Oh holy crap DH might have a job in NY, starting next month...

[topsmart]

So we recently had a fantastic childfree few days in manhattan for his 40th, what a brilliant place we enthused... he gets chatting to a pal and before you know it we're into second interviews for a job over there. No decision from the company until next week but my head is spinning. What do I need to know before he starts negotiations?
We have 2 DD, age 4 & 10 (youngest due to start reception in September). What salary would he need to earn for us to rent in Brooklyn? What's even a good bit of Brooklyn to live in?
We've done a Big Move before, from London to Manchester, and couldn't have coped without help from the mumsnet hive mind, so am seeking whatever guidance or pointers you have!
Currently looking at my dishevelled house in despair, how on earth will I get it rent-able...
And I'll have to resign from work.
And I'll have to step down as President of my WI...
Excited! And scared! Help!

Delurking after many years just for this thread...

If you're only there for a relatively short time, and happy with a two bed, then I would evangelise for Roosevelt Island. It's 15 minutes from mid-town but with a completely different vibe as it's stuck in the middle of the East River. Subway goes there but cars can only get on from Queens. I think they've just re-launched the ferry service also. And of course the cable car (Tram).

It's quiet, kids play outside, quite a few of the apartment blocks have summer swimming pools and one has an all year round one. Many UN families live there which means it's very international (cheaper than Manhattan) and for kids of your age the local school is good and introduced a Gifted Programme also. We loved it and the kids still miss it 3 years after we left.

The view is amazing. Try in particular The Octagon and Manhattan Park buildings.

Good luck and enjoy

I'd be willing to take a financial hit to live in Manhattan for a couple of years! But maybe you shouldn't take advice from someone inspired by Prefab Sprout

There are some great deals to be had in Long Island City at the moment - lots of new buildings going up that the management companies are desperate to fill and it's only one stop on the Subway from Midtown Manhattan.

I work at one of the Universities that Want2B referenced above, and can vouch for the fact that the benefits ARE very good. Lots of holidays and comp days too.

Roosevelt island is fabulous if commuting to the west side. Would live there in a minute.

Right now flights are cheap. You need to have 4 weeks vacation and they need to pay for your flights once a year. To go back at Christmas is expensive. Last year was $5k just in flights for four seats. We then had to rent a car and an apartment for the two weeks which cost another $3k.

allfur DH thought I was nuts applying for NYU jobs until he saw they they comp 90% of tuition. It's an amazing benefit.

I am loving the sound of Roosevelt island! Oh feel sad now. Bet it won't happen! Don't give me any more suggestions people, feel like I'm raising my hopes

Wow, after reading this how does anyone afford to live there?!

People who earn less live further out and spend hours commuting or they earn so little they qualify for affordable housing. In Hoboken DDs preK teachers lived in affordable housing they were given when single. It helps that their families are well connected to town officials. Their rent today is $950 a month for a 2 bed unit. I know from an audit I performed one teachers DH is making $150k a year. The other teachers family own numerous buildings in town. If paying rent it's an affordable amount.

It's also very common for young people to live at home until they have saved up for a deposit. It's the exception not the norm for a recent graduate in this area to be paying their own rent if not living at home.

Section 8 housing and affordable housing are very different. Once you qualify for affordable housing you don't have to requalify again. That's why you have cops making $80k a year living in Hoboken. If they had to pay market rates for housing they couldn't afford to stay in town. Section 8 housing is a huge step down from affordable housing and you have to qualify for it each year.

Personally I have no issue with teachers, cops and nurses living in affordable housing once their income has increased. Many more find this abhorrent.

This is how you deduct your medical expenses - it's why some of those sums people were saying were not making sense to me.

cone You still have to pay the cash out to avoid the penalties and interest charges. Also, it's not a refund of those expenses. It's a deduction on your taxes. On an income of $170k they would get about 25% back. That still leaves them paying 75% of the bill.

Cone, I think there were some crossed wires. I never said we were living on $170k. That's the OP's suggested salary. However, regardless of what you get back in tax, unexpected bills need to be paid when you get them.

Want2Be, I think I've probably lived here too long because I don't think $4k a month rent is particularly high. It's pretty standard. That's pretty much what it costs in White Plains too. Even in the most northern parts of Westchester County and Bergen County, or even in Rockland County, you won't get much change from $3k a month for a 2 bed condo in a decent part of town. Hence so many families opt for the single family houses in the burbs because they get more bang for their buck.

neville Sadly it's completely normal to pay $4k a month for a 2bed. A true 3 bed is actually close to $5k a month. In Manhattan it's about $9k for a proper 3 bed and a proper 2 bed is about $6-7k. So happy we have bought and can keep our housing costs down.

DD1 shares a nice apt in Chelsea - it's a proper 2-bed really (master is huge, with en-suite bathroom with window!) but the living room was partitioned to make a 3rd small bedroom.

She's been there nearly 4 years now. Iirc the rent was about $6000 at the start when it was newly refurbished - I don't know what it is now, I must ask her. Anyway it's just about manageable for 3 single professionals but would be a lot for a family!

Ah - it was $5k, not 6

Has edged up to $5.6

She sent me this though - rents are easing apparently

www.google.com/amp/ny.curbed.com/platform/amp/2017/2/9/14554864/nyc-rental-market-january-2017

Lapdance I live in West Chelsea. It is stupidly expensive, even though bits of it are quite rough and far from public transport, but it works out as the spot directly between mu work on the UWS and DH's office in Jersey City.

Topsmart have you considered FiDi? It's dead at the weekend and very, very quiet but rents are a bit cheaper down there.

I was in your boots about 10 years ago, and was fretting big time. We moved to Larchmont in NY state (about half an hour from Grand Central). Great town for family life, with parks and beach and easy to get into Manhattan. I would recommend looking into places to live in New Rochelle, Larchmont, Mamaroneck and Rye... all great for family life, good schools and great people. We had a very very happy 3 years there.

Update: looks like it's off. Or at least postponed. For a variety of reasons the new company won't be setting up in NYC just yet. Slim chance it could happen one day but it's a distant dream. Thank you sooooo much to everyone who gave me information and support, you don't know how much I valued it. I genuinely feel I could move my family using only the power of mumsnet! 💪

Who needs Manhattan when you've got Manchester 😄

Exactly! You make a lot of women very happy Topsmart. Stay where you are 😋

😘

It really isn't the worst thing for a move to not happen. When I was pregnant with DD1 they wanted to move DH to Manchester and he was devastated when it fell through. It was actually the best thing for us not to move. DS came along and has autism. The support we have for him is just not offered in the UK. Also I've been able to hang in and keep my career. I've just left my employer for a new position which is so much better than what I had before.

Ex Londoner in Hoboken here with two kids (12 & 16).
Pros: Walkable, all you need is in one square mile. Kids can be independent (in suburbs I'd have to chauffeur them everywhere). Lots of parks and very easy to get into NYC.
Cons: Rising popularity means housing is more expensive. Parking is a pain, although you don't need a car for much.