Like A Mofo Posted January 8, 2006 Share Posted January 8, 2006 If you want to live in New Jersey, I would suggest Central New Jersey (I live in Sayreville myself), Middlesex Country or Northern Monmouth County preferrably. Some good towns in the area: Sayreville East Brunswick (known for having a good school system) Woodbridge Edison And all of these towns offer very good options to commute to NYC by train or bus. We live in an apartment complex, and my wife's bus that goes to Wall Street comes right up our street, so she can walk out the door, walk for 2 minutes to the downtown NYC bus and she is there in no time. Plus living in Central NJ you are approx 45 min from NYC, 30-45 minutes from the beach, almost 45-1 hr from Morristown/Parsippany area, 45 minutes from the Princeton/Trenton area, and about 1hr 20 minutes from Philly, and have very good access to all major roads in New Jersey. So if for some reason you landed another job in the NYC or virtually anywhere in New Jersey, Central New Jersey is a good location commute wise. Houses, decent ones at least will set you back 350K+ MINIMUM Good 2 bedroom apartments will be 1200/month or more, depending on location. PM me if you have any questions at all, would be happy to give you any information that might be helpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guffalo Posted January 9, 2006 Share Posted January 9, 2006 See? Now we're on the right track. I've been looking for something that gives me like a 30 - 45 minute radius around the city... CT, LI, PA, NJ, NY... I'm not real familiar with the geography up there, Dutchess and Westchester counties were always "where the rich folks lived", so said my father. I'd assume Salaries up there are higher than here in the Atlanta area, too. -Jeff 557960[/snapback] Wantagh Long Island here, about 45 minutes to mid town Manhattan, although if the interview is on lower Broadway (I am down on 39 Broadway), going through Brooklyn it's a little more like an hour door to door. Home prices vary on the south shore although starting from 370K-425K can get you a simple 2-3 bedroom with some work to do. The schools vary from town to town, although they are generally solid school systems despite the publicity you may have seen about some of the corruption with the school boards. Nassau county has a very extensive park system and you are near several great beaches. As you see it the thread, the NYCBBB have already chirped in, they are a good group, and JetBlue is right out Kennedy to Buffalo goes around 49 each way if you book em in advance. Good luck on the interview!! Let us know how you did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcjeff215 Posted January 9, 2006 Author Share Posted January 9, 2006 Wantagh Long Island here, about 45 minutes to mid town Manhattan, although if the interview is on lower Broadway (I am down on 39 Broadway), going through Brooklyn it's a little more like an hour door to door. Home prices vary on the south shore although starting from 370K-425K can get you a simple 2-3 bedroom with some work to do. The schools vary from town to town, although they are generally solid school systems despite the publicity you may have seen about some of the corruption with the school boards. Nassau county has a very extensive park system and you are near several great beaches. As you see it the thread, the NYCBBB have already chirped in, they are a good group, and JetBlue is right out Kennedy to Buffalo goes around 49 each way if you book em in advance. Good luck on the interview!! Let us know how you did. 559806[/snapback] The housing $$ are turning me off. Wow. For 400 here in Atlanta I could have my own freakin' lake. That, from what I can tell, is really the only true downside. Even my Atlanta-born wife is starting to get happy at the idea of living near NYC. I'd been looking at both Long Island and CT just briefly. I haven't spent much time on it as I'm not sure how this interview will go or if they'll offer enough. This is my SIXTH interview with this company. Prior to the first, they told me that if I got far enough to fly out to California, it was all but a done deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRH Posted January 9, 2006 Share Posted January 9, 2006 CT is fairly expensive. The part of the state that borders NY is outrageous and some of the most expensive real estate in the country. Stamford is blowing up now-you would have to move to at least Bridgeport(not a desirable area) or Stratford. Lots of traffic down that way too but the train is convenient for a commute 557990[/snapback] Bridgeport isn't desirable, but Trumbull (which is next door to Bridgeport and Stratford and which is where my wife is from) is. Trumbull and Shelton are nice bedroom communities but plan on spending at least 400-450K for a house at minimum. My uncle-in-law is a realtor in Trumbull. If you want I can put you in touch with him; he helped a friend from here (Rochester) find a house in Trumbull after he got a job in Norwalk. PM me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bills_fan Posted January 9, 2006 Share Posted January 9, 2006 McJeff I am originally from Buff, living here in NYC for 5+ years now. I live in Brooklyn, Bay Ridge, and have a 30 min commute, door