What suburbs of New York City are nice to raise a family?|122279

I am entertaining the idea of moving to New York City, area, but I know I can_t afford to live in the city. I also have 2 small children so I want to live somewhere that has a good community and is family friendly--without spending a fortune!
Where should I go? Is Staten Island a nice place?

Not the Bronx or Brooklyn. MAYBE Morningside which borders Harlem and the nice part of the upper west side of Manhattan, but I would definitely go with Astoria Queens. Staten Island is okay, but if you_re thinking about working in Manhattan, or visiting a lot, be prepared to commute on a ferry for 30 minutes back and forth every day.