<p>DH is considering applying for job at CUNY. Where does one live to commute to CUNY? Although we are from Southern CA, I am experiencing sticker shock at the prices of the condos in the immediate area. We expect to live outside of NYC and ride the train in. I am desperate for suggestions!</p>
<p>This coincides with the anticipated empty nest as DD goes to college next fall. A move like this is certainly one way to distract us from missing her. Do any of you have opinions/advice about the wisdom of moving during a freshman’s 1st year away from home?</p>
<p>I you’re looking into a suburb, Scarsdale (zip 10583) is a nice area. You can quite easily get a nice condo-townhouse thing for about $750k. For a regular condo, there are plenty under $600k. Very easy 30 minute commute into the city (on Metro-North). Anywhere in Westchester county, and Northwestern Bronx, with the exception of Yonkers, is pretty nice and an easy commute into Manhattan. I’d suggest staying south of White Plains…any farther up and your commute will be a living hell, even on the train.</p>
<p>Jersey City in New Jersey’s not quite as nice and doesn’t have the wow factor of Scarsdale, but a lot of new condos are going up and you can get there on the PATH in like 15 minutes. If you want to stay in the city, parts of Brooklyn are nice (Williamsburg) and actually Washington Heights I hear is okay to live in (west 170+) and the A train can take you downtown in minutes. Although commuting to the other side of Central Park might suck.</p>
<p>I think it depends on the CUNY he’s considering though. They have like a bajillion campuses all over New York City; some are in Manhattan, and others are in, like, Queens.</p>
<p>futurenyustudent is right - there are CUNY campuses all over NYC, so it really depends on which campus you are talking about. It sounds like you are talking about a campus in Manhattan though - so you really do have a lot of options in that case. From what I have heard Southern California is also quite expensive, so as long as you are not looking exclusively in Manhattan, you should be fine. There are less expensive areas in each of the other boroughs, and some of them quite nice. You also have options in Westchester, LI, and even NJ. It really depends on whether you would prefer to live in the suburbs or not.</p>
<p>When we moved to near NYC, we had school-system constraints! How great to not have that to consider! Jersey City and Hoboken in NJ, Riverdale in the Bronx, and parts of Brooklyn and Queens all have nice neighborhoods convenient to NYC without the Manhattan price tag. Fort Lee, NJ has a lot of nice apartment buildings a few blocks from the George Washington Bridge.
If you’re on public transportation line, you might consider getting rid of your cars to save $$$.</p>
<p>operamom
which CUNY campus is H considering?Or is it the administrative headquarters? They are located all over the 5 boroughs of New York City. H and I are both former CUNY staff members if we can be of any help.</p>
<p>Do you mean the graduate center at CUNY? It’s really the only part people refer to as CUNY. Otherwise, people tend to say Baruch or CCNY or Brooklyn College, etc.</p>
<p>You’re getting lots of good suggestions here. I want to add a different perspective on one comment: </p>
<p><<i’d suggest=“” staying=“” south=“” of=“” white=“” plains…any=“” farther=“” up=“” and=“” your=“” commute=“” will=“” be=“” a=“” living=“” hell,=“” even=“” on=“” the=“” train.=“”>> Certainly, your commute will be longer. But if Westchester interests you, you might want to look at actual commute times, both express and local, and what those train rides are like. </i’d></p>
<p>A 47-minute trip into GCT, found time for reading or preparing for the workday, a train that always has seats and runs right along the Hudson River nearly the whole way is not something anybody in <em>my</em> family considers a “living hell.” YMMV. </p>
<p>The Metro North website can give you clear facts on the timing for express and local times for every town/village on all three lines serving Westchester. The somewhat-insidery piece to factor in is that a train that originates at or near a given station will be easy to find comfortable seats on, even at peak times.</p>
<p>Seriously…why live outside the City? Believe it or not, there are some really nice neighborhoods IN the City, particularly in the outer boroughs. The kids are grown; you don’t need a big place. </p>
<p>I’d also suggest looking at Long Island. I’ll freely admit that I’d rather commute on MetroNorth than the LI Railroad, but come summer I’d rather be on Long Island with ready access to some very nice beaches. </p>
<p>I think you will have an easier time making friends in the City than suburbia. A lot of suburban life revolves around the schools. If your kids are already grown, I think you’d find it hard to make friends. </p>
<p>I’d also look to rent until you are more familiar with the metro area and know what areas are of interest.</p>
<p>I think jonri has made some valid points. It wold be wise to rent first and then decide where you want to buy. NY is full of distinct neighborhoods, so a lot depends on your taste. As far as the suburbs go, I think that LI has more variety price-wise than Westchester. There are some towns close to the Queens border that are not astronomically expensive, as well as some that are very pricey. The Long Island RR from western Nassau is about a 35 minute trip to Penn Station in Manhattan, so it’s not a long commute, just a crowded one.</p>
<p>First, thank you for all the great suggestions.</p>
