Enjoying the perks of the big city in terms of employment, entertainment, education and culture while raising your family in a nice and safe suburb sounds like the perfect recipe for an agreeable lifestyle. Fortunately, the New York metro area contains a host of amazing suburbs with amenities that are ideal for raising a family within comfortable commuting distance from the metro area’s urban hotspots.
If you want to relocate within the New York metro area, to a suburban setting, we selected some of your best options based on the amenities they provide:
1. Oakland, NJ
- Median home value: $566K
- Average home size: 1,800 square feet
- Self storage rate: $206/month for a 10’x10’ unit
Nestled in a valley crossed by the Ramapo River, overlooking the Ramapo Mountains, Oakland is a breath of fresh air, figuratively and literally, located only 30 miles from Midtown Manhattan. It’s a great place for families with children of all ages — it’s safe and quiet, with a state forest, lake and beach nearby, so families will find ample opportunities for spending time outdoors.
But Oakland is more than a simple suburb with greenery and quiet streets. The neighborhood also enjoys an array of city-like amenities, including plenty of restaurants and shopping venues. The quality of education in the area is also top-notch: public school students test above average, while both local high schools offer college preparatory programs. Another great aspect of Oakland is that the home price in the area hovers around an affordable $566K, significantly under the average price of homes in the NY metro area, at $746K.
2. Garden City, NY
- Median home value: $980K
- Average home size: 2,073 square feet
- Self storage rate: $248/month for a 10’x10’ unit
Garden City is an affluent suburb located about a 28-mile drive from Manhattan, and it is well connected to the urban hotspot by train. It’s a relatively small suburb of under 23,000 people, but it has a strong sense of community — there’s even a local welcoming club that organizes social events for newcomers to help them get to know their neighbors.
Families can enjoy the St. Paul’s Recreation Complex, a large indoor recreation center situated in the middle of a 30-acre park, offering access to a variety of sports for kids and adults, including fitness programs, yoga, track, lacrosse and soccer. Schools in Garden City are among the best in the state, with the Garden City High School ensuring excellent student performance. Residents are also spoiled in terms of shopping opportunities, as it is the location of Long Island’s largest mall, Roosevelt Field. However, all of that comes at a cost — and homes in the area hover around $980K.
3. Port Washington, NY
- Median home value: $1M
- Average home size: 2,048 square feet
- Self storage rate: $240/month for a 10’x10’ storage unit
Some of Port Washington is already in Manhattan, as millions of cubic yards of local sand went into making concrete to build Manhattan’s skyscrapers, starting in the early 1900s. Otherwise, the suburb is about 25 miles from Midtown Manhattan, and you can drive there or travel by train.
Safe and quiet, about 16,000 people inhabit Port Washington. Families with children will enjoy the local attractions, including the easy access to several beaches, the Blumenfeld Family Park, or the sports programs at the Port Washington PAL. The public school district is top-rated, with a student-teacher ratio of 11 to 1.
Port Washington has varied shopping and dining options as well as a thriving local economy. The average annual wage for local jobs stands at $80K — so you don’t necessarily have to commute if you move to Port Washington. In terms of affordability, homes are more expensive than in the metro area overall. The average price for a home stands at around $1M.
4. Franklin Lakes, NJ
- Median home value: $1.1M
- Average home size: 3,687 square feet
- Self storage rate: $204/month for a 10’x10’ unit
Franklin Lakes is beautifully situated in the middle of wooded hills, alternating between lowlands and over 20 lakes and ponds — hence the name of the suburb. Moving here means you can hike and bike on the many miles of available trails, go birdwatching, or ice skate in the winter. In other words, it’s the kind of place that offers an idyllic childhood filled with plenty of time outdoors. Schools are also excellent, and the student-to-teacher ratio of about 8 to 1 ensures that every student gets the attention they deserve.
New York City is about 25 miles away, easily reachable by car or train. Obtaining employment locally is also an option, as the average annual wage in Franklin Lakes is over $70K. The local home value hovers around $1.1M.
5. Tinton Falls, NJ
- Median home value: $470K
- Average home size: 1,676 square feet
- Self storage rate: $154/month for a 10’x10’ unit
Located a little over 50 miles from Manhattan and a 30-mile drive from New Jersey, Tinton Falls is a relatively small suburb (under 20K people living there), but one that provides a nice assortment of amenities to its residents. There are plenty of outdoor green areas for families to enjoy — more than 2,800 square feet of park space per capita — and the public schools located here provide good quality education.
