moving to NYC area: best places to live for homeschooling?

[calynde]

oh man...i need your help! i just joined some NYS homeschool forums and I am slightly discouraged by the regulations, and the prospect of possibly being at the mercy of a lame school district. I need some perspective!

we don't know whether to live in Manhattan or out in the burbs (lower Westchester due to grand central access). mainly, i want a house with a yard (we will have 3 kids when we move, including 2 small ones)...but I'm not super impressed by my googling results for homeschooling in westchester. anyone know about the area? where we live now, we are fairly isolated as home learners and when we want to connect we have to drive at least an hour, which i won't want to be doing in NY, as I will have a small baby. we really would prefer to be in an active area.

So where are the homeschoolers? where is the community? we are very AP and would love to be somewhere crunchy friendly. Money/rent is not really an issue, so we can pretty much choose where we want to live, but I'm not jiving with any of the options!!! I also don't know the area at all, and that is not helping. One main concern is keeping dh's commute reasonable, so good access to grand central/midtown east is important, as well as a bit of nature/yard for the kids. any ideas?

and how worried should i be about NY homeschool laws?

thank you!!! i really need the input!

[kristin0713]

Well, I can tell you that there are a lot of homeschoolers in NJ and a lot of people commute to the city from north Jersey.  The property taxes here are unbelievable and the cost of living is high, especially in the really nice areas.  But it is easy to homeschool here--you basically can do whatever you want and don't have to answer to anyone.  There are a lot of trains and buses that go into Manhattan from all over.  NJ has different parts of the state that are so incredibly different, you would think it was a different state.  Closer to the city it is more metro-like.  I live in Hunterdon County where it is unbelievably rural and there are farms all over.  There are some really nice, upscale but still rural-ish towns more north like Mountain Lakes, Franklin Lakes, even places like Bedminster and Morristown.  Not sure if you are interested in NJ but just wanted to throw that out there, since I think it is one of the easiest states to hs and there is a pretty big hs community, both religious and secular based.

[calynde]

thanks so much for your input. i know, i totally want to live in NJ for the awesome homeschool regulations...BUT why oh why does all the transit have to lead into Penn? My dh will be working right across from Grand Central, so it seems like such a shame to add a subway transfer to his commute. Maybe if we found a cool place pretty close to the city it would be worth it? We were looking into the Montclair area but even that commute is a bit longer than we're hoping for. Will keep looking into NJ for sure, thanks!
 

Originally Posted by kristin0713 

Well, I can tell you that there are a lot of homeschoolers in NJ and a lot of people commute to the city from north Jersey.  The property taxes here are unbelievable and the cost of living is high, especially in the really nice areas.  But it is easy to homeschool here--you basically can do whatever you want and don't have to answer to anyone.  There are a lot of trains and buses that go into Manhattan from all over.  NJ has different parts of the state that are so incredibly different, you would think it was a different state.  Closer to the city it is more metro-like.  I live in Hunterdon County where it is unbelievably rural and there are farms all over.  There are some really nice, upscale but still rural-ish towns more north like Mountain Lakes, Franklin Lakes, even places like Bedminster and Morristown.  Not sure if you are interested in NJ but just wanted to throw that out there, since I think it is one of the easiest states to hs and there is a pretty big hs community, both religious and secular based.

[EviesMom]

If he needs to be near Grand Central, and you really want a yard, I would say to look in Long Island City, Astoria, or Sunnyside Queens. You'll still be in NYC proper, which means you'll report to the city's Office of Homeschooling (which is not bad, in my experience) and not to a school district. But you can find places with outdoor space, which might or might not be a shared space, depending on your budget. You'll want to be near the 7 train for the fastest direct access to Grand Central. I might call up Corcoran or another big real estate agency, give them your budget, and ask for more specific neighborhood suggestions. The NYC homeschooling group (which does include some in NJ and Westchester as well) is I believe, 300 families, and then there are smaller groups as well by interest or area.

[kristin0713]

I've taken the bus to Port Authority which is around 42nd.  I am just a tourist when it comes to NYC so I don't know if that would be a better option for you or not

[Nickarolaberry]

I will tell you that Long Island is not a great place to be an AP parent in my experience. I lived there for 6 years and was not very happy. Also the taxes are OUTRAGEOUS. If you want to stay in the 5 boroughs, your best bet for 'crunchy' would probably be somewhere like the Prospect Park section of Brooklyn etc. There are some parts of Brooklyn that are very hip and have a crunchy vibe. Expensive and no land, but people with similar values.

My brother and SIL live in north Bergen County, NJ literally across the street from the NY border. My brother commutes into the city every day although he goes into midtown. NJ is a very nice place to homeschool and that area is really beautiful. I grew up in Morris County and it is also lovely there, lots of commuting options although all the trains go into Penn Station and the buses into Port Authority.  Plenty of land there.

NY taxes are very high in general and, well, NY can be a difficult place politically and socially. IME of course. I would not go to Long Island though. The traffic is absolutely awful, the roads are bad, the city/county services are spotty, and the people are cranky. (Not all the time. There are nice people. But mostly people are cranky and look at you like you've grown an elephant ear when you are friendly in public).

Just my opinion. Good luck! And how wonderful that you can take advantage of all NYC has to offer wherever you live!

[mommariffic]

: ) Hi! 

