Reply to DC or NYC which is the best city to raise a family in the suburbs?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Where are you from originally, where can you get employment,,and what are your expectations? I'm from the NYC suburbs originally, and to me, NYC wins hands down. There's just no comparison between NYC and DC as cities.

However, if you grew up in middle America, are wedded to your car, and don't have sharp elbows, you may not like it there. Yes, commuter trains aren't fun, but as a general rule they work and the infrastructure is there to move people to and from them. I don't get people who drive into Manhattan for work - that is masochistic behavior. You will find a wider range of social classes relying on public transportation and their own feet to get around. Property taxes are much, much higher in NY/NJ/CT. [/quote]

Completely agree.  The real key is what brings you to NY vs. DC.  If it is a really good job, then go to NYC and enjoy every minute of it.  Do agree that in general people are more interpersonally competitive with each other there than here in DC.  That said, public schools in middle to upper middle class neighborhoods are quite good, it is less transient that the DC area in general so your kids won't have to make new friends every few years.  In general the housing stock in those areas is better maintained. I too have been looking the 800-$1m range around DC and to say I am underwhelmed is to put it politely.  As people come and go locally so frequently there isn't a huge incentive to maintain a property, and thus it often isn't. Not so much around the city.  If your jobs are in lower Manhattan or midtown west I'd look in Union County, NJ.  Morris and Somerset counties are lovely but the commute can be a bit long.  Maplewood is charming, older but updated primarily four squares and colonials.  Stay on the west side of town; property taxes are very high, which is why you might take a good look at Westfield and/or Summit.

If one or both of you is working in Brooklyn or midtown east on south I'd look at Brooklyn and close in LI.  For jobs around GC or up, try Connecticut or the Westchester 'burbs.

For families with less affluence DC can be quite a value proposition as the museums are free and the weather is a smidgin warmer.  That even out in the humid summers.  That said, I've seen a decline in the number of free events over the the past 10-15 years which may be a product of the having more affluent residents in general.  E.g, instead of joining the sailing club to sail on the Chesapeake, people just buy their own boats these days.  It is not quite as chummy as earlier.   
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