Best US places to live? (Lubavitch version)

[Yungerman]

Im from miami beach and sorry to say NMB has a lot of crime.

Have you lived in NMB? I've been living there for 3+ years and can attest that the frum neighborhood
is very safe. Some areas of the zip code I would avoid walking around during nighttime, but the frum area
is pretty safe(although Miami Beach is relatively safer).

NMB is definitely the largest(>150 Lubav families), most Chassidish, eidel, and in-my-highly-biased-opinion,
best place to raise a Lubavitch family south of NY.

[myb821]

Have you lived in NMB? I've been living there for 3+ years and can attest that the frum neighborhood
is very safe. Some areas of the zip code I would avoid walking around during nighttime, but the frum area
is pretty safe(although Miami Beach is relatively safer).

NMB is definitely the largest(>150 Lubav families), most Chassidish, eidel, and in-my-highly-biased-opinion,
best place to raise a Lubavitch family south of NY.

i have not but i have many friends who have and sorry but there are parts of nmb 20 minutes walk from the jewish community that i wouldnt walk around in at night

[Yungerman]

i have not but i have many friends who have and sorry but there are parts of nmb 20 minutes walk from the jewish community that i wouldnt walk around in at night

I concurred with you on that point in my previous post:

Have you lived in NMB? I've been living there for 3+ years and can attest that the frum neighborhood
is very safe. Some areas of the zip code I would avoid walking around during nighttime, but the frum area
is pretty safe(although Miami Beach is relatively safer).

NMB is definitely the largest(>150 Lubav families), most Chassidish, eidel, and in-my-highly-biased-opinion,
best place to raise a Lubavitch family south of NY.

I'm talking about within the frum community. Through the world, there are many nice communities which are juxtaposed
to worse ones.

[Cholentfresser]

Cheder Menachem?
Maybe it's just the LA environment then, but some of those boys were the least innocent boys I have ever seen.

I, as well as all my brothers, went to Cheder Menachem. When i was there, it was clear that they were still in developmental stages and there were many flaws. In the past couple years, however, it has become a very solid school. Anyone who's been in the living in the LA community for the past 10 years can attest to that.

That said, I still don't know if I'd live there for other reasons: cost of housing, etc.

[skyguy918]

I concurred with you on that point in my previous post:
I'm talking about within the frum community. Through the world, there are many nice communities which are juxtaposed
to worse ones.

My brother in law tells me that many in the community own guns due to concerns about crime in the neighborhood (he's not lubavitch but it's one neighborhood geographically). They also recently had police search teams going door to door and searching their backyards for a fugitive of some sort, late at night.

My impression is that it's not so unsafe as to be an automatic deal breaker, but it warrants consideration.

On a separate note, what's the story with the shul (I think it's called Beis Menachem)? I was in NMB last year around memorial day and it looked like they were pretty close to finishing this huge, brand new building. But then I was there again a few weeks ago and it looked like they hadn't made any progress in between. Did they run out of money? And if they felt the need to build such a big building to accommodate the community, how do they fit in the current shul/house? (I davened shachris there a few times, but I didn't see what it's like on shabbos - I imagine it's pretty packed?)

[Yungerman]

My brother in law tells me that many in the community own guns due to concerns about crime in the neighborhood (he's not lubavitch but it's one neighborhood geographically). They also recently had police search teams going door to door and searching their backyards for a fugitive of some sort, late at night.

My impression is that it's not so unsafe as to be an automatic deal breaker, but it warrants consideration.

On a separate note, what's the story with the shul (I think it's called Beis Menachem)? I was in NMB last year around memorial day and it looked like they were pretty close to finishing this huge, brand new building. But then I was there again a few weeks ago and it looked like they hadn't made any progress in between. Did they run out of money? And if they felt the need to build such a big building to accommodate the community, how do they fit in the current shul/house? (I davened shachris there a few times, but I didn't see what it's like on shabbos - I imagine it's pretty packed?)

