Tilted Cat Head
Administrator
Location: Manhattan, NY
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Charlatan
Actually, there have been studies done that show that while the housing is more expensive, the fact that you don't need cars (and the cost associated with cars: insurance, fuel, parking, maintenance, etc.) actually makes it a wash.
As for kid-friendly... one of the main reasons I moved downtown was that I didn't want my kids growing up in suburbs. The vast majority of crime and gang activitiy (in Toronto at least) is occurring in the Suburbs. I also liked that my kids had access to parks, rec centres, movie theatres, stuff to do, all without the need of a car. Most of these activities are either in walking distance or a very short transit ride away.
I recognize that not all inner city neighbourhoods are like this but many are.
My own experiences with suburban living are less than pleasant.
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This is something we learned the hard way. Since we work in the city, when we moved to Long Island we had to buy a car. We also had to pay $250x2 every month for LIRR train tickets, PLUS NYC subway fare of $60+.
Did we save money? Not really. So it was kind of a wash. Well not from the commuting that's for sure, but we did manage to save funds so tha we could buy the place we live in now in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Ironically we still have the car, paying to keep it in a garage is a bit more than 1 LIRR monthly ticket.
Entry into a 700sq. ft apartment in Manhattan is ridiculous now, even at $300,000 you still have to pay maintenance (similar to HOA, includes property taxes and building insurance) fees of about $400/month. Some of those maintenance fees can go as high as $3,000 is you have a doorman and other convenience staff.
Manhattan still has pockets of NYC Housing Authority (housing projects) so the poorest of the city still can have affordable housing. There are some questionable gangs and such there, but for the most part, seem to be less crime over the past decade.
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