Quiet areas with Single Family Homes in NYC?

Brooklyn: Ditmas Park, Midwood, and Sheepshead Bay immediately come to mind.

Bronx: Riverdale (and many other neighborhoods I can't think of at the moment).

And of course, most of Staten Island.

Anybody watching 'V' on ABC? Where does that lady live,the FBI agent/heroine, with the single family home & driveway?

Douglaston. Public school-wise, Qns wins hands down.

Vancouver. That's where the series is filmed.

Richmond Hill - http://www.nytimes.com/1998/09/11/nyregion/residential-real-estate-selling-condos-in-a-rental-market.html?scp=1&sq=%222%20columbus%20avenue%20%22&st=cse

wrong link http://travel.nytimes.com/2006/11/12/realestate/12livi.html?scp=6&sq=richmond%20hill&st=cse

Thank you everybody. Seems like I have several neighborhoods to research. Being slightly more specific, which have easier access to public transportation and not ridiculous commutes?

In Brooklyn, Manhattan Beach, Marine Park, Mill Basin, Bergen Beach are all very surburbanish. There's also Bay Ridge and Victorian Flatbush where you can find some lovely giant homes with yards. Here's one I'm sure the stepchildren will love, though the price is a joke. http://www.brownstoner.com/brownstoner/archives/2009/11/the_gingerbread.php

In terms of Brooklyn, being close to the train (1 hr commute) and having good schools, the neighboods are:

Sheepshead Bay
Homecrest
Midwood

Further from the train (take the bus or car to the train) with good schools:
Manhattan Beach (pricey)
Bergen Beach
Mill Basin
Marine Park

If schools do not matter much:
Ditmas Park
Madison (further from the train too)

In Queens, you can look at:

Forest Hills
Forest Hills Gardens (pricey)
Douglaston (some parts and could be far from the train)
Little Neck (same as above)

Riverdale in the Bronx has the same issue as other neighborhoods, maybe 1 good school, so make sure you're zoned for it.

To find out the zones for the schools, go to www.schooldigger.com. Look for schools with 4/5 rating. Then go to http://maps.nycboe.net/ to see the zone for the schools you're interested in. My advise is not to pay attention to insideschools or greatschools websites. Most of those are rated by parents and some of the schools have awful grades and others are on the 'In Need of Improvement', which is even worse.

I'd add Bayside in Queens to that.

I wouldn't. It's not even on the subway line. If you have to take the LIRR, you might as well live on Long Island.

my parents live in bergen beacch/mill basin...nice hood...10 minute drive to beach...affordable homes near multi million dollar mansions on the water...kind of a mix of average vs wealthy.........express bus to manhattan takes 1 to 1.5 hours...a bit long for my tastes but many do it.....perhaps something closer to manhattan....ie downtown brooklyn......but not sure you will get the big backyard, etc......im in the process of trying to find them a ranch house since they cant do the stairs anymore.......if the timing is right...i will let you know when they put their house on the market....if yoiu are interested in the area..

Missing from OP's question is some sense of budget. Even if non-numeric, are we talking sky's-the-limit? Struggling to adjust from Kentucky pricing to NY's? What? And what do these people like to do? And is a private garage essential? Etc. etc.

AH: the OP mentioned Forest Hills, so I assumed a FH kinda budget.

AH: He's looking for something from about 1.8-2.5M. They're not struggling to adjust to pricing, just to density (my new sister-in-law has never lived in a city before). And a private garage isn't essential, but would be prefered.

I have been looking into suggested neighborhoods much of the evening, and Riverdale seems like a good option. Technically there is a subway, but it's also only a 30min trip to midtown on the train. Great schools. Plus, most homes have larger yards than the Gardens. However, most of the Gardens is within walking distance to the train/subway/shops, and it's closer. When he comes into town in a couple weeks we'll go to both and see which works best.

In that case, adding nothing new that hasn't been mentioned:

Bronx
-- Riverdale "Estates" area ( http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/4619-Douglas-Ave_Riverdale_NY_10471_1111447785 , sorry SE!) ... this is the one place I'd recommend above all others at that price point
-- Fieldston

Queens
-- Forest Hills Gardens
-- Jamaica Estates
-- Douglaston / Little Neck
-- Malba / Whitestone
-- Neponsit (part of the Rockaways, on the ocean beach)

Brooklyn
-- Ditmas Park / Prospect Park South / parts of Midwood and parts of Flatbush (big detached Victorian houses)

Honestly, it sounds like they should live in the suburbs. Putting them in NYC proper will be tough because "ease of commute" and "density" go together.

FHG -- which for many New Yorkers is an "ideal" outer-boro neighborhood because there's greenery and parking -- is going to seem extremely dense to Kentuckians, I think. Anywhere that is less so is going to be a haul on the train. I find, for instance, the idea that Riverdale is half an hour from midtown to be pretty laughable. Try it anytime that's not rush hour, and report back how long it takes.

I would say they'll enjoy Staten Island, or Ditmas Park, Brooklyn, because both places will feel like the kids can run around to their neighbors' and they will be living in a car culture. But you're talking at least 45 minutes to work, maybe an hour-fifteen, depending on where work is.

ali r.
{downtown broker, native Arkansawyer}

With that budget, your brother can look into great location in NJ that are within a 1 hr commute of the city. He'll get great schools and plenty of space for the money. Riding on NJ Transit is much more pleasant than MTA.

