Thanks for your responses.

Budget: probably somewhere in the $2-3K range.

Schools: by the time we actually do this, it's possible we could have needs for pre-school/kindergarten/1st grade. But it may happen before any of that is required... still, it should probably be something that is taken into consideration. We wouldn't want to move here only to have to move again, especially as I'm pretty sure we'd rent first.

rh: do you know anything about schools in the area you mentioned?

I also wanted to mention that we currently live in area that is considered 'up and coming' in the Bay Area. There are a lot of people who would be afraid to live here because they're afraid of violence, etc. Admittedly, when we first moved here, I was a little apprehensive... but we now feel very safe here. I prefer an 'urban' feel anyway, I'm definitely not your typical suburban type, although you wouldn't think that to look at me probably... what I'm trying to say is, we'd love to find a similar type neighborhood in NY... somewhere that a lot of people might not consider, but that is actually quite safe... wondering if that exists at all in NYC, or is it just better to stay away from anything that isn't pretty much considered to be safe. I've always had the impression that the 'iffy' areas in NYC truly are iffy, and it's best to avoid them. But it's hard to really judge that, not living there... your thoughts? Thanks again.

Posted by: blacklightblue at October 18, 2007 12:41 PM in response to moving to NYC (or thereabouts)

Hi guest 12:39pm: thanks, and yes, a loft-ish type place outside of Manhattan would be ideal. We both work from home (consultants), so the commute is not that big of an issue, although we would most likely have at least some clients in Manhattan. In terms of lifestyle though, we love Manhattan, so would also want to be close enough so that visiting/spending the day here would not be a complete hassle. This leads me to two other questions:

1/Commuting to/from Manhattan: in general, how are the trains in terms of safety? We visited with some friends here last year in the late fall. They did a day trip to Brooklyn and were harassed on the train. Common? How late can you safely take a train and what about traveling alone on the trains (for women, especially)?

2/Income comparisons: anyone know of a could place to get data on income for consultants in the NYC area? I know of plenty of sites for salaries, but working as a consultant is not the same thing. We'd be looking for info in the high tech (systems architecture) and branding/marketing/graphic design industries.

Thanks again for all of your replies.

Posted by: blacklightblue at October 18, 2007 12:46 PM in response to moving to NYC (or thereabouts)

hi rh... thanks for trying, if you have a sec, would you mind resending to me at blacklightlbuebird@gmail.com ? I'd love to see whatever links you sent... checked out reclaimedhome.com and have it bookmarked. Interesting info and I'll check out Bushwick as well. Thanks again...

Posted by: blacklightblue at October 18, 2007 1:38 PM in response to moving to NYC (or thereabouts)

clarification: we're thinking $2-3K for a monthly rental when we first get there. I know you can't rent a loft for that amount in NYC. We would need a 2BR. Space will be more important if/when we buy, as long as we are near Manhattan in a decent neighborhood, we'd be fine. We currently have 1670 sq ft (palatial, I know, compared to NY.) I doubt we'll find anything that big in our price range. We got a deal in CA (knew the broker, first offer to a very motivated seller), it would be great to get that lucky again, but we're not betting on it, hence I'm doing lots of homework.

fyi to the person who wanted to know what area we are in in CA: Jack London Square in Oakland. It's a mix of urban and gentrified and very cute in some areas. Not at all far from some very iffy areas though too. I'd love to know what 'up and coming NYC' is versus CA. UAC in CA can mean a lot of different things... there's only one truly bad area in Oakland, known as 'The Killing Fields', it's East Oakland and most people who don't belong there know it and avoid it. I'm trying to get a sense of where those areas are in NYC burroughs, it's hard to tell, but it seems like there are more of them and that they are more interspersed with the 'better' neighborhoods.

Posted by: blacklightblue at October 18, 2007 3:36 PM in response to moving to NYC (or thereabouts)

guest at October 18, 2007 3:31 PM: haha, I think I know *exactly* which 'lofts' your friends lived in... I've often driven by thinking, sh*t, those BART trains must be awful... and yes, we are definitely renting first. We never would have bought where we live now if we didn't already know the area really well because we lived nearby.

Also to the people commenting about the harassment: my friends are a couple, male/female, late 30s, pretty savvy folks, well-traveled. I don't know the specifics, but it was a group of black guys, they were scary and threatening enough that the guy in the couple was like 'we need to get OFF of this train'. I don't know how/why it happened, but it rattled them. I'm always glad to hear that NYers feel the trains are safe. I've always had that impression, I was surprised when our friends told us this at dinner that night.

