Post by Jalapeñomel on Jun 5, 2013 14:56:50 GMT -5
I have more questions about living there. I am ever so grateful for you helping me out.
So we are thinking of living outside the 5 boroughs to save some money and have a little bit more bang for our buck so to say. Anyway, since DH is working in the Bronx, we were thinking of Westchester county. It seems that the commute isn´t horrible, the prices are reasonable, but I have no idea if we will be able to live there without a car.
What about living in NJ, like a little farther from NYC, say Montclair or something, and then having him commute via the PATH and then subway to the Bronx. Is it possible to live the NJ life without a car?
Post by snipsnsnails on Jun 5, 2013 15:03:12 GMT -5
You need a car if you're going to do outside the city.
Edit: I will edit to say there are a handful of places (like Jersey City) where you could probably swing it, but the commute would be no fun. Westchester is a better bet to be able to afford life and get him to the Bronx, but you need a car to live in Westchester.
You need a car if you're going to do outside the city.
Edit: I will edit to say there are a handful of places (like Jersey City) where you could probably swing it, but the commute would be no fun. Westchester is a better bet to be able to afford life and get him to the Bronx, but you need a car to live in Westchester.
What about in Yonkers?
Although it seems that Yonkers residents pay similar taxes to NYC residents, so I am not sure it would actually save us any money.
And if we live out in Brooklyn, we could be looking at a super long commute as well, right?
Unless you live in Hoboken or Jersey City, a car is needed.
Yup. He may be able to go without a car during the week if you live within walking distance of the train station, but you'll still want at least one car for the weekends/running errands/etc. unless you live in Hobo or JC (which are city-like areas).
You could also do Ridgewood, NJ without a car. Cute little village, great Main Street wih lots of shops and restaurants. Train station in town. It would be challenging without a car, but doable.
Post by snipsnsnails on Jun 5, 2013 15:16:25 GMT -5
I'm not even counting Hoboken b/c it's as costly as places in the city.
Yonkers, yep, you'd still need a car. I guess you could potentially swing it there, but it wouldn't be ideal. Is it the cost savings for not having a car? Because the commutes via train are costly, too.
I'm near Montclair and I really like the surrounding area. But you'd definitely need a car. It's possible for your H to get to work without one if he takes NJ Transit or a DeCamp bus or something, but I'm sure you'd want a family car to go out and do things.
Ditto those who said you could get along without a car in Hoboken or Downtown JC. There's enough public transit to get you around, plus stuff to do within walking distance, and parking in those areas is terrible anyway.
And ditto alzi, Montclair is expensive. Ditto for nearby towns like Verona, the Caldwells, and Nutley. But Montclair has a lot to do ... Montclair reminds me of a more "grown-up" version of Hoboken.
Unless you are in JC or Hoboken, you need a car. If you are looking for a cheaper rent, maybe norhtern Rockland? But you'll need a car and have to factor in tolls. I think the TZ is $5 before the ezpass discount and the Stew Leonard's toll (not the proper name, lol) is $1.50?
If you want to price up there, try Pearl River, Nanuet, Chestnut Ridge, West Nyack, Haverstraw, Orangeburg for NY. I'd stay out of Spring Valley and Munsey. Northern Bergen in NJ is nice, but I have no idea what rent would cost you. Mahwah, Ramsey are close to 87. Park Ridge, Montvale are over the border in NJ from Pearl River, but apartments are somewhat limited in choice there.
You'll need a car in both Westchester and Jersey. Also, you've probably thought of this, but I thought I'd mention it just in case. You should look into the monthly cost of commuting for both you and your husband from the places you're considering moving to. Depending on where you are, commuting in to the city can get pretty pricey and you may not end up saving as much as you originally thought. To get an idea of what your commute time would be like from Brooklyn, you can go to google maps and get directions from different Brooklyn neighborhoods to the neighborhood your H will be working at in the Bronx (just switch to the public transportation option versus driving directions). Depending on how many trains you'll need to take and whether they are express or local, the commute time can really vary.
Also keep in mind that a lot of the trains from NJ -- even from the closest suburbs -- aren't all that quick to get into the city. So let's say you lived in Ridgewood. He'd have to walk to the train station in time to make the train, would have around a 45 minute train ride (I think from Montclair it is a bit longer?), would have to walk to the subway, and it would be another 45 -50 minutes to get up to his school. So you're probably talking at least an hour and forty-five minutes of commuting, each way.
Thruway Tappan Zee Bridge Commuter Plan: Receive a $2.00 discount per trip ($3.00 versus $5.00 cash rate) on the Tappan Zee Bridge. A minimum of 20 trips per month is required. If fewer than 20 trips are taken per month, you will be charged $3.00 for each trip not taken. Plan Code: (TZC) - Required Prepayment ($60.00).
Thruway Yonkers Commuter Plan: Receive a $0.70 discount ($0.55 versus $1.25 cash rate) on Yonkers Barrier. A minimum of 35 trips per month is required. If fewer than 35 trips are taken per month, you will be charged $0.55 for each trip not taken. Plan Code: (YKC) - Required Prepayment ($25.00).
I live in Westchester and have grown up here. My sister lives in Cedar Grove, NJ (near to Montclair). I would say having a car in both these areas is VERY beneficial. You can do it without, but I would think just relying on buses and trains even on the weekends for errand running would be a pain. Personally I think the commute from Westchester to the Bronx is easier than from NJ or Rockland County.
