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My husband and I (early 30s) will be relocating to NYC for work with our 6 months old son. I'm a full time mom and the husband earns $140,000 pre-tax. His office is located in 7th Ave. We desperately need help in finding an apartment, settling down, taxes, etc. Would greatly appreciate any info...
1. Where is a "safe" area to live? Our budget is $2,000 - $3,000 for (hopefully) a 2 bedroom apartment. Preferably it's within 30 mins from the office, with a w/d in the unit, nearby amenities such as grocery shops / restaurants, and pet friendly as we have a 15 lbs miniature schnauzer. As we have a baby, safety is a very important consideration for us.
2. If we live in NJ, will we be double-taxed?
3. Would it makes sense financially to own a car in NY? The husband most probably will take public transport to work, but it may be easier for me to travel with the baby if we have a car.
4. How much is the average cost of living in NY? e.g. utilities, food, phone.
Thank you so much in advance. We'd really appreciate the help...
My husband and I (early 30s) will be relocating to NYC for work with our 6 months old son. I'm a full time mom and the husband earns $140,000 pre-tax. His office is located in 7th Ave. We desperately need help in finding an apartment, settling down, taxes, etc. Would greatly appreciate any info...
1. Where is a "safe" area to live? Our budget is $2,000 - $3,000 for (hopefully) a 2 bedroom apartment. Preferably it's within 30 mins from the office, with a w/d in the unit, nearby amenities such as grocery shops / restaurants, and pet friendly as we have a 15 lbs miniature schnauzer. As we have a baby, safety is a very important consideration for us.
2. If we live in NJ, will we be double-taxed?
3. Would it makes sense financially to own a car in NY? The husband most probably will take public transport to work, but it may be easier for me to travel with the baby if we have a car.
4. How much is the average cost of living in NY? e.g. utilities, food, phone.
Thank you so much in advance. We'd really appreciate the help...
You're not going to find a NICE 2 bedroom apartment with that budget. Seventh Avenue is a long avenue - what's the cross street? Washers and dryers in units aren't very common and you'll pay a premium. Many buildings do permit small dogs, but you'll pay a premium for that, too.
You won't be double taxed if you live in NJ, but the commute will be more than 30 minutes door to door. Generally, the cost of living is more in NYC than across the river in New Jersey. Food and essentials (dry cleaning, housekeeping supplies) are expensive. Cars are a luxury in Manhattan, although not necessarily in other parts of NYC. To keep a car in a garage (unless you enjoy spending 45 minutes every day just LOOKING for a legal space) starts at $400/month and goes up from there.
You could probably find something nice in Hoboken in your price range. It's got a lot of young families and is much more car friendly, which I know is important if you are lugging around a baby. There's also easy access to PATH, which would get your husband within a very short subway ride to work.
You could also find a nice 2 bed in Park Slope (Brooklyn) in your price range, which is my favorite area in NYC. If I didn't work in the UWS, I would move to Park Slope. Parking will be really tough, but it's more common for people to have cars in that area. It's incredibly family friendly and has good schools, which will be important in a few years. There are a lot of different subway lines in that area, so you could probably find a reasonable (30-45 minute) commute for your husband.
If you really really want Manhattan, check out the area just south of Columbia University- 100 to 116th between Amsterdam and Riverside Drive. You could get a decent 2 bed at the upper end of your price range in that area, and you'd be near the 1, which runs along 7th ave. You would be hard pressed to keep a car in that area. You'd need to budget money for a garage (starting at $400 a month). Would a ZipCar membership work for you?
you may find a nice 2BR in midtown west. i was searching heavily in the area the past couple weeks and came across a few listings for 2BR/2BA in a nice building (doorman/elevator/gym/basement laundry) for at or under $3K a month (including incentives). It'll most likely be between 42nd and 59th around 10th ave.
PM me if you want details, as I have a couple listings in mind that I was considering (i'm not a broker)
Your post does not make very clear your preferences, and whether you are looking to live in the city or not, or how strong that preference is. I suggest you consider Riverdale on your budget, and you might be able to afford to have a car there as well. You are not likely to find a two bedroom with a w/d below 96th street in Manhattan. You might have better luck looking for a floor of a brownstone in nearby Brooklyn, like Cobble Hill, Boerem, Brooklyn Heights, Park Slope, but that too likely will be pushing your budget.
Best bet would be to rent something in suburban Long Island, NJ, or Westchester and keep your car for traveling with the baby. For $2500, you might be able to rent a whole house with a yard and a washer/dryer. You'll get to meet other SAHMs, go Mommy and Me classes, Gymboree, story time at the library, the community pool in the summer and be able to run over to the pediatrican easily. Car insurance won't be cheap, but cheaper than within the NYC limits and easier parking. You could find something within an hour or so commute, but in the NY area, most everyone travels to work for at least an hour or more, even if you live in NYC proper. Tell Hubby to deal. Everyone else does. Being cooped up with a toddler in a small older apartment is not fun and dragging the baby with you to the laundromat is no picnic. $140,000 for 3 people is a nice salary, but not a huge salary for NY and you will want to save some of it for a house and college. Yes, you will have to pay a tax because Hubby is working in the city.
There are a lot of new-construction rentals in Long Island City, Queens. You could probably find a 2 bedroom at the upper end of your budget. It's a very quick commute to Midtown. As they're new-construction, most have doormen and they would certainly have laundry in the building if not the apartment.
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