4 months in NYC: calling all New Yorkers

[ThePlanner]

My husband has an opportunity to work in New York City for 4 months. He's been there twice for work a couple of years ago and loved it.

We [DD6, DS4 and I] have a chance to join him there. DH thinks they'll want him there as soon as June 1. So the months we're looking at are June through September. The details are not all ironed out but he said the company would pay for our housing if we choose to go with him.

There are 3 options.
1) DH flies out every other week. We stay home.
2) We all go out and live there for 4 months.
3) a combination of the two. The kids and I can go but don't have to stay the whole 4 months.

Part of me feels weird letting them pay for a "vacation" for the kids and me while hubby works. [Weird like "we're not worthy, don't spend all that $$$ on us"] But if we stay put, we'll be missing him while he's away in NYC. And to be more efficient, he should really be there instead of flying back every other week.

I need a bit of help thinking this through. I've always admire the community here so I'm posting this here. I've got some books on hold at the library..."NYC with kids" type of travel book but would appreciate the your help. Any advice about NYC with kids, summer in NYC, tourists in NYC,...anything would be appreciated.

Rach

[NotaGeek]

GO! What an amazing opportunity for your family ... take advantage and see as much as you can ... there' s TONS of history in NYC and the East coast ... use it to let your kids see how the other Coast lives. There's enough to do in 4 months that you will never be bored, the museums and shows alone would be worth it.

Good luck!

[SBETigg]

He'll probably be happier and more relaxed if his family is along, and therefore do a better job. This is the rationale that makes it well worth it for his employer to include the family in his plans, a worthy investment. I would say to join him and enjoy it. It's a very cool city.

[faline]

Why not take an "extended" vacation? You may not get this sort of opportunity again. By all means, go.

[Madame Leona]

I wouldn't think of it as a vacation. It's important for a family to be together as much as possible. Go, have fun and make memories. Life is just to short to be away from loved ones.

[Zippy 1]

While a good part of me says go and enjoy the time in NYC. There is alot to see and you would all get to be together. Your husband would probably do his job better with his family with him. You do however have to be aware that NYC itself can be incredibly hot and humid in the summer time. I have experienced that (not so fun). There are alot of places outside the city you could visit that would cut down on your exposure to the heat. There are also alot of indoor things that you can do in the city. Museums, historic sites, etc. I think it would be a great time to make some wonderful memories. I just don't want you to not know how hot it can get. With the heat can also come short tempers! Good luck! If you decide to go there are some great tour guides to see some of the offbeat history of NYC.

[ThePlanner]

Thank you everyone for your input!

He'll probably be happier and more relaxed if his family is along, and therefore do a better job. This is the rationale that makes it well worth it for his employer to include the family in his plans, a worthy investment. I would say to join him and enjoy it. It's a very cool city.

This is exactly what DH said. So I guess this is nothing new. And I should feel comfortable with it.

I wouldn't think of it as a vacation. It's important for a family to be together as much as possible. Go, have fun and make memories. Life is just to short to be away from loved ones.

I like that...good words.

... be aware that NYC itself can be incredibly hot and humid in the summer time. I have experienced that (not so fun). ... I just don't want you to not know how hot it can get. With the heat can also come short tempers! Good luck!

Zippy 1, this is one thing I'm worried about. Coming from the NW, our summers are mild. Our heat waves usually last only a couple of days then we get relief before we get another heat wave and sometimes we don't. The heat and humidity will not be fun. Thanks for mentioning this.


The other thing is leaving our home for that long period of time. Can we stop the utilities? What does one do? Such new territory.

[ElenitaB]

It would be more cost efficient for your DH's husband to house him in short-term housing than to pay for 4 months of a hotel stay. That said, there are some nice apartments dedicated to exactly that kind of thing located in the east 50's. I'm sure there are more around the City but those are the ones that I am most familiar with as friends of mine have stayed there. If you're interested in more info, send me a PM and I'll ask my friends for more info.

