Family and school at Temple/NYCPM?

[Possible Pod]

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I have not applied as of yet, but am probably going to apply this coming week to Temple and NYCPM.

I have a few concerns and the biggest is safety. I have a wife and two young sons and a little girl on the way. Can anyone tell me of some safe areas to live at Temple or NYCPM? I have looked on google and EVERYTHING I see about Philly or the temple area says to not even consider living around there. In NY, everything costs and arm, leg, and a kidney, but it seems a bit more safe.

Do any of you who attend Temple/NYCPM have kids/family? If so, in what area do you live and how much do you pay? Do you feel safe? Has your spouse expressed concern about their/your kid's safety?

Thanks for the help!

 

[sorham]

Just come to Iowa, we feel very safe here!

 

[air bud]

Just come to Iowa, we feel very safe here!

what are you talking about? I have seen hungry deer behind my house disembowel small children

 

[jehjr]

The cacti in Arizona are also a definite safety concern. I frequently find myself unable to study out of sheer worry for my family's well being.

 

[DancerPod]

Hey Possible Pod,
There are plenty of neighborhoods to live in New York if you don't mind commuting. There are several students in my class (2014) that have kids/families. I live out in Long Island, rent is WAY cheaper than Manhattan, but I pay for it in time (over an hour commuting one way). To me though, its worth it for my wife and kid to live in the suburbs.
There are also people that come from further upstate by taking the Metro North train (you can see the school from the train station), or drive in from New Jersey. There are places in Edgewater that are half the price of Manhattan and it's a 10 minute drive, if traffic is behaving.
Even in Manhattan you get a complete neighborhood shift from block to block. You just need to look around. The public transportation is awesome here, so if you live anywhere in the 5 boroughs you really don't need a car. Therefore no car payment, insurance worries, or gas prices. Something to consider when factoring in the higher rent prices.
Part of it comes down to you and your family. Will your wife be working? Or will you be living off of loans? Do you have any relatives out here that can help out?
PM me if you want.
Best of Luck.

 

[347932]

Happily the school at Temple is within walking distance of the SEPTA train station, so finding a safe place to live in the suburbs of Philly isn't a problem if you don't mind the commute.

It's all about whether you want to commute or not. There are plenty of nice suburbs around NYC as well.

You can always live in Jersey in either situation. Cherry Hill (near Philly) has some very nice neighborhoods and good schools for the kids if they are school age. About 15 miles away from school and an EZ pass trip over the Ben Franklin Bridge.

Lots of options. Do a google search or two 😀.

 

[Marry2Pod]

We live just 10 minutes outside of NYC, in NJ - The commute is on average half an hour if you go early. It could be up to 45 mins-1 hr on a bad day. It depends on the George Washington Bridge traffic. The area we live in is safe and family friendly in the Fort Lee area.

 

[Possible Pod]

I am ok with the commute. I have no intention of trying to live in NYC or Philly due to the cost of rent. We had planned on living outside of either city, but I wasn't sure of what areas were good for family. I know that in some MD/DDS schools where the location of the school is not safe, a lot of the students and their families live in the same area 20 minutes. away or so. As far as work goes, my wife wont be working because she would just be working to pay for daycare. 😱 We will be living on student loans. 👎

For those of you who replied, how much do you pay in rent and how many bedrooms/bathrooms do you have? We will need at least 2 bedrooms, but would prefer three. Are there lots of parks around where you live or is everything super crowded with nothing but buildings and concrete?

Thanks again for all the help and tips. If there are more specific neighborhoods, apartment complexes that are good please let me know. Some of you mentioned that the areas can change just from block to block. I grew up in a town of 11,000 so this will all be very new to me.

 

[Marry2Pod]

In Fort Lee, NJ and surround areas: a 2 bedroom is $1900+ and a 3 bedroom would be around 2200+. Lots of parks in the area and within in NJ in general - That's why its called the Garden State!

 

[damhsoir]

In Fort Lee, NJ and surround areas: a 2 bedroom is $1900+ and a 3 bedroom would be around 2200+. Lots of parks in the area and within in NJ in general - That's why its called the Garden State!

😱 $1900? That's highway robbery!

PossiblePod, how can you even support your family if you have to pay 1900 a month in rent + utilities + gas + food + tuition + health insurance? I hope you have a scholarship otherwise you are going to be living very very meagerly.

Have you thought about OCPM or DMU? A 2 bedroom in the Cleveland metro area is about $700/month (and a 3 bedroom would be about $1000). Des Moines would be about the same.

 

[dtrack22]

Lots of parks in the area and within in NJ in general - That's why its called the Garden State!

So Newark is like an annex?

 

[Marry2Pod]

No one said the Tri-State area is cheap!! As for Newark, I accidentally got lost there once... Didn't notice any parks...

 

[DancerPod]

:
Have you thought about OCPM or DMU? A 2 bedroom in the Cleveland metro area is about $700/month (and a 3 bedroom would be about $1000). Des Moines would be about the same.