to door. I own a 2 bed apt with a great view. Its fine right now for myself, wife, baby and dog. NYC is a LOT of fun to live in, party in, go out in. You will NEVER eat in better restaurants, enjoy better shows, or always find something to do. Thing is, it all cost big money. So you pick and choose. A friend of mine always said NYC is the greatest city in the world to visit, but a tough place to live. Which segways into my next point, the things I HATE. The two things I absolutely hate living here is the traffic and the cost of housing. Commute...Be careful when you speak of commutes, the farther out you go, the cheaper the housing, but the more possibilities of something going wrong on a daily basis. For example, driving from my apt to my in-laws (Bay Ridge, Brooklyn to West Islip, Long Island) is about 50 miles. This trip can take anywhere from 65-70 minutes (w/o traffic) to 2.5-3 hours. You never can tell. If you will take mass transit, well as you saw from the strike, the whole city depends on it. Cost of housing...The price of housing in NYC and the surrounding burbs, already high to begin with, has literally doubled since 2002 (no exaggeration). The average salary has not. Take a look at lirealtor.com (You can search for homes in Queens, Nassau or Suffolk county, Long Island) or brooklynmls.com for Brooklyn. I would suggest moving here (assuming you get the job and want to do it) renting an apt as close to your job as practical (post the cross streets and we can help) and not buying right away. I would spend weekends checking out different areas and seeing what you like and what is right for you and your family. Good luck, and any questions, please post or PM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcjeff215 Posted January 9, 2006 Author Share Posted January 9, 2006 McJeff I am originally from Buff, living here in NYC for 5+ years now. I live in Brooklyn, Bay Ridge, and have a 30 min commute, door to door. I own a 2 bed apt with a great view. Its fine right now for myself, wife, baby and dog. NYC is a LOT of fun to live in, party in, go out in. You will NEVER eat in better restaurants, enjoy better shows, or always find something to do. Thing is, it all cost big money. So you pick and choose. A friend of mine always said NYC is the greatest city in the world to visit, but a tough place to live. Which segways into my next point, the things I HATE. The two things I absolutely hate living here is the traffic and the cost of housing. Commute...Be careful when you speak of commutes, the farther out you go, the cheaper the housing, but the more possibilities of something going wrong on a daily basis. For example, driving from my apt to my in-laws (Bay Ridge, Brooklyn to West Islip, Long Island) is about 50 miles. This trip can take anywhere from 65-70 minutes (w/o traffic) to 2.5-3 hours. You never can tell. If you will take mass transit, well as you saw from the strike, the whole city depends on it. Cost of housing...The price of housing in NYC and the surrounding burbs, already high to begin with, has literally doubled since 2002 (no exaggeration). The average salary has not. Take a look at lirealtor.com (You can search for homes in Queens, Nassau or Suffolk county, Long Island) or brooklynmls.com for Brooklyn. I would suggest moving here (assuming you get the job and want to do it) renting an apt as close to your job as practical (post the cross streets and we can help) and not buying right away. I would spend weekends checking out different areas and seeing what you like and what is right for you and your family. Good luck, and any questions, please post or PM. 560166[/snapback] I live about 50 miles outside of Atlanta now and make that commute every day. Some days I do it in 45 - 60 mins, other days (like this morning) it takes me 2 hours and 30 minutes. I don't mind it that much as I'm used to it, but I'll probably hit the mass-transit up as it's easier to do it while someone else drives. Is the Islip/West Islip area too far out? Does the mass transit system run through there? -Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bills_fan Posted January 9, 2006 Share Posted January 9, 2006 Depends where your job is. The West Islip area has a very good train (LIRR) that runs many express trains into Penn Station. Of course, how long it takes you to get from your house to the station is a factor. From the station to Penn is approx 45 min on the xpress. From Penn Station, you then have to factor in how long it takes you to get to work. For me, working downtown, it would be another 20-30 min, grand total 1.5 hours one way. Which is something I won't do, hence, the reason I live in Brooklyn. To drive into the city, leaves much to chance with traffic, as well as parking (which is 40-50 bucks a day in midtown). Also, the schools in WEST Islip are excellent, Islip is shaky. If you are looking on lirealtor, limit your search to West Islip/ Suffolk County. You can use a map to determine the train line (LIRR) you'd take on the LIRR's website. Also, keep in mind the cost of the LIRR (plus MetroCard if you need subway service from Penn) and whether or not the station has free parking for town residents (not sure about West Islip). