While my husband and I always knew we would leave NYC for the suburbs one day, neither of us are originally from the New York area, and we did not know where to begin our search. That said, we had a clear idea in our mind of what we were looking for in a town: A+ schools, a down-to-earth vibe, and a close-knit community with good values. But despite a clear-cut list of must-haves, it’s difficult to evaluate towns based on these criteria by house hunting alone. That’s why Suburban Jungle’s town-first approach was perfect for us.
From the very beginning, we agreed with Suburban Jungle’s approach – that finding the right community would be more important than finding the perfect house. We were so fortunate to work with Patti Natiss at Suburban Jungle to support our home search. Working with Patti, we knew we could speak openly about what type of place we were looking for, and we felt we had someone who wanted us to find our suburban fit as much as we did.
We narrowed our decision down to a small handful of towns and looked for homes in each. But, based on our conversations with Patti and her local partner agent, we were able to really focus on Briarcliff Manor – where we ultimately moved.
We are so happy we ended up in Briarcliff Manor and found everything we were looking for. The community here is warm and welcoming and an easy place to feel a sense of belonging. We love seeing friends and neighbors throughout the year at town sports, community-wide events, and the town pool in the summer. Our children have been having wonderful experiences in our local public school as well.
I ended up loving living here so much that I now also work in town! In the fall of 2020, I became the school director at Congregation Sons of Israel Nursery School where my children were attending – before having children I was an early childhood educator in the city.
In addition to loving the educational aspects of my job, I now have the opportunity to share the joy of living here with families who are new to the area or considering moving here. I always tell parents of prospective students to look for a place that feels like the right fit not only for their child but also for their entire family.
Parents usually find and form their “village” during their child’s preschool years. I feel fortunate that I can help mold the community of families at my school, which I credit as being so wonderful because it is an extension of the families who live in the local area. I really do work with the nicest families at my school who care about one another and about raising children with good values, and I believe that finding this place that feels like just the right fit for my family happened because we were expertly guided through the town selection process by Patti.
Ready to find the perfect place to live – and, maybe, work? Get in touch now to schedule your free Suburbs Strategy session.
