruch, Brooklyn College, John Jay, Hunter, landgrant schools at Cornell, SUNY colleges (Albany is the best), Maritime college, etc.

It blows NJ and CT public university systems out of the water.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Millburn, Summit, Chatham

I have friends in all these towns and IMO a HHI of $200K does not get you there.

[Anonymous]

Secaucus (no, I’m not kidding). Great commute to midtown via the bus, or you can take the train to penn station which is the next stop, low taxes for NJ because half the town is industrial, great town amenities (pool, Rec center, ice skating rink, a couple of yearly town festivals), very walkable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ridgewood, Wyckoff, Glen Rock, Ho-Ho-Kus

Not on $200k.

[Anonymous]

Maplewood is VERY cute and perfect for families. My sister lives there with two kids. Seems like there’s been a huge turnover with exodus from NYC. The ‘downtown’ has lots of great restaurants and little shops. I do know taxes are high but they include membership to the community pool and lots of services. I’d move there if we could (and while my DH considered a job offer I was looking!)

[Anonymous]

Schools are 4/5 in Maplewood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have quite a few friends who recently moved to North Salem, South Salem, and Ketonah areas of northeast Westchester County, NY. Housing is definitely more affordable there, your money stretches a lot further. It's also on the commuter rail lines into the city. Excellent Westchester public schools.

I strongly agree with the poster who said you have A LOT more in-state college options in NY. The tuition is CHEAP too. Like $4K per year in tuition for 4-year college. NY state highly funds the colleges. CUNY, FIT, Stonybrook, Baruch, Brooklyn College, John Jay, Hunter, landgrant schools at Cornell, SUNY colleges (Albany is the best), Maritime college, etc.

It blows NJ and CT public university systems out of the water.

Tuition is $6.5k. With room and board, fees, etc. it comes out to about $20k a year.

SUNY-Albany is a good school, but the best of the SUNY system? No. It depends on what major your child wants to pursue.

That said, it is a great deal compared to NJ and CT.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have quite a few friends who recently moved to North Salem, South Salem, and Ketonah areas of northeast Westchester County, NY. Housing is definitely more affordable there, your money stretches a lot further. It's also on the commuter rail lines into the city. Excellent Westchester public schools.

I strongly agree with the poster who said you have A LOT more in-state college options in NY. The tuition is CHEAP too. Like $4K per year in tuition for 4-year college. NY state highly funds the colleges. CUNY, FIT, Stonybrook, Baruch, Brooklyn College, John Jay, Hunter, landgrant schools at Cornell, SUNY colleges (Albany is the best), Maritime college, etc.

It blows NJ and CT public university systems out of the water.

It's a hike to Grand Central from Salem's. Katonah is somewhat better but still a pain, unless you work in Midtown.

[Anonymous]

Consider Rockland County.

[Anonymous]

I don't think 200 will get by in Maplewood. Maybe South Orange, but barely. I ended up in West Orange for a while. We got priced out of the others quickly. Even when the home prices were do-able for us, the taxes on a small 3br were 19k at the time, and that was around 2009ish. My West Orange taxes were 11k back then.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Consider Rockland County.

Uh…..hard no. Rockland is being overrun.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My guess is the average household income in many of the popular NJ towns listed above is north of $500k ($1 mil in the fancier ones), with housing prices to match.

thats not true for Maplewood, i believe its lower then 200k