Have you lived in New York?

alan_a

I'm doing some research into a possible family move to New York. I've been told to apply for a high profile position out there by the person advertising the post. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity with a world leading brand, however it's going to be a very competitive field I'm up against for getting the post.

We've never considered spending time in the US let alone living there. TBH in an ideal world we want to move to Australia (where my wife is from), but there are very few opportunities for my wife's career (museums) out there. At first my wife would not be able to work in NYC until Green Card secured, however there are plenty of opportunities for her once that is granted.

The position is based in Midtown Manhattan, however it involves a lot of interstate travel.

I'm definitely not counting chickens, just doing some basic research. The biggest concern for us is quality of life.

If you were to move to NY with a wife and 3 yo child where would you advise living?

My wife and I are in 2 minds about whether we'd prefer a Manhattan lifestyle, a suburban lifestyle or a rural lifestyle. A massive part of me thinks that if we were to do this it would be for 2 or 3 years and thus I'd would want to live in Manhattan in the heart of everything, however is that a good environment for a toddler?

If not living on Manhattan the other option is somewhere in the sticks but with an easy commute. If we're going to move to one of the world's most iconic cities I don't want to be spending half my life on a tube or bus. However I would like somewhere that is easy to jump out the front door and onto nice roads to cycle.

Cost is obviously a major concern too. I'd love to say get me an apartment on Park Avenue, but more likely it'll be get me a 2 bed shoe box in Brooklyn.

Your thoughts & advice most appreciated.

Green Brompton

I haven't lived there but both my parents have at different times. My Dad and his wife have an apartment in Manhattan as they both work for the UN... It's a great city to live in, but gets very very cold in the winter.

I went to a school for a few days in a New York State... my Mum worked with the head's daughter, so I went to see what it was like as I was thinking of going out there for a year when I was 15. The school was very odd in the sense that all the classes were full of a mixed age group, but they were all very friendly and studious. Manhattan schools, not sure about those.

Lots of families live in apartment blocks across Manhattan, but I wasn't that young when I went out there and it was mainly during school holidays.

In respect to your wife, the UN is also a good option when looking for somewhere to work. You can stay indefinitely (providing you have a job / contract with them), so you don't have to worry so much about a Green Card. I loved going to the UN offices when I was a teenager!

verloren

Not lived in New York either, but I worked in Minnesota for 7 years and have a cousin who lived in New York and now lives upstate. Some thoughts:

All 3 of your options are possible without massive travel - there's a train line that runs along the east bank of the Hudson that lets you get to suburban within half an hour (Yonkers), and pretty rural within 45 minutes (Croton) from Grand Central Terminal. The further out you go the nicer the schools are, which isn't to say that all the schools in the city are bad; some are very good, but getting into the right one can be tricky. Check when school starts as well - in MN it was a year later than over here.

If you're traveling a lot you should think about being close to an airport, so living in eastern New Jersey is an option to get you to Newark easily. No idea what it's like out there though.

If you're only staying 2-3 years I don't think you'll get a Green Card, so your wife won't be able to work (which will at least save on child care!). If you stay longer then you don't actually need to have the Green Card; so long as you're in the final stage of processing your wife could work.

For what it's worth I'd try the city experience while your wife can't work and your daughter isn't in school, and then if you're going to stay longer and those two things are no longer true you'll be in a position to decide whether you want to stay in the city or move further out.

walkingbootweather

baz lurhman wrote:

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard

Oh yes, and wear sunscreen

alan_a

verloren wrote:

For what it's worth I'd try the city experience while your wife can't work and your daughter isn't in school, and then if you're going to stay longer and those two things are no longer true you'll be in a position to decide whether you want to stay in the city or move further out.

good advice. thanks

BigLights

I've lived there twice - Manhattan and New Jersey. Manhattan is pretty hardcore for a family, unless you're getting a really plush expat package with housing. Try towns like Glen Ridge (where I lived) or Montclair in New Jersey....very good schools (surprisingly), remarkably safe (each town in the US has its own police force) and nice neighbours generally. Most of the workers commute into NYC on the bus or by train - quick, efficient, and a very nice lifestyle. If I was going back I'd definitely be in the 'burbs. The only drawback is that suburbs in NJ (and across the US) tend to be quite economically homogenous in that it's almost 100% people with the same economic background as you. I like London for this reason - you can have multimillion pound houses next to council estates in areas like St Johns Wood, Wandsworth, Battersea etc.

okgo

Not sure what is good about having a million pound house next to some toilet estate tbh.

I've sent this to a chap I used to ride with who moved from here back out there to what I would imagine is a high level post, so he might respond if he gets time!

cookeeemonster

okgo wrote:

Not sure what is good about having a million pound house next to some toilet estate tbh.

nice bit of variety!! doesn't let the rich get too disconnected from the poor...doesn't let the poor get too disconnected from the rich etc etc etc

doesn't always/often work like that of course but I agree with BigLights - I like the fact London is a bit more mixed.

As for the new york question...why dont you live in manhatten for 6 months and go from there? If you're there for 2/3 years anyway there's nothing stopping you from moving to the burbs after a little while and once you got your bearings. You might kick yourself years later if you didnt!!

Else you're basically working in new york and living in Essex

BigLights

haha - funnily enough Montclair and Glen Ridge are in fact in Essex County....oh the irony.
re the mixed stuff - I suppose it's whatever one prefers. I really think it's much healthier for a society to mix on all grounds...social and economic, not have massive ghettos with no hope of escape with the other half living in exclusive gated communities. My other experience in the is in Glasgow, where I do think it's more segregated and it doesn't encourage social mobility or ambition amongst the less lucky. I'm generalising massively, of course, but I think there's an element of truth here.
In Manhattan, if you do decide there, my favourie is either upper east side (I find it less 'stuck up' than upper west) and the Meat Packing District is very cool if you're a trendy character.
You'll enjoy living in the states. The yanks get a bad write up overseas but they're generally extremely friendly folk.

Headhuunter

BigLights wrote:

haha - funnily enough Montclair and Glen Ridge are in fact in Essex County....oh the irony.
re the mixed stuff - I suppose it's whatever one prefers. I really think it's much healthier for a society to mix on all grounds...social and economic, not have massive ghettos with no hope of escape with the other half living in exclusive gated communities. My other experience in the is in Glasgow, where I do think it's more segregated and it doesn't encourage social mobility or ambition amongst the less lucky. I'm generalising massively, of course, but I think there's an element of truth here.
In Manhattan, if you do decide there, my favourie is either upper east side (I find it less 'stuck up' than upper west) and the Meat Packing District is very cool if you're a trendy character.
You'll enjoy living in the states. The yanks get a bad write up overseas but they're generally extremely friendly folk.

Wow BigLights, that sounds a little bit erm left wing-ish for you... You been reading that Guardian newspaper on the sly again?

okgo

You're clearly an advocate of his theory Headhunter 'SE London'

BigLights

Headhuunter shush...don't tell anyone we know about my lapse. I have a reputation to uphold!

Headhuunter

okgo wrote:

You're clearly an advocate of his theory Headhunter 'SE London'

Yes but I used to work with Big Lights and his politics usually fall somewhere to the right of Maggie Thatcher!