Just found out husband has job in Chelsea and we have 3 teens (currently in DC)

[Anonymous]

NJ using either Path or Njtransit to Penn Station or LI using LIRR to Penn station would be way to go if you want a house in the suburbs. Doing a CT or westchester commute through grand central would add a lot of unnecessary commute time.

[Anonymous]

Maplewood, NJ? Friends there who commute to NYC (in normal times) and use public schools. They truly love it there.

[Anonymous]

Agree NJ is perfect

[Anonymous]

Leonia and Tenafly, NJ would be good choices. Not sure about PATH train connections though.

I would not recommend NYC for you. The school situation here is difficult in normal times, and impossible in pandemic times. We are used to the insanity. You are not.

[Anonymous]

NJ: Woodcliff Lake, Ridgewood, Montvale, Park Ridge, Oradell, Millburn, Short Hills, Summit, Glen Rock, Montclair.

[Anonymous]

Recent NJ transplant to DMV (Chevy chase). I would go back in a heartbeat!!!

Commuting via train and/or by car (door to door) will be at least 1 hour to any given jersey suburb, just FYI. Westchester potentially longer since you’ll have to cross town, although we left right before the pandemic, so commute times may be improved at the moment.

As a PP mentioned, schools are run by a town system not by county. IMO, it’s better as you get what you pay for. There are many great jersey burbs....it all depends on what you’re looking for and what is most important (school, sports, commute, town vibe, access to the beach, etc).

Jersey gets a bad rap, but think it’s a great place for kids to grow up in.

[Anonymous]

Live in NJ. He can take the train. Housing will be cheaper, but taxes will be higher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NJ: Woodcliff Lake, Ridgewood, Montvale, Park Ridge, Oradell, Millburn, Short Hills, Summit, Glen Rock, Montclair.

Yep

[Anonymous]

Original Poster here. Thanks so much to everyone for making the effort to respond. I am very grateful. My husband does not seem keen on a daily commute so we have decided that he will get an apartment in walking distance to his new office.
We have abandoned the idea of NYC private schools, and so now we will have a few months to try to figure out the public school system as it does not seem straightforward.
Having just been through the private school application process I am left wondering why is figuring out the school system always so hard?? Surely it should be more straightforward given that everyone has to navigate it in their own way.
Regardless thank you again. I had not considered New Jersey and yet that is where everyone seems to be pointing me so that is where I will start.
Happy holidays to all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Original Poster here. Thanks so much to everyone for making the effort to respond. I am very grateful. My husband does not seem keen on a daily commute so we have decided that he will get an apartment in walking distance to his new office.
We have abandoned the idea of NYC private schools, and so now we will have a few months to try to figure out the public school system as it does not seem straightforward.
Having just been through the private school application process I am left wondering why is figuring out the school system always so hard?? Surely it should be more straightforward given that everyone has to navigate it in their own way.
Regardless thank you again. I had not considered New Jersey and yet that is where everyone seems to be pointing me so that is where I will start.
Happy holidays to all.

If he is getting an nyc apartment anyhow, why not stay in DC and have him fly gone for the weekends? That way everyone can keep their lives more in tact.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Original Poster here. Thanks so much to everyone for making the effort to respond. I am very grateful. My husband does not seem keen on a daily commute so we have decided that he will get an apartment in walking distance to his new office.
We have abandoned the idea of NYC private schools, and so now we will have a few months to try to figure out the public school system as it does not seem straightforward.
Having just been through the private school application process I am left wondering why is figuring out the school system always so hard?? Surely it should be more straightforward given that everyone has to navigate it in their own way.
Regardless thank you again. I had not considered New Jersey and yet that is where everyone seems to be pointing me so that is where I will start.
Happy holidays to all.

If he is getting an nyc apartment anyhow, why not stay in DC and have him fly gone for the weekends? That way everyone can keep their lives more in tact.

Yeah, this seems crazy to me. Everyone commutes ... why is this such a big deal to him?

I used to live there and totally concur with the NJ suburbs people have mentioned. A couple of others that I'm not sure if people mentioned ... Summit, Chatham, Florham Park.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Original Poster here. Thanks so much to everyone for making the effort to respond. I am very grateful. My husband does not seem keen on a daily commute so we have decided that he will get an apartment in walking distance to his new office.
We have abandoned the idea of NYC private schools, and so now we will have a few months to try to figure out the public school system as it does not seem straightforward.
Having just been through the private school application process I am left wondering why is figuring out the school system always so hard?? Surely it should be more straightforward given that everyone has to navigate it in their own way.
Regardless thank you again. I had not considered New Jersey and yet that is where everyone seems to be pointing me so that is where I will start.
Happy holidays to all.

If he is getting an nyc apartment anyhow, why not stay in DC and have him fly gone for the weekends? That way everyone can keep their lives more in tact.

I would go with this choice. If he is getting an apartment, why move? A lot of people figure out a DC/NY life. If my DH started working in NYC and got an apartment within walking distance to work, it would be a signal that he doesn’t plan on coming home every night. No reason to uproot everyone’s lives, start over elsewhere and still deal with seeing him maybe one a week and on weekends.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Original Poster here. Thanks so much to everyone for making the effort to respond. I am very grateful. My husband does not seem keen on a daily commute so we have decided that he will get an apartment in walking distance to his new office.
We have abandoned the idea of NYC private schools, and so now we will have a few months to try to figure out the public school system as it does not seem straightforward.
Having just been through the private school application process I am left wondering why is figuring out the school system always so hard?? Surely it should be more straightforward given that everyone has to navigate it in their own way.
Regardless thank you again. I had not considered New Jersey and yet that is where everyone seems to be pointing me so that is where I will start.
Happy holidays to all.

If he is getting an nyc apartment anyhow, why not stay in DC and have him fly gone for the weekends? That way everyone can keep their lives more in tact.

+1 I’ve lived in DC forever and have known lots of couples who did this. Use the Acela instead of flying, though. At least do this until your kids can finish this school year (such as it is.) Plus, does he have to be in the office in person every day?

[Anonymous]

Westfield NJ has a great downtown, has nonstop train to Newark and then he can change to PATH or Penn Station. GREAT high school, but very high property taxes. Also let's discuss how awesome the food is in Jersey and how I am so sad I can't eat at a restaurant and BYOB like I do back home. I am jealous OP. Have a bagel and go down the shore for me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Original Poster here. Thanks so much to everyone for making the effort to respond. I am very grateful. My husband does not seem keen on a daily commute so we have decided that he will get an apartment in walking distance to his new office.
We have abandoned the idea of NYC private schools, and so now we will have a few months to try to figure out the public school system as it does not seem straightforward.
Having just been through the private school application process I am left wondering why is figuring out the school system always so hard?? Surely it should be more straightforward given that everyone has to navigate it in their own way.
Regardless thank you again. I had not considered New Jersey and yet that is where everyone seems to be pointing me so that is where I will start.
Happy holidays to all.

If you need help navigating NYC schools, this woman is fabulous. Can do an initial 30-minute consult to help you get oriented. Alina Adams
Author, "Getting Into NYC Kindergarten" & "Getting Into NYC High-School"; www.NYCSchoolSecrets.com. COVID may shake things up and make it a bit easier this year.