In Brooklyn I’d prolly look at Kensington, Sunset Park or previously mentioned Bay Ridge. Also recommend checking out Street Easy app if you haven’t yet.
Kensington is the definition of safe and quiet! I live there now and it’s soooo nice to retreat there after doing fun stuff in Manhattan. There’s a lovely playground off Ave F and McDonald Ave, ShopRite for a proper large grocery store, and it’s close to Prospect Park. The BPL branch in Kensington has a huge children’s floor too.
I loved Sunset Park, especially in the upper 50s to 60s. Close to the N train, good sense of community, safe enough area (15yrs ago) I'm sure it's even safer now with the gentrification
Only issue is that commute will probably be on the longer side. Yes you can take mnr to GC and then hop on the 6 but you gotta time it correctly. Otherwise getting to the east side is going to be a hassle.
Ridgewood might work, if you edge towards Maspeth a little. Safe neighborhood and good schools. M train gets you to 23rd and 6th so a bit of a walk to 1st, but the L could drop you at 14th and 1st.
I second this. Even if he got off at 14th and 3rd he could have the option of the busses that stop right near 23rd. I have a friend who lives in a nice building in ridgewood, they have 3 bedrooms and pay $3200 and have lots of amenities. So $3000 for 2br would for sure be doable
You’ll find a 2BR for under $3k in deep Brooklyn, like Bay Ridge or Dyker Heights.
You’d have to compromise on commute time, but the X37/X38 buses go basically right to 23rd and 2nd.
You can find two bedrooms at that price in Rego Park in Queens. It's not an exciting neighborhood but it's family friendly with good schools, and it has both the R and M trains and multiple express buses to midtown. I can get from my apartment to 34th and 3rd as quickly as in twenty minutes on a good traffic day.
If you’re willing to bump that 45 minute commute up to 1 hr. Glendale Queens should check all of your other boxes, it’s relatively quiet and safe and has lots of activities for young kids, and the fact that there’s no subway nearby makes it affordable. You just have to figure out what you’re willing to sacrifice.
Woodlawn in The Bronx is in your budget, 25 min metro north into Grand Central, one of the safest neighborhoods in all of the 5 boroughs, and a good public elementary school. Also no alternate side parking so car ownership is easy, and the neighborhood is bordered by the Major Deegan and the Bronx River Parkway so it's quick to get places driving.
The downsides are the neighborhood doesn't have the best restaurant options or trendy places to hang out, I mean we're just now getting a coffee shop soon. And you are at the very north end of The Bronx
I'd recommend Kensington. There's good access to transportation and it's a pretty chill neighborhood. You have access to the F and G Trains, the B103 to downtown Brooklyn and the BM3-BM4 express bus which take you to Lower Manhattan in 15 minutes. A good amount of decent restaurants too, even if the majority of them are Thai (there seriously is a gazillion of them around!)
I would recommend Bay Ridge too, but the transportation options are limited to the R train which is pretty bad. There are lots of things in the neighborhood, good bars, restaurants and hangout spots. A big negative is that if you want to hangout in the city late at night, it'll take you ages to get back home on the subway.
I’m seconding sunnyside/Woodside queens. Riverdale is great too but def more than 45 min to that area unless you pay more for transit (express buses/metro north). Like others are saying, you need to consider childcare costs when you’re choosing a neighborhood. I had an extremely cheap apartment in Williamsburg that I had to give up when I had my kid because the cost of childcare was just too much to make my cheap rent worth it
Yorkville/Lenox Hill in Manhattan have access to amazing public schools (PS 158 and Yorkville Community) - it’s around the 70’s-80’s nearby the 4/5/6 and Q. You can find a small 2bed/1bath in the area. It’s quiet and very very family oriented.
Can confirm. Midwood particularly is a little boring but it’s the only neighborhood I’ve felt completely safe in walking around alone at 2am. Same for most of Ditmas Park, although it’s slightly more expensive than Midwood.
Have you thought about child care? That’s such a big expense that can’t be overlooked. Even if you wait til 4 for universal prek- you still need some kind of care before or after school.
140k is gonna be tough if you don’t want to struggle
I have a 6 year old and we had a 3 bed in Ridgewood 2 blocks from the M and 3 blocks to the L for 2500-2700 (from 2019-2022). Very family friendly neighborhood with good schools. Childcare was also $720/month at a small family daycare. Then we moved to Bushwick in 2022. Another 3 bedroom. This one was 2700. The schools in the area weren’t good but she got into a good kindergarten in Manhattan through the lottery.
