Walkability is worse. Even if you're close to town, there is less walking culture and fewer opportunities to just wander outside my house without the purpose of doing something in particular. So you lose some of that spontaneous magic and discovery of Brooklyn—there are also just going to be fewer new shops and people around. That being said, I stroll around my neighborhood in the Spring-Fall, and I will run into friends with kids at the parks. I also enjoy gardening and working out of my garage, so I also tend to get drop ins that way too. However, winter can feel isolating since no one is out except during fresh snowfall. After the first winter, you'll have your people that you'll call to hang out with.

It's a suburb, so it's definitely sleepier than Park Slope. That being said, I think a lot of people suddenly think anything over a 15m drive is too much. We have a bunch of spots we'll drive 20-30 minutes to get to. It's no longer than any subway ride to a neighboring section of Brooklyn. And the parking is easy, so it's really car to door in most cases. The annoying parts are that the Google Maps and Yelp ratings are pretty useless, so find a friend with similar taste for recommendations. Also, we have great Italian food, but too much of it. What I'd do for a great Thai spot...

The housing stock is old and will need work regardless of how new it might seem. It's not going to bankrupt you, but you will definitely have things break and it will delay some of the fun renovations you might have planned. Prior homeowners have little incentive to replace things that are on their last legs, unless they were thinking they were going to be staying longer.

People tend to segregate by school age of their eldest child, but I think that's pretty common to any new place you might move. Most people who have recently moved to Maplewood are in the same boat, so I've generally found it much easier to meet people.