lurkyloo
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“Time means nothing now,” said Toad. “It is just the thing that happens between snacks.”
Joined: Jan 8, 2011 11:26:56 GMT -5
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Post by lurkyloo on Apr 2, 2011 14:21:54 GMT -5
I'm reminded of a comic who responded to a suggestion for a particular evening walk with "Hold on, let me leave my vagina in my other pants first."
Black people (in my area, Hispanics) are not the issue so much as violence and gangs.
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formerexpat
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Post by formerexpat on Apr 2, 2011 14:26:36 GMT -5
Not at all. After you've seen this pattern in people enough, you call a spade a spade.
Are you familiar with the area that we're talking about? Doesn't seem so; you're likely referring to some legitimately dangerous areas in the city of Baltimore.
You're talking about an area that about 25 miles away from our discussion. Completely irrelevant.
That would be like me saying Compton or Bedford-Stuy is bad, so no where in the Los Angeles or NYC metro areas is safe.
The area the poster is talking about is no more dangerous than the area that the poster lives. It is highly populated by black people though.
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formerexpat
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Post by formerexpat on Apr 2, 2011 14:49:49 GMT -5
I knew there were gentrification efforts over the past decade but I thought it was still a dangerous area. Hmmm...
What's the appeal to the area now for the rich? The cheap(er compared to upper east/west) brownstones? [/size]
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formerexpat
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Post by formerexpat on Apr 2, 2011 14:55:55 GMT -5
I was saying cheap from a comparative perspective. Looks like the tax assessments on these places are very, very low - under $100k for some of the places listed for 3/4 mil. If NYC is looking for some revenue...
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formerexpat
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Post by formerexpat on Apr 2, 2011 14:56:11 GMT -5
This message has been deleted. duplicate
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formerexpat
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Post by formerexpat on Apr 2, 2011 15:11:30 GMT -5
Yeah, I know - the combined 10.5% state & city tax is a tough pill added to the rent differential. Would love to live in the city but it's just not worth the difference in living standards. Tougher for me having 2 children. [/size]
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formerexpat
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Post by formerexpat on Apr 2, 2011 15:23:59 GMT -5
Maybe. My wife [and me too] would want to be on one of the uppers [west more likely] and close to the park. We'd also likely be looking for a 3 bdrm in case we have visitors [or even another child].
Looks like those places are at least $5-6k a month [just a block or two off the park in the low to mid 80's]. That's more than our total burn is right now. Add in the deductions I lose, higher taxation rates, etc and it would be difficult for us to continue to save so much.
I know it's a good problem to have but I want to continue our 50% savings plan until I'm 35 so we've got a nice, big base that can grow for the full 30 years in the markets.
We'll see - I could be in NYC in the next year but would definitely have to give up the 50% plan. [/size]
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formerexpat
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Post by formerexpat on Apr 2, 2011 15:31:09 GMT -5
actually, let me ask - what are some good sites to search NYC places? thanks for any recommendations.
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formerexpat
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Post by formerexpat on Apr 2, 2011 15:47:28 GMT -5
Thanks for the recommendation, Tough. I'll check out your suggestions. You're worried about sounding crude; look who you're talking to.
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Post by debtheaven on Apr 2, 2011 16:52:57 GMT -5
ExPat, TT raised a very good point about education. I went to Stuy but I grew up in a part of Queens where the public schools were excellent. My nieces both live in NYC (both around your age). One pays for private school for her two kids. The tuition is comparable to college tuition. Happily since my grandniece and grandnephew are little kids they still live at home and their parents don't have to pay room and board LOL! My nephew (my niece's husband who is doing fabulously well) had both their children's college accounts fully funded before they were out of diapers. If you live on the upper E or W side, it really does come with an immense amount of "baggage", like the private schools, the house in the Hamptons, etc. The expensive day camps when the kids are younger, then the expensive summer camps when they are older. You really need to think hard about the whole "package" you'd be getting into. It's easy to say you wouldn't buy into that lifestyle, and I'm not hugely conformist. But if your children's playmates all live that lifestyle, it's not easy to be the only one that doesn't. Just food for thought.
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Post by debtheaven on Apr 2, 2011 16:57:30 GMT -5
I'd also check out Kew Gardens (Queens), where I grew up. I grew up in an apt but there are many fabulous homes there just minutes' walk from the subway. Also Park Slope (Brooklyn) where one of my best friends has lived for many years. He is a doctor who bought his house many years ago, he lives in a real house with a garden.
But as far as I know (I could be wrong) most of the financiers live in Manhattan, at least initially. Some of them opt to stay in Manhattan to raise their kids, but others opt to move out once they start a family.
If you were to get a job in NYC, personally, although it's fun and educational to peruse the ads, I would never purchase anything unless I had lived there for at least six to 12 months.
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Post by debtheaven on Apr 2, 2011 17:05:06 GMT -5
TT It's only one subway stop away LOL ... I also said that because my HS/college friend who grew up in FH and still lives in NY recently told me that KG is now considered nicer than FH. It's definitely worth checking both out though!
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formerexpat
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Post by formerexpat on Apr 2, 2011 17:36:04 GMT -5
Thanks ladies, I appreciate the advice both on where to live and the potential changes in lifestyle. The commute for the likely places I would go would be on the upper edge of midtown [close to Rockefeller center]...so it looks like a place like Kew Gardens (and forest hills) might work and be convenient.
And this is what we would do. We'd live in NYC for a year or two for the experience but then if we stayed in the metro area, would move to the subs. Likely wouldn't have school to worry about. The oldest expat is just over 2 years and the move would be in the next year. He wouldn't start school until Sept 2014 since he was born in Jan 2009, so we'd move out of the city by then in all likelihood.
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Post by debtheaven on Apr 2, 2011 17:44:37 GMT -5
Expat, we took DS3 (12) to a new school friend's house this afternoon. His new friend's dad (Canadian) was transferred here for two years ... in 1996. LOL. His wife is a Brit and as of next year they will be shipping their DD (our son's new friend) off to boarding school in the UK. I just don't get that.
My nieces grew up on LI, my sister still lives there. My BFF (who was also in media) moved to CT when they decided to have kids. There are a LOT of options if you end up staying for a while. Upstate NY too.
ETA: We had to sort of shove DS3 out of the car today. It wasn't a house, it was a small castle. I told DS relax, so you're slumming it for an afternoon. LOL.
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