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dean Posted January 9, 2006 Share Posted January 9, 2006 I live about 50 miles outside of Atlanta now and make that commute every day. Some days I do it in 45 - 60 mins, other days (like this morning) it takes me 2 hours and 30 minutes. I don't mind it that much as I'm used to it, but I'll probably hit the mass-transit up as it's easier to do it while someone else drives. Is the Islip/West Islip area too far out? Does the mass transit system run through there? -Jeff 560292[/snapback] I lived on Long Island for a few years and commuted to NYC for about a year and a half. I lived on the North Shore. I lived in the Huntington area (Greenlawn)...which I also recommed you check out if you move to the area. The Long Island Railroad is fine as far as I'm concerned. From Huntington (and I would guess Islip isn't too much different, it's about an hour commute. Things really improved when they went to hybrid electric/gas trains. The electric line only goes so far (from NYC to Huntington on that particular line) and then you had to change trains to a diesel train. Now, you can take a train that will take you all the way out. There are also a few evening trains (not many) that have a small bar in one of the cars. It sure beats taking the LIE or the Northern Expressway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmac17 Posted January 10, 2006 Share Posted January 10, 2006 any more news? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcjeff215 Posted January 10, 2006 Author Share Posted January 10, 2006 any more news? 560667[/snapback] I fly out on to California on the 19th for the last interview on the 20th, San Francisco. That should determine go/nogo, along with the offer letter. Just reading up on the area now. No more decisions to make until I find out if they're going to extend an offer or not. This is my 6th interview. They told me that if they fly me out to CA, then I've all but got it wrapped up. All about reloc and $$ after that. I'll update when I find out more =) -Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pine Barrens Mafia Posted January 10, 2006 Share Posted January 10, 2006 Ok guys, gonna do it as long as the offer is good enough! Scary stuff, but closer to home and up to a city with personality. Now as long as that offer doesn't suck...-Jeff 558617[/snapback] If you DO move to the Lehigh Valley like so many New Yakkas are doing, you'll find houses much more affordable. That being said, prepare to sacrifice whatever life you've got for a commute. I've considered it many times, my company has offices on 42nd street. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KD in CA Posted January 10, 2006 Share Posted January 10, 2006 If you DO move to the Lehigh Valley like so many New Yakkas are doing, you'll find houses much more affordable. That being said, prepare to sacrifice whatever life you've got for a commute. I've considered it many times, my company has offices on 42nd street. 560899[/snapback] Oh man....that's over 2 hours each way, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bills_fan Posted January 10, 2006 Share Posted January 10, 2006 Thats a rough commute. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcjeff215 Posted January 23, 2006 Author Share Posted January 23, 2006 Well, I'm back from my interviews in San Jose. I must say, it went *very* well and I'll be surprised if I don't get an offer. It's going to come down to dollars, this one is. Turns out the office is at 41st and Broadway. Doesn't get much more downtown than that. Nuts. I never went looking for this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dean Posted January 23, 2006 Share Posted January 23, 2006 Well, I'm back from my interviews in San Jose. I must say, it went *very* well and I'll be surprised if I don't get an offer. It's going to come down to dollars, this one is. Turns out the office is at 41st and Broadway. Doesn't get much more downtown than that. Nuts. I never went looking for this one. 578061[/snapback] The best jobs find you, IMO. Good luck and keep us informed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
/dev/null Posted January 23, 2006 Share Posted January 23, 2006 Good luck with the interview. I just hope Dick Jauron isn't spotted at Laguardia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bills_fan Posted January 24, 2006 Share Posted January 24, 2006 41st and Broadway. Doesn't get much more downtown than that. Ummm, midtown. And you'd have an easy walk from Penn Station (LIRR) to your office, 2-3 blocks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KD in CA Posted January 24, 2006 Share Posted January 24, 2006 Well, I'm back from my interviews in San Jose. I must say, it went *very* well and I'll be surprised if I don't get an offer. It's going to come down to dollars, this one is. Turns out the office is at 41st and Broadway. Doesn't get much more downtown than that. Nuts. I never went looking for this one. 578061[/snapback] Actually it gets about 4 miles further downtown.... You'd be in midtown. I actually ate dinner on that block last Friday. It's very convenient for commuting to either Penn Station or GCT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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