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NYC Moms, tell me I'm doing the right thing. Moving my family from a wonderful life in CA to NYC this summer. Husband has a wonderful job opportunity that will grow his company in NY. Tell me NYC is wonderful place to raise kids and I will not regret it.
131 replies [ Reply | Watch | Options ]We just did the opposite move and are much, much happier. How old are you DC's? What is your household income?
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Really? Don't you just love it? As much as we love NYC, I could never go back now. It was just so hard to do with kids. My in-laws are in CT and keep an apt in NYC, so we'll always have a place that feels like home when we go back.
[ Reply | Options ]Yes, the weather is awesome, dh, dc's and I are outside all the time hiking and biking. the childrens musuem and exploratorium are great and the public schools are amazing. DH takes the ferry to work everday..I could go on and on. I still love NYC but the lifestyle is so much better.
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I wish I could say GREAT IDEA! op but the truth is, NY is taking the last drop of piss right out of us. I'm a native, made pretty good money for many years but haven't got much work now. The ny I knew and loved didn't disappear when my$$ did-it's been gone for a long while. All gfs that have moved west are much happier, with exponentially increased happiness and qualities of lifestyle. NY IS still unlike ANY where else but it is hard. We make the very most of it and our kids don't feel our struggles the same way but they'd definitely be heaalthier people with a more outdoor, natural surrounding and frequent trips back. Best of Luck to you all!
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I have a love hate thing with the City. You may want to consider the North Slope or Brooklyn Heights too. NYC itself can be a HUGE adjustment, but some of the Brooklyn nabes are really gorgeous, more family friendly, haven't been completely over run by chain stores, traffic and development... I'd move to the North Slope (Park Slope) in a hot minute if I thought we could sell our co-op.
[ Reply | Options ]^^OP. Thank you everyone for our comments. Husband and I have always loved NYC and are really excited to move. We've been in LA for over 15 years. Just worry about the kids, 6 and 9. We have a very comfortable life here. In the end the move is the best thing for us financially in the long run.
[ Reply | Options ]You didn't answer what your HHI is. That makes a HUGE difference in quality of life in NYC.
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yes. initially didn't want to move unless husband made 2x as much. didn't like the idea of struggling in NYC, especially with the kids. but you know what, I am ok with it now. husband and i are hard workers and if the kids get into private, the family will make sacrifices financially to pay for it. it will be a good lesson for the kids as well...they have had life pretty easy so far.
[ Reply | Options ]Thank you for this. So often on this board, people say stupid things about money. "300k will be tight" and so on. You flattened that idea nicely. And btw, you really may want to consider Park Slope or Cobble Hill. Both easy commutes to Manhattan, and both have wonderful public schools. They could be safety nets, or you could simply save the 60k (and up!) per year and tuck it into college savings and so on.
[ Reply | Options ]it will be tight, but people do it on that income. Most of your income will go to living expenses and tuition. Get rid of your car and keep abreast of free entertainment (there's lots of it in the city) and make an effort to take advantage of it. It takes a lot of organization to have a "rich" life on a limited budget . . . but it can be done.
[ Reply | Options ]$300k is a HUGE salary for NYC or anywhere, except on UB, which is full of richy riches. you'll be FINE.
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wow, dh makes about that and we are moving b/it is bankrupting us to keep 2 dcs in private. We cannnot afford living here on that salary. But I will tell you that I LOVE living in NYC and am heartbroken to leave. You will love it-GL!
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NP: I disagree. Money is money. Some allow it to make a huge difference in their life, others don't. Money is not the good stuff in life.
[ Reply | Options ]It does make a difference as far as balancing issues related to space, education, taking advantage of a lot that nyc has to offer. In nyc where things just cost more than most places, money is an issue. You do not need it to be a huge issue but the less you have the more compromises you will have to make.
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There seems to be a lot of projecting of fear going on here. How many of you have jobs or have dh with a job with base salary of 200 to 250k, and you depend on the annual bonus to put you into the stratosphere? Well, you may be in a pickle this year, along with most in the financial sector. So this idea that you simply cannot "make it" in NYC on 300k, while ridiculous, may also get tested seriously by many of you.
