Tell me about living in the NYC burbs? NJ or Westchester?
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Anonymous
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Husband is seriously debating whether to accept a job in NYC. I want him to take it because it comes with a huge raise. It would substantially raise our standard of living (high six figures, low seven depending on bonus).
I am willing to try living in Manhattan but he says no way on that and that is our biggest hang up on whether he wants to take this job: where would we live and what would the commute be like for him? We have 3 kids, he strongly prefers suburban living (the extra space, he loves mowing the lawn and grilling out, that whole deal), we want to do public school, but we also want him to be able to spend time with our kids on weekday nights. We're worried about the length of the commute. We're open to anything, NJ burbs or Westchester burbs. From my preliminary research, it seems like NJ burbs are closer with shorter commute but Westchester is considered nicer for some reason? Any opinions on that? Budget around 1.5. Where would you choose to live where the commute is doable? He might be able to negotiate some WFH days to cut down on the commute. Like if it's a 90 min commute, that is tough but if he's only doing it 4 days a week maybe not so bad? Plus if you're commuting by train, I feel like that is less exhausting than driving? I mostly SAH with a hobby job I do on the side at home so I am portable, lol. |
Anonymous
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Where exactly is the job? What part of manhattan? Westchester trains come into Grand Central station, so if he's working near midtown then that would be best.
If he will be downtown, then NjTransit or the Path which cross by the Holland Tunnel or come into Penn Station. Look at property taxes, some towns are better than others, but they are generally massive. |
Anonymous
| Any reason you aren't considering Long Island? |
Anonymous
midtown yes |
Anonymous
NYC is BIG. Westchester can be closer, especially if your husband works around Grand Central. There are very nice suburbs in both states - I wouldn’t worry about that. Unlike DC, where you can live in a nice suburb like Bethesda and get to work in 30 minutes, NYC suburban living is very far out. Even the close in towns (Bronxville in Westchester, Montclair or Short Hills in NJ) prepare for an hour door to door commute. |
Anonymous
| Are you considering CT at all? We lived there when my husband worked in the city. |
Anonymous
Keep in mind when setting budget property taxes. 1.5 million in DC area has 15,000/year property taxes. In NY/NJ, expect to pay TRIPLE that. If you have $1M HHI you can afford it, but it’s still crazy. |
Anonymous
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I grew up in Chappaqua. My dad commuted to his job in NYC. Generally the commute is fine -- shorter than 90 minutes on a normal day, for sure.
Chappaqua is a very, very affluent area. The closest DMV equivalent would be Potomac, though the wealth is somewhat older, especially in the adjacent towns (such as Pound Ridge). These towns--along with places like Greenwich, CT--is where a lot of the Wall Street guys live. Virtually everyone sends their kids to public school. Since it's in the NE, the school districts are town-based, which has its positives and negatives. Generally I think Westchester (northern Westchester, that is) is considered nicer than NJ because it's less densely developed. I think a budget of $1.5M should be able to get you a decent house in Chappaqua, Ketonah, Bedford, etc. |
Anonymous
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In NJ:
Chatham Summit Ho-Ho-Kus Glen Rock Ridgewood In Westchester: Bronxville Rye Pelham Scarsdale Westchester will be above your budget for the most part though. |
Anonymous
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Penn Station is living hell and you should avoid commuting through there as much as possible. The LIRR (Long Island) and NJTransit go through there. Therefore I’d never live anywhere I have to take either of those.
Meanwhile from Westchester you take Metro North, which goes to Grand Central and is much more pleasant. You can also live somewhere in New Jersey that is on the PATH train, which takes you into downtown Manhattan. By the way be aware that these commuter rails are $400-500 a month on top of the subway which is $120 a month. PATH is cheaper and Metro North is the most, although it all depends on how far out you’re coming from. Make sure to factor that into the budgeting when deciding where to live. |
Anonymous
| I was just in Montclair, NJ and it's a super cute town! Not what I expected at all. I have no idea about logistics of commuting from there though. |
Anonymous
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My in laws live in Purchase NY. They're retired now but when they were working, my FIL commuted into the city.
It's a really cute, idyllic town imho. It's got kind of a small town vibe but you're near a big city for things to do. I'd look into that one. |
Anonymous
taxes are crazy. Do not underestimate that when you are thinking of where to move. You can also look at Westfield, which has great schools but horrible taxes. I'd look at Mountainside. It is next to Westfield so you can commute on the train or take a bus to Port Authority. Schools are good, taxes are lower. |
Anonymous
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I would live in Darien, CT or Westport, CT near Compo Beach. Amazing schools and you can walk to the beach. Great shopping in town, and an easy train ride to NYC.
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/18-Danbury-Ave-Westport-CT-06880/177217655_zpid/ |
Anonymous
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Taxes aren't terrible on this one:
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/5-Compo-Hill-Ave-Westport-CT-06880/177219334_zpid/? |