Anyone moved to the US? (especially NY)

[hollyb3rry]

DH and i have just had our L visas approved after a long process, and are moving to the US early next year with DH's job (initially to NYC, but could be transferred to DC in a year or two). we have a 7 yo dc- no plans for another right now. We are happy with our health insurance which was the major thing for us, and the relocation package is good, but we will be looking at state elementary schools. We've been living in central-ish London for years but i know NY is even more expensive for renting and some other living costs. Our household income will be around $230k pre tax before I find a job; I work in corporate admin and am also qualified to teach.

I have a lot of reservations about some things in the US- gun crime, racism, health care, the social/economic disparity to name a few, but i have some close family and friends over there and I've been visiting since i was a child, so i am still excited to make the move. We think it will be a 3-4 year thing, to return when dc is secondary age.

Would appreciate any insights anybody may have about moving to the US as an adult/with kids, anything from the obvious to the random, would love to hear your experiences the good and bad. Anything about NYC or New Jersey would also be great. and please be honest!

One of my uni friends lives in NY and it is not cheap, but you should be looking at private schools, state schools in the US are nowhere near as good as over here and many are awful. You would be looking at around $20k per year per child. As you are qualified to teach if you could work in the private school they will often do very good deals on tuition, so it might well be worth teaching in a suitable school, even if only part time.

I can't comment on NY/NJ as I'm in the Midwest.

The cost of healthcare is really frustrating, but if you have decent insurance you do at least get a good standard of care. Use your preventative services well as they are covered 100%. If you get a crazy high bill, dispute it and they'll review the medical coding- quite often there is at least one error.

If any of your family has regular health issues, I'd highly recommend putting the total cost of your deductable in an FSA (assuming your plan isn't a high deductable plan- then use an HSA) as it's pre-tax. You have to use it all in the calendar year though.

I also found it really odd that you have to shop for a doctor, but it's worth asking for recommendations whenever you need care.

The best advice I can give on racism and disparity is do everything you can to not passively reinforce it. Learn about it, speak up when you see it, participate in diverse communities, spend with diverse businesses, contribute to the public school system etc.

thanks --- we won't be looking at private schools at the moment, we plan to base our choice of where to live on the zone of a high rated public elementary school, the charter schools also look good there for academics. dc is bright and i will continue to do home learning with her in an attempt to keep her up with the UK a bit more.
do you enjoy living over there? and what do you wish you had known before you moved, if anything?

You all need proper winter kit. Look at LLbean for practical ideas. Dont forget snow boots and waterproof gloves

Find a pediatrician for your DC and a PCP for you and DH. They are the equivalent of your GP in the UK. Your insurance will have a list of doctors that are ‘in network’ ie covered by the policy.

Are you thinking of living in the city or suburbs? Think about commute time and also local taxes. Each city/town charges local taxes for cars and housing. New York City also has a second tax on top of that. Then there is State tax and Federal tax.

If there are foods you particularly like, look on Amazon.com and see if you can get them in the US. Otherwise pack a load in your suitcases.

If you are living in the suburbs and have a house with a driveway, you will want to get a plow service or you will have to shovel the driveway yourself every time it snows

Think about phones and compatibility. We switched to Google Fi as it works all over the world and is very inexpensive to call the UK. I dont think the ordinary cell phone carriers work as easily in the UK unless you pick carefully

Your DC will be a year ahead in terms of schooling. Think about if you want him to stay on the British system or integrate into the US system. There will be international schools that use the British curriculum, but they will be private. If you switch to the US system, they will be a year behind when you go back to the UK. I wouldnt suggest you push them ahead a year as then socially they will be even more out of place.

Learn to ski, its so much fun and easy when you live in this part of the world. We go every weekend in the winter.

Have fun, it will be hard at times but a great experience.

I think the advice will vary a lot depending on whether you want to live in the city proper or the suburbs, e.g. you don't need snow boots if you live on the Upper East Side : ) and not all schools are terrible.

Where is your husband working and what is your maximum desired commute time?

I don't think US schools are a year behind, they go to kindergarten at 5 which is a lot like Reception.

Having had DC who have made the transition from US to UK education, the US curriculum is definitely a year behind in content. Its not a problem as eventually they catch up with the 4th year at University, but it can be tricky trying to transition in secondary

Was that from New York? Each state has their own curriculum, there is no US curriculum (hence the insanity of some states teaching creationism in public schools!)

DH will be working in the financial district. Places i've looked at with decent state schools are: Park Slope/Cobble Hill/Prospect Heights in Brooklyn, Hoboken/Short Hills/Millburn in NJ, Bayside/Forest Hill Gardens in Queens, and the Upper West Side in Manhattan. All quite pricey but do-able and worth it for the school. There's a lovely school in Battery Park City but I think it might just be too urban for us, we've been living in a similar area in London. Am quite interested in the charter schools (Success Academy) which are not zoned for where you live, but academically quite rigorous. Maximum desired commute probably 30-45 min max but DH will be WFH 3 days per week so we could go further out, I just thought for the shortish time we may be there, it'd be best to be near the fun stuff to do.

I lived in NY for two years. I would 100% live in Brooklyn, and Park Slope/Cobble Hill/Prospect Heights are fantastic areas and lovely for family life. I love the city so much, there is so much to do from food to entertainment to culture to outdoorsy stuff, and loads of really great free stuff to do and events that happen. Don't forget the beaches! People always forget that NYC is a beach city. I used to go to Fort Tilden lots on summer weekends. And I loved being able to travel by boat along the rivers too. Have an amazing time!