Potential Job in New York

[Guy_Montag]

I need some advice, someone has got in touch with me to say that there is a job, for which I am reasonably well qualified, going at Columbia University, in the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO).

I met the chap who got in touch at a conference last year, so I know this is kosher & that I have a good chance at getting this job, if I apply. The job is effectively the same as I have been doing here in the UK for the past three years (I'm a Brit by the way).

So I really want to know what New York is like, the LDEO (judging by Google Earth) is about 100 yards north of the border with New Jersey on the western side of the Hudson.

What's that part of New York like? What's New Jersey like? Is it easy to get about by car? or without a car?

What are Spring Valley, New City & White Plains like? Would it be possible to live in NYC & commute out? If I lived in Jersey City is it straightforward to get into NYC for nights out & back out again? What's Jersey City like?

There are so many questions related to this, that I cannot even think of them all so any advice or suggestions would be very much appreciated?

Thanks in advance.

[WePurrsevere]

1. It's been a while since we've been down that way but my husband & I would

describe it as a heavy suburb of NYC although it's considered a part of metro NYC. A friend of mine lives down that way and commutes into the city almost every day although since 911 they've run into the system shutting down a few times. My uncle lives in The Village in NYC and he loves it.

My husband and I grew up in the Capital District which is about 3 1/2 hours from the city so going down there for a "day trip" was a rather common occurrence plus my husband while working was often called down to repair/install ATMs, Satellites, etc when the guys who normally worked in that area were overwhelmed.

If you like the BIG city you'll love NYC. Since I haven't lived there and always had a car to drive around in that area I'm not sure how easily you could get around the Palisades/White Plains area without a car but if you do have one there are so many and very diverse places you would probably enjoy going to see within a few hours drive.

You may have already found the following link while Googling but if not there's a whole lot of great links to info here: http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genInfo.php?locIndex=1377

Hopefully someone who actually lives there will come along since I'm sure they'll be able to help a whole bunch more then I. B-)

Good luck if you decide to go for it. :)

edited because I need a lot more coffee
:hangover:

[Karenca]

2. NYC consists of 5 boroughs only

Manhattan
Brooklyn
Queens
The Bronx
and
Staten Island.

Manhattan is really the only borough referred to as "the city",
and with good reason.

Jersey areas are not considered part of NYC...they are part of New Jersey.

Outside of NYC, you're going to definately need a car.....In Manhattan a car is just a pain in the ass responsibility,
with parking so expensive, and the inability to drive more than a few miles an hour (traffic!).

I live in the Village too...and I love it!

[WePurrsevere]

10. Thanks, I wasn't sure if that area was considered a borough or not.

Years ago I lived for a bit in NJ so between that and living 90% of my life in mid-NY I know that the one is not the other. :D

The Village is very cool. I'm not a city person but when I visited my uncle years ago I really enjoyed the feel of the place. B-)

[trogdor]

15. There is a commuter train to NYC...

...from Westchester County. Lots of people commute by car to where the train stops, park in the lot provided, and ride the rest of the way into NYC. This is how you have people as far north as Newburgh, Fishkill, and New Paltz who work in the City. It has an elevating effect on property values (and taxes) to the point where locals are priced out of neighborhoods they've lived in for generations.

[Karenca]

3. I read your post incorrectly...

You will definately need a car if you plan to live upstate near your job.
It's not far upstate, but it still is, and all those areas very suburban.

New Jersey's a large state......a nice place to live that is 10 minutes
on the PATH train to NY is Hoboken. Alot of Manhattanites are moving there
because of the proximity to the city and the reasonable housing rates.
It also has a lovely villagey feel about it with quaint shops, cafes,
townhouses, etc. I got this info from my neice
and nephews who've moved there, and from some NYU students.
It sounds very desirable.

You can also take the PATH from Jersey City to NYC.

[Guy_Montag]

4. Thanks both of you

this is just the sort of thing I need.

While I don't particularly have any ties here, it would still be a big move over to the States, so I really want to get the lowdown.