We live in Weehawken New Jersey, about a 15 minute commute with very decent public transportation (bus and ferry)

I have a crunchy parents group with 90-somethin members in NJ and there's lots of like-minded folks in the area. I have a 3 year old and a 6 month old and we do homeschool, but since my kids are young I haven't met that many HS's that are older. I know that a lot of people I talk to in my group/at the park etc are liberal/AP/and like the idea. So if you want community there's lots of it! 

Most of the folks have apartments here but if cost isn't an issue, you can get a house. We have a 4 bedroom house on the "cliff" in Weehawken (we are renting while my husband commutes) and we have a fenced in yard, and garden etc. Plus we live on the same street as a lovely park, and Weehawken has a lot of fun kid activities, especially in summer. 

[calynde]

thanks, ladies!

so much jersey love! i guess i'll have to look into it again, weehawken does look awfully close. prospect park area in brooklyn looks like a lot of fun, but i am doubtful we'll actually find a place there.

so nobody has anything to say about Westchester county? hmmm. makes me wonder. 

Long Island was never on my radar due to a not so good commute, probably better so if what you say is true. 

[rootzdawta]

Originally Posted by calynde 

thanks, ladies!

so much jersey love! i guess i'll have to look into it again, weehawken does look awfully close. prospect park area in brooklyn looks like a lot of fun, but i am doubtful we'll actually find a place there.

so nobody has anything to say about Westchester county? hmmm. makes me wonder. 

Long Island was never on my radar due to a not so good commute, probably better so if what you say is true. 

I'm homeschooling in Westchester.  It is a sad, sad, sad situation especially in lower Westchester.  There is NO community.  I'm waiting till my boys get older and moving with them is easier than we hope to go into the city more often to do things with NYCHEA.  I haven't had to deal with the school district in my town but on paper, it seems pretty straightforward.  I don't know how it will be in reality.  

[Citymomx3]

Queens is great.  There are so many neighborhoods with that more suburban feel.  I've live here all my life.  I have 3 kids, a front & back yard, and I'm near tons of parks, libraries, and part of 4 different homeschool groups.  Transportation to Manhattan can take anywhere from 10 to 45 minutes depending upon your neighborhood (I have always taken the kids into Manhattan - it's a homeschooler's dream).  Homeschooling is truly wonderful here - there are thousands of us.  And plenty of crunchy folk everywhere you turn.

The NY regulations are not a big deal at all.  In NYC, they pretty much stay off your back.  I've been homeschooling for over 5 years here.  My kids get free Metrocards, too. 

Some neighborhoods to look into are:  Astoria, Bayside, Fresh Meadows, Whitestone, Malba, Maspeth, Middle Village, Glendale, Douglaston, Little Neck, and Forest Hills Gardens.

Good luck with your decision and keep us posted!

Oh and you can check out my blog if you like to see what life is like here:  http://homeschoolinginnewyorkcity.blogspot.com .

[calynde]

Oh no, rootz...i so didn't want to hear it's that bad! But it's what i expected. What about the big homeschool group that covers westchester? Tri-county something or other? Is that no good? I didn't take it as a good sign that it covers such a large region.

Well, if i end up there, maybe we can commiserate together.

[calynde]

Thanks so much, city mom! We have definitely been checking out forest hills gardens, but even with a decent sized budget, it is so much about the luck of the draw in finding a good place. We will check into the other neighborhoods you mentioned, too...thanks!

I was just looking at your blog the other day as a matter of fact...very helpful!

[Needle in the Hay]

Wow, NYC, I'm so excited for you! Somewhat isolated as homeschoolers here is a mild way of putting it. I can see why you want a really active area. I'm sure the regulations won't seem too bad, they've got to be better than here. And there should be lots of NY homeschoolers to help you figure it out (I know of NY radical unschoolers who have complied with the regulations and have had no problems).

Congratulations on number 3!!!

[rootzdawta]

Originally Posted by calynde 

Oh no, rootz...i so didn't want to hear it's that bad! But it's what i expected. What about the big homeschool group that covers westchester? Tri-county something or other? Is that no good? I didn't take it as a good sign that it covers such a large region.

Well, if i end up there, maybe we can commiserate together.

Yes, there's Tri-County Homeschoolers which is mainly a yahoo group and there's a monthly newsletter that goes around.  Every so often, something cool will pop up but not very often.  And if it does happen, it's usually closer to New Jersey or in farm country way up north.  I'd rather just go to the city if I have to be in transit for an hour.  You know, it's not like a cohesive group.  

If you do end up here, we will definitely commiserate!  But maybe we could get something started too!
 

[calynde]

Originally Posted by Needle in the Hay 

AWow, NYC, I'm so excited for you! Somewhat isolated as homeschoolers here is a mild way of putting it. I can see why you want a really active area. I'm sure the regulations won't seem too bad, they've got to be better than here. And there should be lots of NY homeschoolers to help you figure it out (I know of NY radical unschoolers who have complied with the regulations and have had no problems).

Congratulations on number 3!!!

Thank you...can you believe it? This year should be an exciting one for sure! I am so tired of feeling isolated here, i soooooo want to get this move right and end up in a place where we can all thrive! For however long it lasts. i am not so sure that the regulations are so much better in NY, but at least i can deal with it in ENGLISH! Woohoo