[ Reply | Options ]Stay in LA - 300k with 2 kids in NYC is poor. You will be lucky to rent a 3 bedroom for 5k a month and the private schools are 30k a year except Catholic. I from Manhattan Beach CA and dream about moving back to LA. My husband and I are raising our 3 year old daughter here and she loves it and plays in central Park, Goes to a great Preschool, goes to Musuems etc. for exciting educational place for a child but also very expensive. You cant even have a Birthday party at a place for less the 1,000. Its a lot easier to be broke in LA then NYC. It your determined to come to the big apple think of it as a adventure and set a time limit to move back to LA like before the kids start middle school.
[ Reply | Options ]You can't "have" a birthday party for less than $1,000? Are you out of your mind? It's called scratch cake at home, some presents and singing, a few friends, and a fun activity. About 40 bucks.
[ Reply | Options ]She said you can't have a birthday party "at a place" for less than $1000k. Brush up on your reading comp...
[ Reply | Options ]I am raising a 6 year old here in NYC and have an HHI of $170 K a year. She goes to a great public school, great summer camp. We don't have $1000 birthday parties. We live in a great Brooklyn neighborhood and own a car so we can get out of the city when we feel like it. Honestly, I wish we made more so we could afford vacations but all in all life isn't bad. We love living here. I think about moving to a suburban area to get more for my money but I like my lifestyle just fine here.
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you are INSANE. do you realize $300k is a huge salary no matter where you're living? of course she'll be absolutely fine. she doesn't need private school because she has enough $ to live in a good public school district.
[ Reply | Options ]You are so right. Listen to the above poster. My kid goes to a great citywide school and I would say that most of the kids that go there come from families that could afford private. Don't dismiss the public school option. Do your research and then decide. I considered private school too for my dc. I did the tours etc. I know I was lucky that my dc got into citywide but my back up was another great public gen ed.
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It's a wonderful place to raise kids, but it is expensive (not that CA isn't, but it's expensive in different ways). One suggestion: use is as an opportunity to do a major downsize of material goods. You are always going to be strapped for space in NYC regardless of your income or square footage. Do a MAJOR purge before packing. Anything you don't use regularly, either sell or give away. You won't miss it!
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It's not, and I think your kids will resent you for it. That's sort of old be changing their lifestyle so drastically.
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Wow! Really classy! I agree with the poster above, you are obviously not in the same league as the rest of us on here and don't belong in the conversation.
[ Reply | Options ]You ^^ are a bitch to the nth degree. I agree with some of the posters who are finding her lashing out at you and some of these others as appropriate. Listen to yourself! "you are obviously not in the same league..." it reminded me instantly of the head cheerleader at my jr. high school, who was just AWFUL. Popular anyway because of a fortuitous combination of looks and money, but awful. She used to say things like that to peripheral peer players. Ugh. Makes my stomach hurt just recalling.
[ Reply | Options ]You just described me in high school! My jr high didn't have cheerleaders, though I would have been one if it had.
[ Reply | Options ]Grow up. The C-word poster is clearly an unstable reactionary. Or fake. Get off the drama llama about junior high.
[ Reply | Options ]What the fuck are you ladies talking about? It isn't my drama, I was recounting it because YOU all seem to retain so much of it, or continue to act, even as grown adult mothers, like jr. high school cheerleaders putting other women down and calling them out of your league. It is adolescent and ridiculous, and is, seemingly, now YOUR drama. I was in essence asking you to grow up.
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i dont believe you for one minute. not possible - even if your apt. cost $1,000 / month - that would mean you, dh + 3 kids would live on $58k a year - not in tribeca - liar!
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That's our HHI exactly and we could never, ever afford private for 2 on that in NYC. We have additional expenses - student loans, ft nanny (because we both work), etc., but none of them add up to 2 private school tuitions. Definintely move into a great public school zone just in case and have your kids take the gifted and talented test when you're finally in NYC over the summer. Best of luck!
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Do the math 300K=200K after taxes. Private is approx 65K and rent will be around 5k month=60K a year. That leaves you with 75K or $6,250month for food, phone, cable, IRA, college savings – and that is w/o a single party, cocktail, vacation etc.—you will be very stretched.
