I don’t know where he’s moving from, but for most of the country, they need to factor in that EVERYTHING will be more expensive in NYC and nearby suburbs. What sounds like a great salary in Indianapolis (or similar) is scraping by in NYC. Best bets are the northern suburbs or north NJ, but be prepared for sticker shock.
The northern part of Staten Island might be doable. You can get an express bus into Manhattan or take the train to the ferry. Schools in places like Grasmere and New Dorp are pretty good. He might be able to get half of a two family for that kind of rent.
Here’s one in Shore Acres. That’s not a bad neighborhood at all. Something in the 10305 zip code or one of the others adjacent to it might be good. It’s not too far to the ferry and the schools are pretty decent. Here’s another in Arrochar, not too far from the Verrazano with decent schools. I had a house there about a decade ago. Had they not built a power plant at the end of my block, I might have stayed on the island.
Why Brooklyn? What has he been watching on TV? I mean, I’ve lived in Brooklyn pretty much my whole life but I don’t think it’s objectively better than the rest of the city. I understand wanting a safe* place (another phrase that makes me wonder about his viewing habits) with good schools, does he think that’s only possible in Brooklyn? Because I’m with friedo, that’s a long haul, even just twice a week, even if his place in Brooklyn is on the 4 train.
*Whatever that means.
New Haven? You may save enough on the rent to pay the fare. Especially for only 2 days a week,
I realize that the internet is a wonderful thing, but I’m perplexed why everyone avoids calling professionals when it would behoove them to do so.
Your friend should call a real estate agent that specializes in one of the areas he is targeting and ask questions. The agent will let him know whether his figures are even remotely realistic. He also needs to mention that this job is brand new, as that may make a difference in his ability to rent certain places.
Check out apartments and homes in Yonkers near the Glenwood and Greystone local stops on the Hudson Line (easy commute to Harlem’s 125th St. Station), or further up the Hudson Line in some of the less pricey Westchester towns like Dobbs Ferry or Ossining. Decent schools overall, I think.
If he is going to rent, someone needs to explain to him the broker racket thing to him.
with that income and that size family, somewhere else.
We left NYC in 1998 after our oldest son was born. Our combined income was around 70K, which was totally inadequate to raise a family. The DC area, where we relocated, seemed cheap by comparison.
New Haven is pretty far to commute to New York.
Maybe check out Jersey City or the Heights above Hoboken. It will be a pain in the ass to switch transportation to get to East Harlem, but shouldn’t be too bad if you only have to do it 2-3 times a week.
Although both have become hipster Meccas I would not recommend them for a family. Certainly not their schools.
And the gentrified hipster locations in JC in particular are in very specific neighborhoods. The riverfront is very expensive. 2 bedrooms looks to be going for about $3,500. Most of the rest of the city is the same shithole my family escaped from before I was born.
You could try Long Island. It is possible to rent a house in Nassau county for between$2200 and $2600 per month. You are going to need a car, though. That’s the only way to make it to Harlem in any reasonable amount of time.
I just heard about a rental in Sunnyside, in Queens, that might meet your friend’s needs. It’s half of a two-family house, meaning it’s a whole floor. It’s a big two-bedroom (still might be tight for six people, though). It would be an easy commute to East Harlem (much easier than from Brooklyn).
The rent is $2,300. Of course, this will be gone by the end of the week, if not sooner, but it’s a good indication of what the market rents are in that neighborhood.
I don’t know anything about the schools there, though.