What's your price range and bedrooms you are looking for? I could prob help narrow down towns.
I'm not even counting Hoboken b/c it's as costly as places in the city.
Yonkers, yep, you'd still need a car. I guess you could potentially swing it there, but it wouldn't be ideal. Is it the cost savings for not having a car? Because the commutes via train are costly, too.
We don´t want the extra expense of a car. So if it´s too difficult to live outside the city without a car, then we will stay within the 5 boroughs. It´s the local NYC tax that makes a dent on the budget, and if it wasn´t for that, living in the 5 boroughs would be just fine (although Yonkers has a local tax too).
We figure that living in NYC we will have to commute, and we anticipate having at least 1.5 hours of a commute one way.
There are some cheaper places to live in the boroughs, but I am guessing they are in really shady neighborhoods or out in Rockaway Island (is that what´s it´s called?) and Jamaica.
Post by incognitotoday on Jun 5, 2013 15:33:52 GMT -5
A bit of a Lurker here....would you consider Stamford, CT (express train to NYC is 45 mins)? My S/O lives in the Bronx and I in Greenwich, CT. You can definitely get around Stamford without a car, and MetroNorth takes you straight into Woodlawn (Bronx area) and also NYC.
Greenwich, too. Although, there isn't much to go/do in Greenwich. I am sorry, since I don't know your story, too much, I don't want to assume (children, pets, etc.). Stamford is quite affordable and there is plenty to do (couples, kids, or kidless).
Post by sparkythelawyer on Jun 5, 2013 15:36:18 GMT -5
IDK, I think I'd have to figure out how much you are actually saving when you add in the cost of the NYC area taxes to live in a tinier place to living somewhere nicer, but further out and you'd have one car payment. Also, your post about the commute reminded me of one of the main reasons I did not move back to Long Island after college: I did one internship in Manhattan my junior year and it was all I needed to say HELL NO to a 2 hour commute. Ugh. I forgot how much NYC area commutes blow.
I'm not even counting Hoboken b/c it's as costly as places in the city.
Yonkers, yep, you'd still need a car. I guess you could potentially swing it there, but it wouldn't be ideal. Is it the cost savings for not having a car? Because the commutes via train are costly, too.
We don´t want the extra expense of a car. So if it´s too difficult to live outside the city without a car, then we will stay within the 5 boroughs. It´s the local NYC tax that makes a dent on the budget, and if it wasn´t for that, living in the 5 boroughs would be just fine (although Yonkers has a local tax too).
We figure that living in NYC we will have to commute, and we anticipate having at least 1.5 hours of a commute one way.
There are some cheaper places to live in the boroughs, but I am guessing they are in really shady neighborhoods or out in Rockaway Island (is that what´s it´s called?) and Jamaica.
I have been raised my entire life to believe that Jamaica, NY is a hole, but perhaps it has gotten better of recent years.
A bit of a Lurker here....would you consider Stamford, CT (express train to NYC is 45 mins)? My S/O lives in the Bronx and I in Greenwich, CT. You can definitely get around Stamford without a car, and MetroNorth takes you straight into Woodlawn (Bronx area) and also NYC.
Greenwich, too. Although, there isn't much to go/do in Greenwich. I am sorry, since I don't know your story, too much, I don't want to assume (children, pets, etc.). Stamford is quite affordable and there is plenty to do (couples, kids, or kidless).
Ask me any questions...
I would consider anything really, because I know nothing about living in the northwest. Here is the short and dirty about our situation: My DH just got a job in the Bronx, we have dogs and I am 4 months pregnant.
I looked at Riverdale, but it seems out of our price range.
Post by wanderlustfoodie on Jun 5, 2013 15:40:22 GMT -5
The commute from anywhere in NJ to the Bronx would be really long and involve multiple connections and you'd need a car in NJ anywhere other than possibly Hoboken. I would advise a car if you live anywhere in Westchester or Connecticut but there are areas that are more walkable than others (e.g., White Plans, Stamford).
IDK, I think I'd have to figure out how much you are actually saving when you add in the cost of the NYC area taxes to live in a tinier place to living somewhere nicer, but further out and you'd have one car payment. Also, your post about the commute reminded me of one of the main reasons I did not move back to Long Island after college: I did one internship in Manhattan my junior year and it was all I needed to say HELL NO to a 2 hour commute. Ugh. I forgot how much NYC area commutes blow.
I am estimating that taxes would cost about $2k, so definitely not as much as a monthly car payment, plus insurance, registration, parking and gas.
I'm not even counting Hoboken b/c it's as costly as places in the city.
Yonkers, yep, you'd still need a car. I guess you could potentially swing it there, but it wouldn't be ideal. Is it the cost savings for not having a car? Because the commutes via train are costly, too.
This isn't necessarily true. I bet you could find a decent two bedroom in Hoboken for about $2500, what you'd probably have to pay for a decent one bedroom in the city.
Jalepeno, I'm not sure what your approx price range is for rent, but IMO as you venture too far away from Manhattan (including parts of Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx) your need for a car increases exponentially. Also, by the time you "save" by living farther away from the city, you will be paying more in transit. NJ Transit, the Long Island Railroad, Metro North etc, all have monthly fares that are comparable with the price of a (used) car. I really think you should stay close to the Bronx, or somewhere easily accessible to the subway in order to keep costs in check.