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
bklyndoug just made me pee my pants.
I can’t live in LA because I have to see what people are wearing from the shoulders down.
11217 –
How did you arrive at such a conclusion about surburban living? Beyond your informative and comprehensive Facebook page, I mean? I’d have to believe, given how you are so clearly learned and into self-betterment and all, that you used the most rigorous of techniques to develop your findings.
I for one am fascinated by your brilliant analysis, since I recently moved to the suburbs. I am now very concerned about what I have done. Because if what you say is true, I, like everyone else around me, will soon grow flaccid, fat and lazy.
Help! You should write an expose about this clear phenomenon immediately so all of us suburban fools can become more self-aware and live in the city with creative, all knowing and tolerant people like you. That way we can learn and better ourselves with the best.
I mean you say you love your suburban friends just the same even though we are idiots for living here. You’d be doing us all such a great service. People up here are just waiting for someone like you to tell us our choice for a yard, more consistent public schools and tight knit communities is the wrong one for us. Enlighten us! Let us all be your Facebook friends so we can learn your teachings and share our tales of misery in the hinterlands. Where we get no creative succor and are forced to watch Glee and eat high fructose corn syrup.
People have their own circumstances. People make choices. Life is full of tradeoffs. It does not make you a better person to live in the city. It simply makes it your choice. That’s it.
As someone who claims to value learning and bettering oneself, your knack for stereotyping make you come off as valuing neither. Instead, you seem to be an arrogant and insecure elitist.
Off to Costco now.
LA is an enormous sub with no urb.
I don’t mind being called a snob on here. It couldn’t be any less a part of my real life personality but if that’s what you all get, I’ll go with it.
Only white people say they want diversity in their neighborhoods.
There is almost nothing that could get me to live in LA.
dittoburg: I once crossed the Hudson in a kayak, it was terrifying.
No less terrifying than the Lincoln Tunnel on a Friday at rush hour.
Rob, I imagine you are right, that buses are not so horrible.
I shouldn’t have used LA as an example….it’s a terrible city, if you can even call it that.
Very little urban in nature about LA….