[ Reply | Options ]NP: ITA. That is very little money if you have any childcare needs beyond just school also. Forget OPs details, but if you need to pay someone to help with school pick ups/drops offs even 4 hrs/day x 5 days x 15/hr = another $1200/month gone. Now we're down to $5K. Groceries, utilities, life ins premiums, any 401 contributions, student loans or any debt? It is incredibly tight and you will be watching every cent.
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OK.. I have no idea what these people spend their money on (thousand dollar shoes etc..) but 300K is fine with private schools! Park Slope good idea. Can buy nice apt(2 -3 bdr) for 1-1.2m in Park Slope or house in Ditmas/Windsore Terrace for same. Booklyn privates are cheaper (25K)than Manhattan avarage (35K)... hard to get into though. NYC fabulous place to bring up kids!Go for it!
[ Reply | Options ]To the OP: Make sure to inquire with DOE's Gifted & Talented Program about over-the-summer testing procedures for entry. They will make testing available to newcomers moving to NYC over the summer, but you will need to be proactive about this. Email and call until you get answers.
[ Reply | Options ]Are you set on living in NYC? I make about $300K and have 2DC and, although we loved living in the city, we moved to the suburbs before my oldest DD started school. It's not that we couldn't have afforded to stay - it just would have involved a lot more compromises than we personally wanted to make.
[ Reply | Options ]I am from California and I have to say that you need to prepared to have compromises. 300k in California goes so much further than NYC. Everything and I mean everything is more expensive. You pay for space and I don't mean cutting down to half the size of your house, I mean cutting down to 1/4 of your house space for much more money. Consider that a 100 square foot apartment is 1,000 bucks in NYC and not a nice one. Can you do it? Absolutely! But some of the "luxuries" from California are going away. If you want private school, you are going to be middle class. Again middle class! If you go to public school, you are going to keep more of comforts. Start looking at what it would cost to either buy or rent your current place in NYC. Can you even get into private school? Check out the school board. NYC is really exciting with so many things to do and really this move is going to be so exciting with the right mindset. But in some ways moving from CA to NY is like moving from Utah to California. Both nice but one way more expensive.
[ Reply | Options ]We just moved from San Francisco 2wks ago. It's a lot different, good and bad. Yes, much more expensive. We took a place in Westchester - lots of room, great schools, 30~ min commute. Decided to do it this way to see just what expenses are going to be and where we want them to go. Miss the city something fierce, but a year in the 'burbs to figure everything out seems an ok compromise. Might think about it as an option.
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My son is 2. We figured this way we could find our area (be it the City or Park Slope, etc) with a little less stress. House rentals are affordable. Can see it being a little more difficult with 6 and 9, not wanting to switch schools continually. 2 is a much easier age. But thought I'd throw it out there - there are always options. cheers.
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I live in Park Slope with a toddler and feel so fortunate to be living here!!!! Make sure you move nearby a park - CP or PP.
[ Reply | Options ]I was just going to suggest Park Slope. Wanting to preserve some of your outdoor sensibilities, you need to be near a park. Concerned about school but at $300K, you need a good public. A Central Park apartment that you can comfortably afford would be some close quarters with two big kids. This, to me, suggests Park Slope. PS 321 is one of the best in the city, you could probably rent a duplex with 3 BRs comfortably that might have some outdoor space. As a transplanted Californian myself, I would suggest moving to the city first and seeing if you like it. If not, you can always move to Westchester or something later on, but at least you tried... On the flip side, if you are a car person and need to keep your car for personal reasons or just cuz you can't imagine life without it, get thee to Scarsdale.
[ Reply | Options ]I live in Brooklyn with a car. Depending on the neighborhood, parking isn't a problem. PS 29 in Cobble Hill is good. Carroll Gardens is a beautiful neighborhood and also has good schools. PS 321 in Park Slope is overcrowded. Class size is huge. Same with 234 in Tribeca. I would look into Cobble Hill's PS 29.
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I need a new job... After reading this I am convinced. I work for a non-profit and my 35k salary (with two masters degrees) is clearly ridiculous. DH makes 135k but if we ever want to have kids, I am going to need to switch sectors. How depressing.
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