NY neighborhood suggestion

Amazon
chachaq

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chachaq
Jan 18 23 Comments

My partner and I (both in tech, early 30s, not American) are considering moving to New York. We currently live in Seattle. We want to first rent for 6-12months then start looking for houses to buy. Eventually we would like somewhere we can have more space (we have a dog, no kids), a nice and clean neighborhood to walk around, easy commute to the city area if needed.

Our lifestyle: we used to have a very active social life but have gotten mellower in the past two years. However, we would still like to have the options to go restaurants/bars/shopping once a while (one of the reasons we want to move to NY). As we getting older, definitely also appreciate more space and entertain at home too.

Any suggestions on which neighborhood we should try out? We are open to anything within 45mins commute to Manhattan. Prefer a clean neighborhood with a good walk score. Rent budget: $3000-4000 for two bedrooms

#Relocate

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 TOP 23 Comments
  • Park Slope. Right mix of restaurants, close to a large park, reasonably affordable.
    Jan 18 4
    • New
      NNcB71

      New

      NNcB71
      That's why I'm not a fan... it's nice, but not particularly.

      It's close to Manhattan... but not particularly.

      It's spacious... but not particularly.

      Bars... but not particularly many.

      Food... but not particularly better than surrounding areas.

      Awkwardly industrial in some areas and ends up feeling sketchy. Just feels like an undecided part of Brooklyn
      Jan 18
    • Intellum
      greentr33s

      Intellum

      greentr33s
      I second Park Slope. Yes you can find somewhere cheaper farther out, but PS is beautiful with tons of charm and great proximity to nightlife in both Brooklyn and Manhattan.
      Jan 18
  • do yourself a favor and live in queens
    Jan 18 1
  • Amazon
    deezcodez

    Go to company page Amazon

    deezcodez
    Astoria
    Jan 18 0
  • New / Consultant
    unperson

    New Consultant

     unperson
    45 minute commute opens up a lot of options. But if you want to live within city limits, you may be a little cramped when you look to buy a place where a dog can run around.

    You'll get a lot of choices in North Jersey, and parts of Westchester County (immediately north of New York City). In both places, you'll have to look at specific towns and school districts because two blocks can be the difference between $12K/year and $40K/year in property taxes.

    I'm also legally obligated to mention Long Island, but morally obligated to advise against it. πŸ˜›
    Jan 18 2
    • Amazon
      chachaq

      Go to company page Amazon

      chachaq
      OP
      Is the β€œLong island” the long island city or the Long Island island?
      Jan 18
    • New / Consultant
      unperson

      New Consultant

       unperson
      Island. Long Island City is awesome, but super cramped because it's so close to Manhattan.
      Jan 18
  • Sunnyside, Woodside, Astoria, Ridgewood (but only if near the L train), Bushwick, Bedford Stuyvesant.

    For that money you can probably rent something awesome in Carroll Gardens/Fort Greene/Clinton hill but you probably won't be able to afford a house there.

    Funny quirk of Brooklyn real estate - property tax assessments on houses are generally much lower than condos of the same price. I looked at houses in Bushwick in the $800k to $1m range and their taxes were only $2000 a year.

    Ignore Zillow/Trulia tax estimates when you're looking.

    Feel free to PM if you have more questions.
    Jan 18 0