Tell me about North Woodmere

amother

Coffee

Wed, Apr 15 2015, 4:13 pm

We are looking to move from OOT and heard the North Woodmere community would be good for us. My husbands company has an office in queens, so we dont want to be too far. A little about us: Husband is BT, wears black hat, works in high-tech. We're not necessarily the Bais Yaakov type, but looking for a frum education for our kids (ages 2 and 4). No TV in the house. I wear denim skirts but stockings every day. We're a little out of the box. Any ideas or thoughts? Thank you!

Rutabaga

Wed, Apr 15 2015, 5:39 pm

NW might be a good fit for you. There are a lot of young families and a mix of "types" of people. Specifically, you should look into the shuls called BKNW (Rabbi Lebowitz) and KBH (Rabbi Witkin). If you can, try to go for shabbos to get a feel for the neighborhood.

You should also look into Bayswater, Cedarhurst, Hewlett, and Inwood in the 5 Towns area. Have you considered parts of Queens?

amother

Jetblack

Wed, Apr 15 2015, 6:55 pm

I saw this post and knew that you also posted in Bergenfield as we looked at this community as well. It's also the same hashkafa but VERY into gashmius. We have friends that love it there, but told us point blank that unless you want to keep up with the Goldsteins, it's not the place for you. You have to wear the right clothes, get the right toys and go on the right vacations. Again, a nice Rav and we have friends there, but too monetary minded for us.

amother

Floralwhite

Thu, Apr 16 2015, 9:23 am

I live in NW and I think the above poster is greatly exaggerating the gashmiyus aspect. There are many types of people who live here. Yes, there are some families who are "fashionable" with everyone dressed to a T and the latest gadgets and all that jazz. But there are also plenty of down to earth families who have other interests. This is a very warm community and the amount of chessed that goes on here is amazing. Please come for a shabbos and see for yourself!

amother

Burgundy

Thu, Apr 16 2015, 9:36 am

amother wrote:

Can you please tell me where I can find nice people around here? I've been living here a year and haven't found any. The post you're responding to pretty much sums it up for me. However, since I'm stuck here for 2 more years, that's time enough to figure out how to make it work.

amother

Floralwhite

Thu, Apr 16 2015, 10:07 am

amother wrote:

I'm sorry you're having such a hard time here!

I go to BKNW, so I can't speak to the other shuls in the neighborhood. But I find that you have to be social in order to have a social life. Go to shul on shabbos and shmooze after davening. Look for the women who are not so fashionable if that's not your cup of tea. Arrange play dates for your kids and shmooze with the parents at drop off and pick up. Go to the park and shmooze with the other parents. Noticing a theme here?

Invite families for a shabbos meal and you'll get invited back and will meet other guests as well. Make cookies for a shalom zachor or a mommy meal for someone who just had a baby. Volunteer to help with a Sisterhood/shul event. Host a shaleshudis or a shiur in your house. Get involved and people will get to know you. You'll make friends. Good luck!

amother

Burgundy

Thu, Apr 16 2015, 10:28 am

amother wrote:

Done most of the above. Nothing doing Sad

I did try BKNW once and it seemed nice, but it's a very long walk, so it was not an option during the winter. Maybe I will try again now that it's nice out.

amother

Coffee

Thu, Apr 16 2015, 1:54 pm

OP here. What would you say is the difference between BKNW and KBH?

In terms of the gashmius stuff, I think honestly we're somewhere in the middle. I definitely appreciate nice things, dressing fashionably etc, but we are budget conscious and try to live a moderate lifestyle, nothing over the top, but nothing super minimal, just in-between.

What's with the other 5 towns communities - does it sound like we would fit anywhere else?
I think we're more to the right, than "right wing YU" but we're not SO much to the right that we would fit in in a complete black hat/yeshivish community. I wear a long sheitel, am into fashion/color, wear pencil skirts, but my husband wears black and white, has beard/peyos (behind the ears), dont touch in public, etc.

Sorry if this is too many details, just trying to be specific so I can get the best advice as possible! We would love to come spend a shabbos, but we live very far. When we have things narrowed down a little more, we do plan on doing a pilot trip, but thats far off.

Thank you all!

amother

Honeydew

Thu, Apr 16 2015, 2:13 pm

amother wrote:

sounds pretty bais yakov to me!
5 towns & Far Rockaway is ilke that where BY is defined how you define. You can wear a denim skirt/long shaitel and still be BY type.
TAG is normal open minded school. BBY more yeshivish BY type, but plenty of fathers wear colored shirts and Moms with long shaitels there too. Also other newer schools.
Darchei/South Shore are also wonderful choices.

I grew up in Lawrence and it's very overrated the gashmiyus factor. Yes there is TONS of gashmiyus but it's to a nauseating point that so many people are just totally disconnected from it. People send to Siach Yitzchok boys school which is simpler clientele. But every school has a mix of fancy and simple. It's who you associate with.

amother

Floralwhite

Thu, Apr 16 2015, 2:32 pm

amother wrote:

OP here. What would you say is the difference between BKNW and KBH?

BKNW is kind of the shul in the middle. It's not as modern as the YI or as yeshivish as KBH. Rabbi Lebowitz is YU educated and very learned. The shul has a mix of families - some send their kids to HALB and some send to Shulamith and Yeshiva of South Shore and some send to TAG and Yeshiva Ketana.

KBH was started by a group of families from Far Rockaway or who originally wanted to live in FR but couldn't find affordable housing. It's definitely a more black hat crowd.

amother

Beige

Fri, May 15 2015, 4:22 am

OP, you sound like you can go just about anywhere in the five towns/Far Rockaway/Bayswater area. As a poster above commented, BY schools in the Far Rockaway area are much more toned down than in Brooklyn, letsay, and the way you dress seems typical. As far as hubby goes, I think he'll have to see for himself where he'll be happy as there are much more specific factors on his part.
What is he looking for? Does he wear white/black every day?
Though KBH was made out to be "Yeshivish" on this post, the guys mostly wear colored shirts during the week. They are a mix of professionals and businessmen. Almost all wear black hats on Shabbos, and some during the week for daavening, some not.
Its a young, super-social crowd. Those not as social may find it harder, but people are generally friendly and warm. There are tons of new families moving in all the time so its not hard to break in.

Your finances may determine where you'd end up, as its getting hard everywhere in the five towns to find a home under the six-seven hundred thousand range.

perseverance613

Fri, May 15 2015, 11:23 am

evian487 wrote:

OP here: can someone explain to me the flood zones and school disctricts in terms of taxes? Anyone have a map that outlines flood zones and school disctricts?

There are two flood zones in North Woodmere: zone AE and zone X. The zones follow individual house elevation and same block could have sections with each zone. This map has exact boundaries of each zone: https://www.rampp-team.com/LOM.....C.pdf

Cranford Ave, Plainfield Ave, Golf Dr and everything West is in School District 15 (with taxes usually under $10k). Everything else East is in School District 14 (with taxes usually under $18k).

R' Witkin (KBH), R' Leibowitz (BKNW) and Young Israel (YINW) are all located near intersection of Park Ln and Hungry Harbor Rd. There is a shul called Ohr Torah in District 14, which has a large sefadi/Israeli minyan and a smaller modern nussach Ashkenaz minyan.

It might take you some time to buy a house in N Woodmere. Good luck!