It is expensive, I agree. The problem is, if you are living off of loans, you aren't necessarily going to be living better just because you are at a school where the rent is cheaper. I know that sounds counter-intuitive, but hear me out:
Each school compiles a list of necessary living expenses, then checks that against local costs, and uses that to set a maximum loan amount they will let you take out per year.
Now most students don't max out their loans, they don't need to. But those of us with families to support do. So yes, going to DMU you have cheaper rent, but you would be allowed to borrow less. You probably won't notice a difference in lifestyles between students at each school.
On the plus side, you may graduate with less debt!

I'd also check out Astoria, Queens. It's a nice neighborhood, and only an express bus away from NYCPM.

 

[BlueMerlin]

I live in NE Philly (Pennypack suburb), the neighborhood is wonderful and safe. Rent is 875 for a good sized 2 bedroom, 10-15 min drive to the station, 45 min total for the commute. You can find places closer to the train station, but they are slightly less nice. Bensalem is even nicer (also NE), but further away so you have to take regional rail which is more expensive. North Philly (Haverford/Roxbourough) are also very safe, but are more expensive for rent (1100+) for a comparable size. Alternatively, there are a few small places to the west you can commute in from that are good neighborhoods as well and quite cheap as well. Jersey is a great state to live in, but the trains have a bad habit of breaking down.

 

[347932]

Jersey is a great state to live in, but the trains have a bad habit of breaking down.

Still??? I figured they would have fixed that after 15 years!!!😀

 

[DancerPod]

Still??? I figured they would have fixed that after 15 years!!!😀

👍👍

 

[newbold18]

I live in Manhattan overlooking central park and I walk to school everyday. My rent is $2190 for a two bedroom. It's pretty steep but it includes all utilities. If you look around, you can find decent places in the city that are relatively affordable. It definitely helps if you have a spouse collecting a paycheck. Also, I feel completely safe about 99% of the time...no matter where in the city I go.
On a different note, the biggest complaint I have is that NYCPM makes planning difficult because they move tests around so frequently. You just have to tell yourself that the schedule thay give you is tentative.

 

[DrGonz]

On a different note, the biggest complaint I have is that NYCPM makes planning difficult because they move tests around so frequently. You just have to tell yourself that the schedule thay give you is tentative.

aaaammmeeeen to that.... They might as well not even give us a schedule ha.

But as noted above.. nyc is expensive to live in(trust me i came from paying 250 a month to a 1050!!), but good deals can be found and u get used to loan money going to it haha. I feel safe where i live at as well. Upper East side is nice and where i will probably move to, or the west side around 72nd st or so.

 

[DancerPod]

LOL! Tests are moved THAT frequently. It isn't even a monthly occurrence.
And if a lecture class is moved and you have a legitimate schedule problem the dean is usually quite nice about excusing your absences.

 

[hs113891]

I would recommend commuting from NJ if you have kids... Most of Bergen county NJ is very safe, inexpensive, and close to Manhattan.

I would recommend places like: Palisades Park, Fort Lee, Edgewater, Englewood,

By car, it would take you about 5-20 minutes to the school, depending on traffic.
By bus, it may take you a bit longer, possibly up to an hour or more. I don't think parking is too bad in the area... but the area is... =X

 

[DancerPod]

I don't think parking is too bad in the area...

The school has parking available for students. Private lot, security guard. You don't have to fight people off for spots. I'm not even going to reply to the "area is bad" bit, that subject has been talked to death on these boards.

 

[plantar]

I've lived in both cities so, Possible Pod, let me give you the facts of NYC and Philly. Don't try to commute, but if you have to live close, not too far away by subway or train. Also note that you are given a budget of only $800 a month in rent money from your loans from any school.

NYC is a very expensive city where you will not get your monies worth no matter where you live. There are quite a few places to live in East Harlem, however it is not safe at night and the rent will be expensive for a dump. Don't even bother with Newark since that is not safe at all. Rent on a 2 bedroom apartment in the city is $3000 and up. Rent in the surrounding boroughs can be $1400 and up.

Now Philly is way cheaper than NYC, however there are certain sections of Philly that you can live in and can't live in. Rent on a 2 bedroom apartment or house can range from $1000 a month and up. Nice areas include Rittenhouse Square, and Washington Square, especially if your kids are school age. If not, then Chinatown and anywhere downtown is fine and you can find something reasonable for $1300 a month. Now if you go outside the city (like an hour commute), you can find something for $700 a month.

 

[DancerPod]

Also note that you are given a budget of only $800 a month in rent money from your loans from any school.

I can't speak for other schools, but the amount of your loans the NYCPM financial aid department budgets for you to spend on room and board is $25,200. That's $2100 per month for rent and food. There's an entirely different amount granted for "personal expenses." I feed a family of three (myself included) off of around $400-500 per month. That leaves $1600 per month for rent expenses if you stick within the exact budget the school grants you in your loans. If you live in student housing (which I do not), the rent includes all utilities, including the internet.
You can get the amounts a school calculates for you by calling their financial aid department.