Park Slope Versus The Burbs
New York has a reputation for being an expensive town, which of course it is. But the high housing prices and rents don’t tell the whole story. You see, New Yorkers don’t necessarily need cars. And our property taxes are pretty low. Which is why a Times story this weekend comparing the cost of living…
New York has a reputation for being an expensive town, which of course it is. But the high housing prices and rents don’t tell the whole story. You see, New Yorkers don’t necessarily need cars. And our property taxes are pretty low. Which is why a Times story this weekend comparing the cost of living in Park Slope versus Orange, NJ found that a family of four with a household income of $170,000 could actually live more inexpensively in Brooklyn than Jersey. In fact, monthly expenses were $1,285 cheaper in the County of Kings. “Specifically, each month, the suburban family needs to lay out about $5,668 to run their home and commute to work in Manhattan, compared with $3,852 for the urban family,” said The Times. “That includes most relatively static expenses — from the mortgage, property taxes and homeowner’s insurance, to transportation, utility bills and, for the house, landscaping. ” The major caveat: If you want to send your kids to private school, fuhgettaboutit. You’re better off moving to the burbs.
High-Rise, or House With Yard? [NY Times]
Photo by Betty Blade
“If it’s so silly why do almost all great artists/musicians/writers move to urban centers?”
The urban centers are where you SELL your art. It is where the money is and where you can receive the most press.
You write about sameness, but don’t seem to recognize every artist has their own creative process. If it was so much easier to be an artist in the city, there wouldn’t be so many artists retreats in the middle of nowhere with thousands of artists applying to participate every year.
I love Manhattan (and Brooklyn), but I can honestly say that there are smaller urban centers where the quality of life for middle income people (not 175,000) is arguably better. Shorter commutes, better housing stock, “Cultural” opportunities that you don’t have to pay an arm and a leg for, and nature closer at hand. Oh, yeah, and I know that people in Brooklyn shop at Walmart and watch trash tv.
quote:
Listen, I’m not happy that people are unhappy. But when I have people writing on my page that if I ever want to switch places with them (regularly) I know it’s not just an outlier situation.
oh you are SO full of it. and your other comment that people are writing on your facebook page about their obese children!? :-/ i really doubt that. i really dont think people are writing on your facebook page wanting to move into your little overpriced hovel.
*rob*
A few of them may move out of the city, but the majority live in New York, London, Paris, LA, Istanbul, Buenos Aires, etc. And back in the day it was Salzburg, Vienna, Budapest, Paris, New York, etc.
If you really think the majority of great artists live in Montclair or Burlington or Westchester, you’re really fooling yourself. Or you just want to contradict everything I say for fun.
“If it’s so silly why do almost all great artists/musicians/writers move to urban centers?”
That’s where the money is. Publishers, producers, record labels. Once they “make it”, many of them move to Vermont, Upstate NY, Wyoming, etc. Heck, many even move to the NYC ‘burbs.
whats the bike lane situation in Orange?
If it’s so silly why do almost all great artists/musicians/writers move to urban centers?
“Maybe we’re really the joke and people in cities like Portland are laughing.”
Every time I’m in Portland, the people I meet want to live in Brooklyn so bad it isn’t even funny. Not quite sure why….Portland is magnificent on many levels.
“It’s easier to be creative in the city, Ditto because one isn’t surrounded by so much same-ness.”
That’s just a silly statement.