There's plenty for children to do around here: fabulous museums, amazing parks, etc.

And yes, summer in NYC can be quite hot and humid... but I can think of several other parts of the country that have equally uncomfortable weather in the summer months. This sounds like an opportunity you should really consider taking!

[jrkcr]

My Gosh!! We are exactly the same!! DH moves around for work, and he can either fly home on weekends, or we can go with him for his longer stays.
Thats how we came to Reno over 2 years ago!(it was supposed to be for 11 months)
And this July, we are also moving to NY!! We'll be there for a year(yeah, right). We'll be in the Albany area(I have posts on here already about that)
My kids are home schooled, so we aren't upsetting their school schedule to travel and seeing the USA has been an incredible opportunity for us all.

I've started a list of "things to do in NY", and am really excited about going!
So my advice is GO!!

[jrkcr]

Also, we left our home in SC now for over 2 years. We left the elec on-turned the heat down low(or A/c) so it cuts on just enough to keep the pipes from freezing and keep things from melting in summer. My friend Diznee4me, and my parents go every few months to adjust the thermostat.

And over time, all three of our toilets have been turned off due to water leaks-but our house is about 100 yrs old and nothing is quit "right".

We just hired our third yard guy to cut the grass, and we just mail him a check when he calls us to say he cut it. He is the yard man of a friend/neighbor, so she keeps an eye on my yard.

It has been incredibly stressful to me to own a house there and not know what is going on with it. I am seriously considering selling it, since we will continue to travel for DH work. But for 4 months, it should be much easier to just clean out the frig and leave everything.
Good Luck!

[ThePlanner]

My Gosh!! We are exactly the same!! DH moves around for work, and he can either fly home on weekends, or we can go with him for his longer stays.
Thats how we came to Reno over 2 years ago!(it was supposed to be for 11 months)
And this July, we are also moving to NY!! We'll be there for a year(yeah, right). We'll be in the Albany area(I have posts on here already about that)
So my advice is GO!!

Yes, I remember seeing that post now! At first my DH was asking, "how about moving to New York?" My response was like that old salsa commercial, "New York City?" [it's really funny if you know the commercial. ]

It's nice to know that someone [even if it's through a forum] has gone through something I'm facing. It somehow makes it more manageable.

Thanks for responding!

[ThePlanner]

So my DH and I are still discussing this and we opened our 3 fortune cookies we got.

1) You will soon vacation in a place of warm climate.

2) Your situation will change for the better.

3) Accept the next proposition you hear.

[Aggie97]

My husband, who grew up in Austin, TX, did this as a child -- he, his mom and his brother joined his father, who was in New York City for work, for the summer. Granted, his experience was from a child's perspective (so no responsibility for the logistics of the whole thing!), but he has wonderful memories of that time.

I hope all works out for the best!

[pink]

If his company is offering then go for it. This will be such an amazing oppurtunity for your kids. There are many fun things to do with kids in NYC during the summer:

Times Square
Toys R Us- indoor ferris wheel
Madam Tussaud's Wax Museum
Ripley's Believe it or not
Statue of Liberty (they're reopening the stairs to the top after the 4th of July this year.)
Empire State Building (at night is better, lights)
Brooklyn Bridge
Central Park
Bronx Zoo (is better than the Central Park Zoo)
Mars 2112- restaurant
Jekyll and Hyde- restaurant
Museum
You could also take the LIRR out to Long Island and go to the beach for the day.

Enjoy!

[Auntie]

I'm sure you've looked into this..but I'd want to know exactly where you'd be living before making that decision.
I'm just sayin'... make sure your idea of NYC and the companies idea of NYC are one in the same. Are we talking Manhattan..or one of the five boroughs. Just be sure. It's a BIG city... What you may be thinking of as summer long cultural celebration..could wind up being a long hot summer in a busy, loud noisy, hell hole.
While it's on the companies dime..you still have to live there. The novelty of city life can wear off pretty quick...depending on where you're living it.