Westfield, parts of Summit, Short Hills and Millburn all have fantastic schools and plenty of space for the money. The commute is under 1 hr.

The people who mention Ditmas Park, Prospect Park South are forgetting that the schools are awful and for that money, he'll get a 50X100 lot, not a 1/2-1 acre as in NJ. I just moved from Ditmas Park/Kensington because I didn't want my children to be subjected to the over crowded, marginal public school system there.

Wow, so many more places to research!

AR: Thanks for the reality check. My idea of quiet suburban living is EEA, so I need to keep in mind that if one has children, living in suburbia isn't always a fate worse than death.

I have to admit a bit of selfishness in my thoughts as well. If I'm going to be visiting and occasionally babysitting, etc., I'd prefer they not be too far away.

Sorry, meant to address that to front_porch.

What about Bronxville? Heard good things about it as far as commuting but that's about all I know. Any insights? How far is it really by train?

leslie, i thought of bronxville also. if you work in midtown it isn't far. pelham as well. that's a very generous budget for pelham. but i don't know what service is like these days on metro north.

with that budget....i would suggest nice areas of nj..ie summit, short hills, etc.....in westchester....scarsdale, etc.....and in brooklyn...mill basin.....nice mansions on the water....

riding on NJ Transit is also a lot less convenient on off peak hours and is 3 times the price than the MTA.

If the OP's brother is going to move to NJ, I would check out Tenafly, which has the #1 school system in NJ. Unfortunately, there are no trains there... only buses to Port Authority. If you want train service, then check out Ridgewood.

It does sound like you want a close suburb with an easy commute rather than NYC. The towns I like are for NJ, Montclair, Pehlam and Rye in Westchester. There's also CT, Stamford, Greenwich, Westport (my personal favorite). There will be some really nice choices in that budget.

parkside,
yw. :>

ali

Parkside - I would suggest you look at Greenwich, Westport and Stamford as well. Greenwich has properties in the mid country area within your budget, with lot sizes in the 1-2 acre range. If you want to be closer to town, the Riversville neighborhood has smaller lots, but closer to town. Taxes are much better than in Westchester. Plus there is a ton of supply in Greenwich - likely you could lowball and get a good deal.

If they are not going to live in Manhattan, why exclude Westchester? Many of the outer borough areas have long commutes too.

They can buy my house, it's in their price range. 7500sf, 5 or 6 bedrooms, 5 full, 2 half baths, 3 car garage, very pretty private road, on three acres overlooking a golf course (private country club, I can get them in, as I am chairman of membership committee). Chappaqua school district, very highly rated. 50 minute train ride to GCT, parking for residents at train station (not always available in many towns).

I'm listing it after the New Year, they'll save at least $100k if I can sell it before listing it with an agent.

Of course, I am leaving to move back to Manhattan, but hey, lots of people like it up here, I am just not one of them.

I found this nice listing. It's a nice one. http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/Westport_CT_06880_1106675455

They could also try Long Island. The north shore is nice- Manhasset, Great Neck (smaller backyards though), Roslyn, etc.

The nice enclaves with good schools and lots of property with about 45 minute train ride include: Brookville (and Old and Upper Brookville), Muttontown, Old Westbury, Oyster Bay Cove, Back villages in the 5 towns- Hewlett Harbor, Woodsburgh, Hewlett Neck, Hewlett Bay Park)

i grew up in little neck and had an idyllic childhood. it is unbelievably quaint and feels very suburban although it is in city limits. same goes for douglaston, which is more expensive. both have fantastic public schools. taxes are low. you can drive (fast) to the city in 20 minutes, and, you can drive (fast) to the beach in 20 minutes. it's pretty ideal, and very nice, however neither area has any kind of bohemian character.

Most of eastern queens fits the bill(Whitestone,Douglaston,Little neck,Bayside,etc.). I grew up in Bayside. I thought it was great area for a balanced combination of safety and gaining street smarts.
Though with that budget, you may consider Long Island as well.

How about the Rockaways/Breezy Point? One side of the Rockaway Penninsula is not pleasant but the other side is really nice and kids grow up "at the beach" which is very different from Kentucky, the city or the classic 'burb experience...It's very quiet. I think the schools (at least at the elementary level) are pretty good as well, although HS could be a challenge.

modern...want to give me more details? Leslie4269@earthlink.net

lizyank
"one side not pleasant" is rather polite wouldn't you say? ;)
You definitely don't weant to be on the "wrong side" in rockaway.

But lizyank brings up a great alternative, the beach. I am not well versed on the neighborhoods in brooklyn along the beach but that budget may get something sandy which ain't too shaby. Of course learning russian is mandatory.

So the top of the current list includes: Riverdale, Little Neck, Douglaston, and maybe FHG (though seeming less likely with all the new info). My brother says that he wants his maximum commute each way to be around an hour door-to-door, so a lot of places are out (I checked all the train line sites to check estimated commute times to/from different places).

Again, I want to thank everyone for all your information; it's been extremely helpful.

Parkside, sounds like lower westchester is best for you and your brother given premium on a shorter commute. If his stepkids are school age, the caliber of the school district should be at the top or near the top of his list. House prices, resale values, etc reflect this more than any other factor in lower westchester.