where do my neighbor Brooklynites move to?

Hastings-on-Hudson is a great town.

Lots of ex-Brooklynites in Beacon, NY.

I think almost anything from Beacon down on the Hudson Valley line would be amazing. You'll notice a lot of artists in some of these towns because they offer special Artist Loft/Affordable Artist Housing programs. Beacon is great--very Brooklyn feel, walkable Main Street, a few good restaurants/cafes. Cold Spring, just south of Beacon, is also beautiful--walkable Main Street, antiquing, a few really great restaurants (I've been to a french restaurant and a 'local' restaurant that were both very good), and a great farmer's market. Also, of note, is Ossining and Peekskill.

In Jersey, I like the areas around Montclair (exp), Upper Montclair (somewhat less exp), Bloomfield and Glen Ridge (both substantially less exp). I personally think Upper Montclair has a cuter, less commercial Main Street area than Montclair. Bloomfield has one (Broad Street), but it's just ok.

Two places I'm currently salivating over:
http://hudsonvalley.craigslist.org/reb/1107539675.html
and
http://newjersey.craigslist.org/reb/1078899208.html.

Me? I'll never leave Brooklyn, I pay far too much rent to ever be able to save for a down payment. I just like to travel around on the weekends concocting fake exit strategies.

It would not take me very long to move back to Tarrytown in Westchester.

I wouldn't do it, but if I had to choose a 'burb, that would likely be it.
...

There's a town called Pelham (know people who live there) that is out of the city, but still more like the city than the burbs. It's the first town into Westchester, great historic train station in the middle of town within walk of lots of homes, great architecture, sidewalks, neighbors, greenspace. Schools are supposed to be great (and free!)

does everyone in pelham share the same IP address?

MeredithB wrote: If you are planning a family, definitely move out of NYC. IMO, it's not fair to the children to keep them under lock and key in NYC.

Bullshit. Growing up in NYC is the greatest gift you could give your children. I grew up here when it was much more dangerous than it is now, and I wasn't "under lock and key."

Much better to let them grow up here than some shit little suburban town.

They ride their bikes on the sidewalk in front of their houses in they are younger than ten or up and down their block if they are older than ten. They play basketball at the neighborhood schoolyard, touch football and soccer in the local park, baseball and tennis at public courts in the city.

They play hopscotch and double dutch outside while eating ices from the corner store, play freeze tag, skelly, and stoopball until the lights come on or its too dark to see, and every once in a while they go to a museum, the theater, or a friends house for a sleepover.

Oh, yeah, they actually have friends who don't all look alike, who don't have parents who all work in the same industry, and who go to different kinds of schools in different parts of town.

At least my kids do...

homeowner wrote: They ride their bikes on the sidewalk in front of their houses in they are younger than ten or up and down their block if they are older than ten. They play basketball at the neighborhood schoolyard, touch football and soccer in the local park, baseball and tennis at public courts in the city.

They play hopscotch and double dutch outside while eating ices from the corner store, play freeze tag, skelly, and stoopball until the lights come on or its too dark to see, and every once in a while they go to a museum, the theater, or a friends house for a sleepover.

Oh, yeah, they actually have friends who don't all look alike, who don't have parents who all work in the same industry, and who go to different kinds of schools in different parts of town.

At least my kids do...

Not all city kids can be as priviledged as yours obviously.

And I doubt they stop riding on the sidewalk once they reach ten.