Leaving Brooklyn For The Burbs
After 10 years we are leaving Brooklyn for the suburbs. The primary reason is a desire for consistently decent public schools for our 2 kids. Other reasons are the typical ones you hear – more space, a yard, etc. Despite our rationale for moving I find myself deeply saddened about leaving and am worried that…
After 10 years we are leaving Brooklyn for the suburbs. The primary reason is a desire for consistently decent public schools for our 2 kids. Other reasons are the typical ones you hear – more space, a yard, etc.
Despite our rationale for moving I find myself deeply saddened about leaving and am worried that I will have a hard time adjusting to suburban life.
What have been the experiences of others who have blazed the suburban trail before me? How long did it take to adjust (if ever)? Were your reasons for leaving ultimately justified? What do you miss most about Brooklyn?
We have friends that moved to Beacon and love it. No restaurants to speak of, but cheap housing and space and a train link into midtown. They have complained about the teenagers having nothing better to do than get drunk and go cow tipping however! Schools are so-so I hear. I’ve got 2 kids growing up in Victorian Flatbush and going to public schools. If you can afford it, this area is a good compromise. space, trees, yards, driveway, plus express subway and access to urban amenities. Otherwise, I’d try Midwood where a whole house costs maybe 5-600k. Once you factor in commuting costs and taxes, and the not-so-great public schools in the suburbs, it may not wind up cheaper. Just food for thought. I did 3 years in the Maryland suburbs of DC and hated every minute of it, but love love love living here.
If its schools you are concerned about and don’t want to leave an urban environment, Bay Ridge’s PS 185 is ranked no 6 in NYC schools. Plus music class is given in every grade. We were pleasantly surprised about that. Were were originally zoned for PS 321 but left for more space and a yard with a veggie garden!
But if you must leave, my sister lives in Verona, NJ one town over from Montclair. So she enjoys the benefits of Montclair without the taxes. Still high compared to here but not as bad as Montclair. Schools are great too.
Good luck in whatever you decide.
My husband and I are about to move from Brooklyn to NJ and we’ve both lived here our whole lives. I wouldn’t go anywhere until you are really ready to leave Brooklyn. “Cheap housing” is just not enough of a reason to keep you from regretting it. I never, ever thought I would leave Brooklyn and if I had gone any earlier I would have been miserable. We’re leaving because we’re simply tired of living here. I’ll always miss the Brooklyn I grew up in but this isn’t it. It’s still a nice place for some people but it isn’t what I want anymore. Look around before you decide to make a move because there are suburbs that aren’t as rural as everyone seems to think. People have this delusion that if you leave NYC you will have to drive to get milk. I don’t know why people have an obsessive need to have milk available for purchase with 10ft of their front door but there are places in NJ that have stores. Really – there are. We’ll be able to walk to stores, the library, and commuter bus, etc. We don’t have a nice little downtown area but there are plenty of places that do. Granted – I will never eat a bagel out there and who knows how many choices we’ll have in restaurants but we’re planning to have a baby so we won’t be going out for a few years anyway!! If that wasn’t the case and we were going to continue to have lots of money and time to spend only on ourselves, I don’t know if we would be doing this. Don’t go before you’re ready because it will just cost you way more to come back in a year or two.
I also disagree about
I have had many friends and relatives move to Montclair, NJ and they really like it over there. It is really pretty. The kids don’t interact much with other kids in a spontaneous, meet up at the playground kind of way. And even though it is considered a diverse and open minded place in terms of family makeup, etc….it is not nearly what I would consider a diverse place at all. There are minorities living there. But it is not as integrated as Brooklyn. I keep visiting and wondering if I would appreciate it for what it is, or if I just like it because it has a lot of things that Brooklyn doesn’t: space, more trees, nice public pools and rec facilities, a school system that doesn’t seem to wear everybody out. But if I were considering a suburb I would definitely consider this one. I know a good realtor there too. If you post your email address I will send you that person’s contact info.
school is for suckers
– nj resident
you don’t have to send your kid to public school in order to recognize pure, unadulterated racism. And yes, I went to public school. And so did the rest of the family.
just curious about all the peoplo who refuted 8:43. do you send your kids to a nyc public school? be truthful, and not so limosine liberal about it.
Hmm – not to mention that with the current baby boom happening in the city, and families choosing to stay the competition for public schools in the city is going to increase dramatically. This should cause the quality of many schools to increase, as well as, other great charter schools to open up.
If you look at what is happening to NYC schools now, you’ll easily see that the public school eduction in the city is going to be much greater than anything you’ll find in suburbia.
Op, 8:43 is your reason for staying. Who the hell wants this person for neighbor?
Remember trash is stored outside of the city.