Thinking about a move from Brooklyn to the ‘burbs? The Suburban Jungle Realty Group, a firm dedicated to helping city families make the move to suburbia, shared some questions to consider before you make the leap:
1. Where do we belong?
This is the biggest consideration, says Suburban Jungle, and where their agency focuses the bulk of their time with clients. There are 500 commutable towns outside of the city, which means 500 unique communities and personalities. Think about what’s important to you and your family — their online questionnaire can help as can Suburban Jungle’s Suburbs Strategists. Because they know the ‘burbs inside and out they can aid in your exploration or can recommend communities you may not have considered! The Suburban Jungle gets it — you want to re-create how awesome Brooklyn is in the ‘burbs. And, believe it or not, they do have a few Brooklyn favorites!
2. Brooklynites want walkability and a great vibe in town…how can we find that!?
While everyone wants an adorable town to walk around in — and wants to avoid driving all over — let’s start asking ourselves what’s realistic in the ‘burbs. Driving is inevitable in the suburbs, even if you have a great downtown that is walking distance to your home. Kids events, birthday parties and other activities for sure will not be walking distance all of the time. Don’t get stuck assessing how great a town is based on the actual downtown. Ask Suburban Jungle how to uncover some great towns that you may not be able to necessarily “see” how great they are driving through.
3. So everyone wants great schools…right?!!
Every family wants great schools, but it goes deeper than that. Do you want your kids in a big school with tons of activities? Or something smaller with one-on-one access and a sense of community? Are you considering public, private or parochial? Need something specialized? There are thousands of schools in the ‘burbs, so identifying your must-haves goes a long way in finding the right community.
Some other key considerations? Childcare (you don’t want to be the only working mom in a sea of SAHMs — or vice versa!) and, above all, is now the right time to leave the city? If now doesn’t feel right or it’s adding too much pressure or stress to your family’s life, back burner it and revisit in a month or a year, even. The ‘burbs will be there! Suburban Jungle’s free service helps you understand the hundreds of questions to ask even if you don’t know where to start!
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