<p>Jonri, you’re right. It is the Graduate Center. This is very new to me. I see that I asked the equivalent of “I am going to teach at the University of California. Where should I live?” I actually think it would be great to live in the city since his job will be right in the middle of everything we like to do. </p>
<p>On the other hand, the city is amazingly expensive, so that insider information of Harriet’s is definitely something I will consider if we move to a suburb. </p>
<p>I am sure we will rent first as Jonri suggests. </p>
<p>Do you know any websites which reveal the price ranges of condos/apartments in the different areas?</p>
<p>Go to the New York Times real estate section on-line. You will be glad if you can find a place within the city, subways and buses give lots more options than commuter trains, cheaper, too. Lorelei</p>
<p>The area up near the Cloisters, Ft. Tryon Park, (cityites, correct me, I know I’m getting this wrong) is reasonable, but it’s a looooooong commute on the subway from there. As long as from boroughs or 'burbs.</p>
<p>LI has a lot to offer. Long Beach is not that expensive for the feeling of an oceanfront community. (But I am a LI’er.)</p>
<p>I teach at Nassau Community College and many friends commute from Manhattan when they could easily live in Nassau. People live in the Lower East Side, Morningside Park, The Village (lucky ducks), and one friend lives opposite the 92nd St. Y on the East Side. No one has princely salaries. Many have kids.</p>
<p>Then a bunch live in Brooklyn.</p>
<p>Congratulations on your H’s appointment. What a feather in his cap! Maybe we can have a CC housewarming!</p>
<p>I would suggest that you go on-line and find the site for the mta. (Metropolitan Transport Authority." Also find the sites for the Long Island Railroad and MetroNorth. They have maps which will show you the names of the stops. Put the names of towns and neighborhoods of interest and rentals into google. For example, you might try “Astoria”–an area in Queens with convenient transportation into Manhattan. It’s got a big population of 20 and 30 somethings, but that’s a plus in terms of nice restaurants, frequent subway service, etc. Historically, it was an immigrant Greek community. </p>
<p>I’d nix the NYTimes suggestion for rentals. Oh it’s okay to look, but these tend to be for new buildings going on the market with LOTS of apartments to rent. The advertising rates are too high to advertise one or two vacant apartments that will go quickly. Try local freebie papers --West Side Spirit, Our Town, Village Voice, AM New York, Metro, etc. </p>
<p>I WOULD suggest looking at old Times real estate sections because each week a different community is profiled. So search the Times archives in real estate section for communities of possible interest.</p>
Noone has addressed this issue, so I’ll take a shot… I think it is hard on a freshman for parents to move to a new home. My parents moved when I was a junior in college, and even then, I mourned the loss of my real “home”. It felt weird not to be able to go back to the neighborhoods I grew up in, and my parents new home was in a new state, a world away. In the long run, it worked out fine, and I still live in the city my parents moved to. (Funnily enough, they now live in the city they moved away from!) I think freshman year would be a difficult year for you to move - even more upheaval for your kid. If you are planning to do it, make sure that you have a lot of discussions with your daughter about it, and try to involve her in picking the apartment/condo you choose to move to.</p>
<p>I sort of disagree. My parents did this–I admit I was miserable. But…my very beloved NYC is different. Oh, she may miss her old home; I’m not gainsaying that. However, it is virtually assured that she will make at least one good friend from metro NYC her first semester of college. So, it’s virtually guaranteed that she will have at least one good friend to hang out with over vacations. Plus, there are always a gazillion kids who WANT to spend at least a few days in NYC over vacation when they have a free place to crash. She’ll be very popular!</p>
<p>Nothing else as is important as this. What are you realistically budgeting for housing? Tell us that range and we’ll put you where you need to be. We can offer all sorts of suggestions, but price diferences are vast, so we need to start here.</p>
<p>I just looked up the location of CUNY graduate center on 35th and 5th ave. It’s close to Penn Station and the path train, so your best commutes will be to NJ and LI. Several posters have mentioned Hoboken, Ft. Lee, and Jersey City which have a city feeling, Montclair, Livingston, South Orange, and Maplewood have great options for empty nesters. Check out craig’s list for rental prices.</p>
<p>I didn’t want to say that, but zoosermom is right - price means a lot. Having said that, I know people of vastly different incomes who live in the same town or section of a borough. It’s just that if you have a price range in mind, it would be a lot easier to make more specific suggestions. Also, it there is a specific type of area you want - urban or suburban, lots of shopping & restaurants or more quiet - that type of info would be helpful.</p>
<p>I’m not a NYCer…but I rode the train into NYC several times last summer from CT…the MetroNorth Commuter train. There were a LOT of commuters from the southern part of CT getting on that train. Stamford, and even New Haven aren’t unreasonable. Folks got on the train in the morning with their coffee and newspaper for the ride into NYC (Grand Central), and in the late afternoon boarded to go home with their IPods, computers and good books to read. I guess it just depends on how much time you want to spend commuting.</p>