BH I never had an issue with safety. I happen to live on a 90% frum block, so it's a lot quieter and safer than some other blocks.

Regarding the shul: From what I remember last, they need an additional $500k. In the current shul it's pretty packed on Shabbos, though not unbearable.

[Avid Reader]

Anyone know about the environment in Chicago - Frumwise?

[DH Data Recovery]

my cousin runs the yeshiva there

[Dan]

Anyone know about the environment in Chicago - Frumwise?

Seems pretty good, but housing is very expensive and traffic is terrible, 2 of the normally nice benefits of living in the midwest.

[Ergel]

Seems pretty good, but housing is very expensive and traffic is terrible, 2 of the normally nice benefits of living in the midwest.

True, but cost of living (besides housing, which you only get like a 10% discount) is much less than NY and you live in a major city (if that attracts you)

[whYME]

but housing is very expensive...

Really? I was under the impression that it's quite manageable.
I guess it depends where you're looking but can't you get something nice in West Rogers Park for 350-400k?

I wouldn't call that "very expensive" for a major city.

[whYME]

Anyone know about the environment in Chicago - Frumwise?

From what I hear it's supposed to be a very chasidishe community.

[Ergel]

Really? I was under the impression that it's quite manageable.
I guess it depends where you're looking but can't you get something nice in West Rogers Park for 350-400k?

I wouldn't call that "very expensive" for a major city.

You can get that in new York also outside of Brooklyn

[whYME]

You can get that in new York also outside of Brooklyn

Right, but West Rogers Park is where (most of) the Chabad community is.
Apples-to-apples you would have to compare it to Crown Heights. In CH you might be able to find a one bedroom condo for that price...

[Ergel]

Right, but West Rogers Park is where (most of) the Chabad community is.
Apples-to-apples you would have to compare it to Crown Heights. In CH you might be able to find a one bedroom condo for that price...

It's still not CH (i'm not Chabad so I don't have a great knowledge of the community but that much I know)

[whYME]

It's still not CH (i'm not Chabad so I don't have a great knowledge of the community but that much I know)

Sorry, I'm not sure I understand your point...


Can anybody enlighten us about the Lubavitch communit(ies?) in Monsey?

[shiframeir]

I live in Staten Island NY (the Willowbrook Community, vs. the nearby New Springville community, also with a strong chabad presence), and i love it, though the majority of the community is older and slowly dying out.
Willowbrook is a great commute to downtown NY (35 minutes for me door to door) and 15 minutes from boro park, with lots of different shuls and minyanim (though no regular carlebach minyan) all week and shabbos, plus a classic chabad shul with R Katzman and chabad cheder and yeshiva, yet it feels very out-of-town and suburban with no crime and lots of trees and parks. Tuition is cheaper than most places (15k for 2 kids is full tuition) and houses are pretty cheap with low RE tax (but u pay NYC tax).
 

[Ergel]

Sorry, I'm not sure I understand your point...

Just saying that comparing ch to west Rogers park is also not 100% correct

[AsherO]

You can get that in new York also outside of Brooklyn

In Buffalo?

I live in Staten Island NY (the Willowbrook Community, vs. the nearby New Springville community, also with a strong chabad presence), and i love it, though the majority of the community is older and slowly dying out.
Willowbrook is a great commute to downtown NY (35 minutes for me door to door) and 15 minutes from boro park, with lots of different shuls and minyanim (though no regular carlebach minyan) all week and shabbos, plus a classic chabad shul with R Katzman and chabad cheder and yeshiva, yet it feels very out-of-town and suburban with no crime and lots of trees and parks. Tuition is cheaper than most places (15k for 2 kids is full tuition) and houses are pretty cheap with low RE tax (but u pay NYC tax).

What do houses go for there?

[Ergel]

In Buffalo?

Bergen county (new Jersey but you get my point). Depending where, on the island