Some of the local attractions include the namesake waterfall, where you can hike on the pathways around the waterfall or have a picnic to enjoy the view. The small borough also has a charming historic district that includes several points of interest, including the mansion of the first colonial governor of New Jersey. Tinton Falls also enjoys relatively low housing costs — home value stands at around $470K.
If you’re in the process of moving within the New York metro area, you might need to use self storage. Fortunately, there are plenty of storage facilities here. A 10×10 self storage unit in New York City rents for around $290, and similar storage units in New Jersey hover around $210 per month.
*Note: Home values mentioned in this article reflect the Zillow Home Value Index for February 2022
How to Store Belts (Without any Hassle)
If you want to make sure you’re storing your belts properly, we get it. A belt might be a small part of an outfit, but small details can make a big difference. Belts have been part of clothing for thousands of years — dating back to the Bronze Age — and while their purpose has evolved, they remain both functional and personal. If you have a favorite leather belt, an expensive piece, or simply a few belts you want to keep looking their best, it’s worth knowing how to store them properly. The right method can help prevent creases, cracks, scratches and unnecessary wear.
Where to Donate Books in Chicago
As much as we don’t like giving up books, sometimes we just have to in order to create the mental and bookshelf space for new literary adventures. But we all want to make sure our books aren’t wasted and get a second life. Chicago has a generous network of organizations that will put your books back into the hands of readers who’ll treasure them. Here’s where to donate books in Chicago, based on our research.
How Snowbirds Handle Traveling South: Car Shipping and Storage at Your Winter Home
Every fall, millions of Americans are confronted with the same logistical puzzle: pack up one home, land in another, and somehow keep both places functional for months at a time. If you’re a snowbird, you know the challenge isn’t just the packing. It’s also figuring out what travels with you, what you leave behind, and what to do about the car.
Under-Stairs Storage Ideas: How to Ace a Tricky Space
Under-stairs storage works best when you treat it like a small project with a clear job. This guide shows how to turn that awkward wedge into drawers, cabinets, closets, or a mudroom drop zone that stays organized, and when a small storage unit works for overflow gear and seasonal decor. You’ll see which built-ins are worth building, what to avoid for code and safety, and how to keep the space for everyday necessities.
How to Store Stuffed Animals: Cleaning, Display and Long-Term Preservation Tips
Storing stuffed animals properly means cleaning them before you put them away, choosing the right container for the type of piece and protecting anything sentimental or collectible from moisture and temperature swings that break down fabric over time.
Where to Donate Books in Boston
Boston has no shortage of places to donate books — from the Boston Public Library to local bookstores and beyond. For a city that gave the country its first large free municipal library, that tracks. Its literary roots run deep, and they never really stopped growing.
How to Store Sneakers the Right Way: A Collector’s Guide to Sneaker Storage
Sneaker storage has become a bigger conversation than ever. Between viral unboxings, midnight raffles, resale apps and social feeds dedicated to carefully curated shelves, building a sneaker collection has become part of the cultural zeitgeist. The challenge begins once the excitement of a new pickup fades. Finding room for every pair while keeping them in mint condition is something almost every collector eventually has to figure out.
Under-Bed Storage Ideas: From Options to Precautions
The space under your bed is some of the most valuable (and most overlooked) square footage in your home. For anyone needing more storage in a small apartment, tiny home, a student dorm or just a space shared with roommates, that low, hidden zone can absorb off-season clothes, spare bedding and luggage without cluttering a single visible surface. But under-bed storage rewards a little strategy. Used well, it clears your floors and frees your closets. Used carelessly, it can trap moisture against your mattress and, in time, damage the very things you were trying to protect.
RV Storage Ideas: Smart Solutions for Every Space
The best RV storage ideas work by finding space you already have but aren’t using — under beds, inside cabinet doors, on walls, above entry steps and in the overhead bunk. Most RV owners run out of obvious places quickly, but the real storage capacity in a typical trailer or motorhome comes from vertical surfaces, divided compartments and rethinking what each space was designed for.