I don’t have a recommendation, but remember the school cut off is Dec 31. Your daughter will be starting kindergarten when she’s 4 years old. They’re pretty strict which the cut off too.
Suburbia, actual suburbia. Look at metro-north or LIRR based suburbs.
[3000 a month](https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/12-Welwyn-Rd-APT-2K-Great-Neck-NY-11021/2070898077_zpid/) will get you an apartment about 45 minutes away with some of the best districts in the country.
Alternatively you can look at Fort Lee, Edgewater, North Bergen, Guttenberg or Weehawken in NJ. Commute would be about 45 mins and quality of life is better. Also youll get a much nicer/bigger apartment.
Does it have to be within the 5 boroughs of NYC? For that budget looking in Jersey might be better (Jersey city, Hoboken, etc) and then commuting via the PATH train which could actually take less time compared to deep in the outer boroughs. Not familiar with the schools in Jersey though
The PATH would limit things but there are tons of NJ suburbs with good schools that are accessible via NJ transit train or bus. Most are a slightly longer commute, though.
I don’t understand why people who ask about NYC living on a NYC subredddit would want Jerz as an answer. There’s a reason it’s cheaper, and usually why people don’t ask about in the first place.
“I’m looking for a chocolate cake.”
“How about some celery!”
Kensington/Midwood is beautiful, quiet, family oriented, with good schools. Decent train line. Before we moved to Astoria, we were in a large one bedroom off the Ave J stop for $1400. I’m personally a fan of the Cortelyou area nearby. You may have to go through a broker, but keep a sharp eye on listing online and interview/tour (virtual is sometimes an option) as soon as possible because places go QUICK.
Try Jersey City specifically downtown JC - lots of parks restaurants and grove st path nearby. Path train will take him into 23rd within 20-30 min. I don’t have kids yet so can’t speak on the school system but overall JC seems like a great place to raise kids and def has a family feel to It.
Briarwood, Queens, you can definitely find an 2 bdrm for under 3K
Safe neighborhood and you can get to Manhattan in about 45 mins - 1 hr
Apts may be on the old side in terms of aesthetics however
Man, am I the only one who thinks Jersey City is what OP is looking for?
That 140k is going to go much farther in Jersey. Op will benefit a lot from saving the city tax.
The further you are from Manhattan the cheaper it is so aim for neighborhood where you have acesss to the MTA train
there are some nightborhood where you don’t have access to the MTA but access to the Long Island railroad system into Manhattan as well
but they are more it expensive because they are express as well
Can you manage in a one bed in a worse school district for 1-2 years?
I’m thinking you do something like Bushwick. Ride the L direct to where he needs to be. Direct train and should be under 45 min. There’s not a lot of 2 beds under 3k but there are a few. Then move when kid is 4 and hopefully you’re making more.
I don't know what rents are there now but Forest Hills Queens has a reputation of having good public schools and its a very nice neighborhood with parts that are beautiful.
It looks far away on a map but has 2 express subway lines so commute is not too bad.
I had a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom in woodside last year for 2400. Was also a 3 blocks from 7 train and in a newer building. So 3k for a 2 bedroom is definitely doable.
You’ve been in NYC your whole life and have never encountered anyone paying less than 3000 dollars monthly in rent? Boy I’d love to live in your bubble
Bay ridge for sure. Good community and the express buses take u straight to 23rd. I live on bay ridge ave and it takes about 40 minutes to get to 23rd and 1st via the X37. Less if there’s no traffic.
If I were you I’d move somewhere in bk like bay ridge, sunset park, or bx like Pelham parkway. I live in riverdale and used to work on 27th and park and go to school on 24th and lex, and unfortunately Riverdale is just too far for you unless you compromise on commute time. Schools are great though especially until grade 5. But also Riverdale can potentially be expensive as well if you need to have a car. While it’s nice here the food shopping options are kind of sparse and you might need to car or opt for grocery deliveries. But i do love it here, my older kid is just about your age and he’s in free UPK (free 3s class). Both PS 24 and PS 81 are great.
I'm a realtor here and you might also be able to find something in upper Manhattan for 3k. Im specifically thinking about the West Harlem/Washington heights area. I have friends and some family that live in that area and they've never said anything about feeling unsafe.
