Info needed on Orange & Putnam Counties (Carmel, Monroe: new house, safe area)

[Nbrakern]

Hello! My husband and I are coming in 2 weeks to view properties. We are seriously considering relocating from Los Angeles. The schools here are poor, and it's so expensive. We are looking at Patterson, Brewster, and Carmel in Putnam County, and Warwick, Goshen, Monroe, or Montgomery in Orange County. We need good schools for our son who is 3. We would like to have horse property if possible. Looking to be within commuting distance to go into the city to see a play, or go to a museum on a weekend. We saw some lakefront homes in Patterson, but want to make sure it is a safe area. Saw a post someone made about Brewster that was really negative, and made me feel maybe we should just stay here. All you locals please be honest. Give us the good and bad. Steer us in the right direction. This will be a big move if we make it, and all help is greatly appreciated.

[winnie]

Horse property is abundant in Goshen and Montgomery. Wallkill too.

All your choices in Orange are good ones. Especially for the school issue.

Prices here are a LOT cheaper than in the west coast. You should be able to pick up a property eligible for horses from 350-500K with a big new house on it- but no barn or paddocks, you will have to most likely put them up yourself..

Montgomery requires 5 acres to have horses. Not sure about the rest.

I am not a huge "across the river" fan. I think you will find everything you need in Orange. Especially if you want horse property, safety and scenery. Send me a PM if you want specifics.

[winnie]

Just looked and there are plenty of homes on the MLS. What usually presents the issue is the acerage. Homes on more than 5 acres are there, but you will pay!

[cut]



Your realtor should be able to find it for you. Wallkill has great schools and is a very nice area. This should be easy access to 84 and the NYS Thruway or Beacon's train.

Happy househunting!

[jdhall1]

I live just across the state line from those towns in Putnam county. Brewster has some nice parts the further north and south you go from the train station, because near the train station, lots of day labor hang out to get picked up for work.The schools of Brester aren't bad, in fact of my good friends and teamate from college went to the public schools of brewster and is doing fine.
Carmel does have some nice areas, but the pople there, at least the ones I met, seem to be a little bit backwards .
Patterson is a little bit further north of brewster and its a little bit for horse friendly, at least seems like the rural place that you are looking for. All of towns are between 75-90 minutes to Grand Central station .

[sherrylikethe]

Hi,

You might want to check out Newtown, CT - horse country with some old farms still in existance. LOTS of people (preppies) here who cannot afford Greenwich, CT (tops), Darien and Westport. Homes are not cheap, but you can purchase a McMansion (as we call them) for $700,000.

I moved here to send my son to the high school but am moving when he graduates in June to Salem, MA.

Hartford, CT is one hour away - New Haven about 45 minutes, but lots of people drive 30 minutes to Croton-on-Hudon, NY and take the train into Manhattan (about an hour ride).

More info, please ask.

Sherry

[Torn2pieces]

Do not move to Brewster NY, it has turned into a slummy town, due to the mexicans hanging out all over the streets. It use to be a really nice town.

As far as Putnam county goes, high taxes, expensive housing in certain parts. I lived in Lake Carmel for many years and have seen so many changes.

[KellyFG]

I LOVE Warwick! What a lovely area, we stayed in a B&B nearby a couple of years ago & I fell in LOVE. I've heard Rhinebeck is gorgeous too, not sure about schools though.

[BxRosie]

[quote=jdhall1;101836]Carmel does have some nice areas, but the pople there, at least the ones I met, seem to be a little bit backwards .


Must have met the wrong people!

I just moved from Carmel (to NC) in Aug. We lived there for 14 yrs & saw ALOT of changes, especially during the last 7 yrs. The schools are OK, but very overcrowded...Mahopac schools are better. There's lots of beautiful areas with large properties in Carmel. Kent & Patterson would be better suited for horse properties. Brewster/Southeast has some very nice areas. Look around rte 121/Peach Lake for horse areas & the north end that borders the CT border. It's just above North Salem in Westchester County which is very much a horse-friendly area. Martha Stewart & David Letterman live in North Salem. There's a vineyard there on Hardscrabble Rd that has a Harvest Festival every Oct. (Columbus Day weekend) that's very nice.
Stay away from Brewster village. Too many problems popping up with the day laborers there. My cousin lives on Manor Rd. in Patterson (off rte 311), lots of horse property there as well.

There's not much industry in Putnam County. A few strip malls in every town & local supermarkets. Carmel has Putnam Plaza & the mall on I-84 at exit 19 that has a Home Depot, Kohl's, Marshall's, LNT, Michael's & a few smaller stores. Brewster & Patterson have A&P's on rte 22 that have other stores as well. Most other shopping is done in the Danbury Mall (CT), Jefferson Valley Mall (Westchester Cty) or all along rte 9 in Dutchess Cty. (exit 13 on I84). There's talk about a new mall in Lake Carmel at exit 18 on I 84, but it's meeting with alot of opposition by the local residents. They've already successfully blocked a mall being built there once before. They're trying very hard to stop this one too.

Taxes are high. I was paying $6400 yrly for a 1500 sq ft house in the town of Carmel. on less than a quarter acre. All I got was town water & town sewer & the school bus service (my son went to Catholic school). He's in 9th grade now & he would have gone to a Catholic HS had we stayed in NY.

MetroNorth, from Southeast to Grand Central is a 90 min ride. So if you're working in the city, your daily commute will be 4 hrs a day. (got to include the travel time from your house to the train station)

FYI...we moved south because on my husband's health issues...he can't tolerate the cold weather anymore & we do like having him around! Also, cost of living was getting too high for us, living on a pension & working to make ends meet. We love NY, always will & it will always be "our home", but sometimes you just have to do what's best for your family.

My best advice is to go up there & really look around. Talk to the people you meet & get a good RE agent to help you find what you're looking for. It's really a beautiful area! The other side of the river has some really nice areas as well, some a little more rural that Putnam County. My only complaint with that side is that if you work in NYC, the commute over the bridges can be horrendous! No matter where you live there, you still have to cross the Hudson at some point. At least on the Putnam side, if you're driving into the city, there's tons of ways to get around the traffic!

GOOD LUCK in your house-hunting! I hope you find your perfect home!

BxRosie

[Torn2pieces]

Carmel does not have backward folks. My family still resides there. As mentioned the taxes are very high, very high.

[jdhall1]

I'm wrong then. There were just a few real jerk customers at my old job that were from Carmel. I live over in west Danbury (exit 1 on 84) and I didn't even know there was a proposal for a mall near exit 18.