What suburb if you’re not from NYC metro?

[Anonymous]

Moved to Brooklyn about a year ago from DC, where everyone is a transplant. I’m regularly amazed that the majority of people I meet here grew up in the NYC metro area. I have a toddler and am finding it hard to make friends. I’m from the south, DH is from the Midwest. We are ready to move to the burbs. Where will we be surrounded by other transplants?

[Anonymous]

Check the city-data.com forums. I don't know of a good spot off the top of my head. If Brooklyn didn't have enough transplants, I don't know where you'll find them. My cousin lives in Maplewood, NJ and I think just about the whole town is made up of people from Brooklyn, so you might find some comraderie that way. It seems like a nice area - worth checking out!

[Anonymous]

I live in Darien, CT and I love it here. it's not for everyone! Every one of my friends is a transplant! a lot are from the south and chicago area. some ohio and texas. I thought it was going to be a snobby place, but I haven't found it to be that way at all. It is a place with lots of white yuppy people so I can understand why many people would not like it.

[Anonymous]

I'd say if you choose the tippy TOP suburbs, especially north of the city, which is seen as more desirable, then there will be more transplants. I.e. Scarsdale, Darien, Rye, Bronxville, etc. Lots of people are from elsewhere and they're there entirely for the schools+decent commute. OTOH, those suburbs are VERY wealthy and pretty snobby. These are finance/biglaw people transplanting there.

If you go a couple levels down, like Eastchester, New Rochelle, Yonkers, White Plains, the families there are more lifers and descendants of residents.

Maybe a good middle ground would be Tarrytown? Some of the river towns are reputed to be lower-key.

I confess I don't know the scene in NJ or LI. Isn't there some real estate lady who's the suburb whisperer and will tell you exactly where to move based on considerations like yours? She comes up in the Times every now and then.

[Anonymous]

Westchester, Connecticut and New Jersey have lots of transplants, Long Island is basically white ex-"New Yawkers" and their descendants.

[Anonymous]

DH grew up in Larchmont. It's really lovely there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Moved to Brooklyn about a year ago from DC, where everyone is a transplant. I’m regularly amazed that the majority of people I meet here grew up in the NYC metro area. I have a toddler and am finding it hard to make friends. I’m from the south, DH is from the Midwest. We are ready to move to the burbs. Where will we be surrounded by other transplants?

Paulus Hook in Jersey City, or the Hoboken waterfront.

[Anonymous]

Rivertowns was a good suggestion. We’re on the upper edge in croton and it’s a mix of former brooklynites (who left when they had kids) and long-term New Yorkers. It’s been very welcoming to us non-natives. Lots of people who have lived all over before coming back even if they did grow up in the region. The rivertowns have a very small town feel vs suburb so I think it’s easy to meet people.

[Anonymous]

Depending on where you are in Brooklyn, there are a lot of transplants. I feel like transplants care more about subway accessibility than those who grew up in the area. Brooklyn Heights, Park Slope, Cobble Hill - lots of transplants. Look for the areas that have gotten hot in the last 10-20 years.

Friends who have moved out of Manhattan and aren't from NY have moved to - Hastings-on-Hudson, Maywood, Westfield, Montclair. I agree - stay away from Long Island!

[Anonymous]

In my experience, people on Long Island are usually from there and connect with others on that basis. I lived there for a while as an outsider and found it super tough. I love the river towns. Tarrytown was a good suggestion, Croton, further north is beautiful.

[Anonymous]

Piermont, Nyack, Clarkstown, Orangeberg, all in Rockland County just over the Tappan Zee Bridge.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd say if you choose the tippy TOP suburbs, especially north of the city, which is seen as more desirable, then there will be more transplants. I.e. Scarsdale, Darien, Rye, Bronxville, etc. Lots of people are from elsewhere and they're there entirely for the schools+decent commute. OTOH, those suburbs are VERY wealthy and pretty snobby. These are finance/biglaw people transplanting there.

If you go a couple levels down, like Eastchester, New Rochelle, Yonkers, White Plains, the families there are more lifers and descendants of residents.

Maybe a good middle ground would be Tarrytown? Some of the river towns are reputed to be lower-key.

I confess I don't know the scene in NJ or LI. Isn't there some real estate lady who's the suburb whisperer and will tell you exactly where to move based on considerations like yours? She comes up in the Times every now and then.

Yes, I grew up in Westchester and this assessment of that county at least is totally accurate