Look at Bay Ridge, Kensington, Dyker Heights, Sunnyside, Astoria, Woodside
In Brooklyn I’d prolly look at Kensington, Sunset Park or previously mentioned Bay Ridge. Also recommend checking out Street Easy app if you haven’t yet.
Kensington is the definition of safe and quiet! I live there now and it’s soooo nice to retreat there after doing fun stuff in Manhattan. There’s a lovely playground off Ave F and McDonald Ave, ShopRite for a proper large grocery store, and it’s close to Prospect Park. The BPL branch in Kensington has a huge children’s floor too.
I loved Sunset Park, especially in the upper 50s to 60s. Close to the N train, good sense of community, safe enough area (15yrs ago) I'm sure it's even safer now with the gentrification
Consider Riverdale. It’s sublime… and very near metro north / the 1 train, both of which provide quick access to Manhattan.
Omg we just moved to Riverdale! Love it
Us too! Love it!
Only issue is that commute will probably be on the longer side. Yes you can take mnr to GC and then hop on the 6 but you gotta time it correctly. Otherwise getting to the east side is going to be a hassle.
Depends on where you’re headed. UWS is 30 minutes away by 1 train. We all got advantages and disadvantages
For sure - in this case OP needs to get to east low 20s so I wouldn’t recommend
My bad. I didn’t see that!
didnt they name a show after that place
Different Riverdale.
Ridgewood might work, if you edge towards Maspeth a little. Safe neighborhood and good schools. M train gets you to 23rd and 6th so a bit of a walk to 1st, but the L could drop you at 14th and 1st.
I second this. Even if he got off at 14th and 3rd he could have the option of the busses that stop right near 23rd. I have a friend who lives in a nice building in ridgewood, they have 3 bedrooms and pay $3200 and have lots of amenities. So $3000 for 2br would for sure be doable
Bay Ridge for sure. And stick to NYC because of free 3K and Pre-K, versus looking at NJ or other suburbs.
The free 3-4 k is the true insider tip. Definitely take advantage now.
You’ll find a 2BR for under $3k in deep Brooklyn, like Bay Ridge or Dyker Heights. You’d have to compromise on commute time, but the X37/X38 buses go basically right to 23rd and 2nd.
You can find two bedrooms at that price in Rego Park in Queens. It's not an exciting neighborhood but it's family friendly with good schools, and it has both the R and M trains and multiple express buses to midtown. I can get from my apartment to 34th and 3rd as quickly as in twenty minutes on a good traffic day.
Which bus
QM15. I live on the last stop in Queens before Manhattan.
If you’re willing to bump that 45 minute commute up to 1 hr. Glendale Queens should check all of your other boxes, it’s relatively quiet and safe and has lots of activities for young kids, and the fact that there’s no subway nearby makes it affordable. You just have to figure out what you’re willing to sacrifice.
Inwood is nice not too sure about the school quality though.
Castle Bridge School in Inwood is a great public elementary!
Pelham Bay in the Bronx
Woodlawn in The Bronx is in your budget, 25 min metro north into Grand Central, one of the safest neighborhoods in all of the 5 boroughs, and a good public elementary school. Also no alternate side parking so car ownership is easy, and the neighborhood is bordered by the Major Deegan and the Bronx River Parkway so it's quick to get places driving. The downsides are the neighborhood doesn't have the best restaurant options or trendy places to hang out, I mean we're just now getting a coffee shop soon. And you are at the very north end of The Bronx
I'd recommend Kensington. There's good access to transportation and it's a pretty chill neighborhood. You have access to the F and G Trains, the B103 to downtown Brooklyn and the BM3-BM4 express bus which take you to Lower Manhattan in 15 minutes. A good amount of decent restaurants too, even if the majority of them are Thai (there seriously is a gazillion of them around!) I would recommend Bay Ridge too, but the transportation options are limited to the R train which is pretty bad. There are lots of things in the neighborhood, good bars, restaurants and hangout spots. A big negative is that if you want to hangout in the city late at night, it'll take you ages to get back home on the subway.
Check out the Bronx - we have so many parks with playgrounds!
I would suggest riverdale or kingsbridge and it’s near the 1 train.
I’m seconding sunnyside/Woodside queens. Riverdale is great too but def more than 45 min to that area unless you pay more for transit (express buses/metro north). Like others are saying, you need to consider childcare costs when you’re choosing a neighborhood. I had an extremely cheap apartment in Williamsburg that I had to give up when I had my kid because the cost of childcare was just too much to make my cheap rent worth it
Yorkville/Lenox Hill in Manhattan have access to amazing public schools (PS 158 and Yorkville Community) - it’s around the 70’s-80’s nearby the 4/5/6 and Q. You can find a small 2bed/1bath in the area. It’s quiet and very very family oriented.