Posted by: blacklightblue at October 18, 2007 3:43 PM in response to moving to NYC (or thereabouts)

as a possible renter, yes, this would be nice to see!

Posted by: blacklightblue at October 18, 2007 5:45 PM in response to Community for Rental Seekers

6:09pm, I'm not at all interested in bickering with you online, but how are you getting that when I said 'safe' I meant 'no blacks'? I could just as easily say 'I love how black people assume I'm only talking about black people when I mention safety...' You're making an assumption, and it's entirely unjustified. I'm not about to go explaining to you what 'safety' means to me, I'm not going to take the bait... but seriously, you are way out of line when you suggest that you have any idea what goes on in my little noggin. You don't know me, for all you know, I could be black or asian or native american... where do you get off making your self-righteous assumptions?

Scared of black people? Hardly. Closed-minded, judgmental and assumptive thinking does scare me though.

And just so you know, that's all I'm going to say on this matter. It's so funny how message boards inevitably be become argument boards, no matter *what* the topic... sigh.

Posted by: blacklightblue at October 18, 2007 6:25 PM in response to moving to NYC (or thereabouts)

oh and uh, just for your edification: asians commit crimes too... as do a lot of other races... have you watched the news recently...?

Let me apply your logic to your own comment:
"I love how black people think all people who are concerned about safety are white."

See how that works? Or doesn't?

And this is *truly* all I'm going to say about this, because it's definitely off-topic, as far as I'm concerned. Not to mention incredibly rude.

Posted by: blacklightblue at October 18, 2007 6:40 PM in response to moving to NYC (or thereabouts)

oh wow, 6:25, is that some authentic NY sarcasm you're dishing out there...? impressive!

Posted by: blacklightblue at October 18, 2007 7:02 PM in response to relocating to NYC: yeah or ney?

thanks, 6:53... I don't know that we could do Manhattan to start. We can't do cramped, being consultants that both work from home, so unless we land million-dollar contracts off the bat, I think we need to start in Brooklyn. Maybe Manhattan once things are off the ground.

And I completely agree with you on NYC in general. I've visited 3 times so far, and this places makes me feel like no other. And I've traveled pretty extensively... thanks for your response, I appreciate the feedback.

Posted by: blacklightblue at October 18, 2007 7:08 PM in response to relocating to NYC: yeah or ney?

Boring boring boring boring...

Posted by: guest at October 19, 2007 2:32 PM in response to moving to NYC (or thereabouts)

blackbluelight - definitely 'ney'. Do not come here - STAY where you are............

Posted by: guest at October 19, 2007 2:33 PM in response to relocating to NYC: yeah or ney?

2:26 and 2:33, don't you have something better to do on a Friday afternoon in NYC than post on a blog? LMAO. And P.S., that kind of hostility gives you cancer. Have a nice day!

Posted by: blacklightblue at October 19, 2007 3:00 PM in response to relocating to NYC: yeah or ney?

Don't YOU have something better to do, blackbluebitch than to post multiple threads, commenting every other minute on stupid asinine questions about moving to New York?

If you're so freakin worldly, you should already know what it's like here.

And from the sound of your posts, you belong in an insane assylum...not in NYC.

Posted by: guest at October 19, 2007 3:05 PM in response to relocating to NYC: yeah or ney?

it wont work. the problem is that there are a lot more crappy apartments than good ones. The good ones rent quickly and the undesireable ones languish.

Posted by: slick at October 19, 2007 3:14 PM in response to Community for Rental Seekers

blackblue, you have no sense of humor, please obtain some before you relocate to NY, otherwise you are sure to get a NY style arse kicking soon after you arrive.

Posted by: guest at October 19, 2007 3:17 PM in response to relocating to NYC: yeah or ney?

HAHAHahhAhHAhAHahaHAHhaHaH!

Posted by: guest at October 19, 2007 3:18 PM in response to relocating to NYC: yeah or ney?

"2:26 and 2:33, don't you have something better to do on a Friday afternoon in NYC than post on a blog? LMAO. And P.S., that kind of hostility gives you cancer. Have a nice day!"

As opposed to your glorious comments...ALSO POSTING ON A BLOG ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON??!!

C U Next Tuesday!

Anyone who writes "LMAO" is either 12 or a total loon.

Posted by: guest at October 19, 2007 3:25 PM in response to relocating to NYC: yeah or ney?

think it's the yahoo group
parents11211

Posted by: guest at October 19, 2007 3:27 PM in response to moving to NYC (or thereabouts)

I love C U Next Tuesday - the saying and the thing -but it is my inner 13 year old.

Posted by: guest at October 19, 2007 3:29 PM in response to relocating to NYC: yeah or ney?