[mdmc]

5. the Hudson River valley is great

1. you need a car
2. you can do the reverse commute.
3. jersey city is hot (nice , urban place to live)
4. landscape will remind you of Scotland (rolling green hills, nice big river).
5. Good liberal political landscape.



I live in Newburgh, NY. I love the Hudson Valley. If I'm available, I would be honored to show you around.
Good luck with it all.

[mdmc]

6. a link to make you feel at home

http://www.hudsonriver.com/bannerman.htm

[Guy_Montag]

7. I love it

I think I'll go squat there.

[mdmc]

8. our local airport is run by NEC (national express corp)

out of Scotland... you'll love it here... Let us know when your around...

[Guy_Montag]

9. I'm a long way off yet

but I certainly will!

[BrklynLiberal]

11. And once you are here and need some reminder of home you can do some

shopping at Myers of Keswick downtown in the Tribeca area

Myers of Keswick
634 Hudson St
New York, NY 10014-5167 View Map
[phone]
Directions: A, C, E; L at 14th St.
Editorial Profile
British speciality food shop boasts far more than just kidney pie and Spotted Dick.
Editorial Rating: Recommended

The Scene
All kidding about British cuisine aside (and we're all well aware of the restraint that takes), Myers of Keswick is a bloody godsend for expats and Anglophiles alike. Whether you're craving a spot of clotted cream or perhaps a smattering of bangers and mash, Meyers is chock-a-block with the finest foodstuffs the Empire has to offer.

The Goods
While callow Yanks no doubt find endless amusement in dishes like "Toad in the Hole" and "Bachelor's Mushy Peas," homesick Brits can make a beeline toward Aero Bars, Lucozade and freshly made Cornish pasties. The bulk of the store is devoted to shelves and bins of homeland grocery staples and snacks, but an appealing array of freshly made snacks and sausages has earned the shop a reputation as an offbeat lunch stop as well.

http://newyork.citysearch.com/profile/7117270

[Smarmie Doofus]

12. White Plains is a small, rather upscale city.

>>>What are Spring Valley, New City & White Plains like?>>>

County seat of Westchester County, NYC's 'bedroom' suburb directly to the north. WP is about 40 mins by commuter train to midtown.

If being close to NYC is important, I would think more of Jersy City area... shorter communte into the city for nites and weekends. For daily commutes to work you would need a car but you would avoid going thru the city if your workplace is on the Rockland (NY) county/ New Jersey border.

[Guy_Montag]

13. Excellent,

thanks very much, this is just what I want to know.

I have thought of some other questions:

what is the income tax rate in NJ & NY inc federal & state taxes?

What about sales tax?

Finally what sort of rent can I expect to pay in an apartment or small house? I know that's a stupid question, since these things vary so much with area, but I'm assuming I will be happy to live in the sort of place that any other DUer will. So any of you that live in the area, what sort of place do you live & how much is it? Does that make sense?

[nedbal]

14. I'm not exactly (Nassau County NY Long Island) from that part of NY/NJ

But I'll guess that income tax total could be 10% - 30% depending on exactly where you live and work and how much you make

sales tax about 4% - 8% depends where you spend your money , some classes of items like basic food 0%

rent really varies, guess-timate the lowest @ 500/month US$ for a room or a share type setup - rural NY NJ flat ??? $1000 it really varies widly look at craigslist.org for an area you know is near where you want to live

[The Sleeper]

16. it's a 15 or 20 minute drive...

From Where I live in Manhattan. I live right off the GWB in Washington Heights. You might want to consider that neighborhood, or Inwood. My neighborhood is very un-manhattan like...it has alot of parks, The Cloisters museum, and generally the feel of a small river town up along the Hudson. Housing as a rule is generally cheaper on the upper end of the island. There's also a bus terminal by the bridge so you could possibly get a bus to work.
Best of all, the A train kicks ass up and down the west side, so you could be right in the middle of the Village in 35 minutes or so.

www.simonesong.com These folks are one of the main realtors in our area and can give you an idea of what this part of manhattan is all about....hope you find this of interest...

Good luck.