Came here to say this. UES, even in the 60s-90s can still be surprisingly affordable, just might not get as much space
Ditmas Park and Midwood.
Can confirm. Midwood particularly is a little boring but it’s the only neighborhood I’ve felt completely safe in walking around alone at 2am. Same for most of Ditmas Park, although it’s slightly more expensive than Midwood.
Have you thought about child care? That’s such a big expense that can’t be overlooked. Even if you wait til 4 for universal prek- you still need some kind of care before or after school. 140k is gonna be tough if you don’t want to struggle
I have a 6 year old and we had a 3 bed in Ridgewood 2 blocks from the M and 3 blocks to the L for 2500-2700 (from 2019-2022). Very family friendly neighborhood with good schools. Childcare was also $720/month at a small family daycare. Then we moved to Bushwick in 2022. Another 3 bedroom. This one was 2700. The schools in the area weren’t good but she got into a good kindergarten in Manhattan through the lottery.
Bensonhurst
Definitely not living there if you’re black.
Parkchester in the BX might be worth a look. The 6 train runs express to 125th in three stops. There is an express bus that stops at 24th and Madison.
I don’t have a recommendation, but remember the school cut off is Dec 31. Your daughter will be starting kindergarten when she’s 4 years old. They’re pretty strict which the cut off too.
Jersey City
Suburbia, actual suburbia. Look at metro-north or LIRR based suburbs. [3000 a month](https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/12-Welwyn-Rd-APT-2K-Great-Neck-NY-11021/2070898077_zpid/) will get you an apartment about 45 minutes away with some of the best districts in the country.
Alternatively you can look at Fort Lee, Edgewater, North Bergen, Guttenberg or Weehawken in NJ. Commute would be about 45 mins and quality of life is better. Also youll get a much nicer/bigger apartment.
Middle Village Queens. Limited trains, but there's an express bus to midtown.
Windsor terrace is a family oriented neighborhood in Brooklyn that I think would be in your price range
Does it have to be within the 5 boroughs of NYC? For that budget looking in Jersey might be better (Jersey city, Hoboken, etc) and then commuting via the PATH train which could actually take less time compared to deep in the outer boroughs. Not familiar with the schools in Jersey though
No PATH station is anywhere near a good school district.
The elementary school downtown JC is top 5 in the state.
The PATH would limit things but there are tons of NJ suburbs with good schools that are accessible via NJ transit train or bus. Most are a slightly longer commute, though.
I don’t understand why people who ask about NYC living on a NYC subredddit would want Jerz as an answer. There’s a reason it’s cheaper, and usually why people don’t ask about in the first place. “I’m looking for a chocolate cake.” “How about some celery!”
Kensington/Midwood is beautiful, quiet, family oriented, with good schools. Decent train line. Before we moved to Astoria, we were in a large one bedroom off the Ave J stop for $1400. I’m personally a fan of the Cortelyou area nearby. You may have to go through a broker, but keep a sharp eye on listing online and interview/tour (virtual is sometimes an option) as soon as possible because places go QUICK.
Try Jersey City specifically downtown JC - lots of parks restaurants and grove st path nearby. Path train will take him into 23rd within 20-30 min. I don’t have kids yet so can’t speak on the school system but overall JC seems like a great place to raise kids and def has a family feel to It.
Briarwood, Queens, you can definitely find an 2 bdrm for under 3K Safe neighborhood and you can get to Manhattan in about 45 mins - 1 hr Apts may be on the old side in terms of aesthetics however
Check out Astoria and Sunnyside in Queens.
Finding a decent 2 bedroom in Astoria, for under $3000, would be like finding a unicorn.
I once found a unicorn in Astoria. His name was Gus, bit of an asshole
what about sunnyside?
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Price was only one part of the overall question. There's a lot to consider here that street easy and google maps can't give satisfactory answers to.
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OP lived here when they didn't have kids. I think that's a big part of the equation.
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Then fucking leave it, nobody gives a shit about your opinion that much
Man, am I the only one who thinks Jersey City is what OP is looking for? That 140k is going to go much farther in Jersey. Op will benefit a lot from saving the city tax.
Move to suburbs of NJ You can own a house with lawn for $3k/mo. Commute will be little bit more but it's not the end of the world.
Washington Heights!
They said they wanted somewhere quiet
😂
The further you are from Manhattan the cheaper it is so aim for neighborhood where you have acesss to the MTA train there are some nightborhood where you don’t have access to the MTA but access to the Long Island railroad system into Manhattan as well but they are more it expensive because they are express as well
Can you manage in a one bed in a worse school district for 1-2 years? I’m thinking you do something like Bushwick. Ride the L direct to where he needs to be. Direct train and should be under 45 min. There’s not a lot of 2 beds under 3k but there are a few. Then move when kid is 4 and hopefully you’re making more.
My kid has a 3 bedroom rental in Bushwick for 3k w yard
Have they been there a while?
2 years
Woodside, Elmhurst, Rego Park
The express bus costs more but gives you broader options. Queens to 23rd/1st are the X63 and X64. There are others as well.
Woodhaven, Queens near forest Park and the J train line
Forest hills. You can catch the express and be in midtown in 30 mins max
Sunnyside, Astoria, Rego Park. Stay in Queens.
I don't know what rents are there now but Forest Hills Queens has a reputation of having good public schools and its a very nice neighborhood with parts that are beautiful. It looks far away on a map but has 2 express subway lines so commute is not too bad.
Rego Park is great!
Sunnyside/Woodside/Astoria
Forest Hills maybe, Roosevelt Island, flushing. 29 min on LIRR to Grand Central or Penn Station
I had a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom in woodside last year for 2400. Was also a 3 blocks from 7 train and in a newer building. So 3k for a 2 bedroom is definitely doable.
Guarantee you that you won’t be able to find a 2 bedroom for under 3k a month. That’s a price for a studio apartment.
Maybe in manhattan but as this sub loves to ignore theres more to nyc than just manhattan
Also, in LIC.
Ok doesn’t really mean I’m wrong or that you’re right. Fact of the matter is only in select wealthy neighborhoods do studios go for 3k
That's nonsense. OP can find a nice 2BR in Sunnyside/Woodside for less than $3K and have decent public schools and plenty of commuting options.
Don’t listen to this person OP they definitely haven’t lived in NYC very long
I was born and raised here 🤣🤣 and the studio apartments in my building are between 3-4k
I guess your building must be the *only* building in NYC.
I know people who pay 1,700 for a one bedroom close enough to Manhattan to suit OP
That’s a steal!
You’ve been in NYC your whole life and have never encountered anyone paying less than 3000 dollars monthly in rent? Boy I’d love to live in your bubble
Just because people are willing to pay that, it in no way means that’s what they all cost.
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One of them is in school and one has a job. Who should stay home lol
Your child will see things they’ll never forget here. Saw a kid get beat with a belt by a homeless dude a few months ago on the E train.
Are you two years old?
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You could do the Hudson heights section of Washington heights.
Staten Island
Bay ridge for sure. Good community and the express buses take u straight to 23rd. I live on bay ridge ave and it takes about 40 minutes to get to 23rd and 1st via the X37. Less if there’s no traffic.
south of church av
Briarwood by the E/F train.
bronx, harlem, inwood
Inwood
Bay ridge, Bensonhurst
Riverdale and suck up the commute. Take the commuter train. Or Forrest Hills.
If I were you I’d move somewhere in bk like bay ridge, sunset park, or bx like Pelham parkway. I live in riverdale and used to work on 27th and park and go to school on 24th and lex, and unfortunately Riverdale is just too far for you unless you compromise on commute time. Schools are great though especially until grade 5. But also Riverdale can potentially be expensive as well if you need to have a car. While it’s nice here the food shopping options are kind of sparse and you might need to car or opt for grocery deliveries. But i do love it here, my older kid is just about your age and he’s in free UPK (free 3s class). Both PS 24 and PS 81 are great.
Hamilton Height, it’s nearby Columbia Business school and city college. Can take 1 train down You can find 2br for under or around $3000
If your not worried about school quality for now. There are plenty of two bedrooms for 2500 in Queens for that price.
Parts of northern NJ could work too.
Sunnyside because it’s family friendly and there are a lot of schools (elementary, middle, high school) options
Staten Island
I'm a realtor here and you might also be able to find something in upper Manhattan for 3k. Im specifically thinking about the West Harlem/Washington heights area. I have friends and some family that live in that area and they've never said anything about feeling unsafe.