Differences b/w Rockland and Westchester counties (Yonkers, White Plains: low income, crime rates)

[ssm501]

I'm from MA and recently moved to NYC. I am not familiar with the tri-state area at all and wanted to take a few weekend trips out of the city to check out the surroundings. I saw some photos of gorgeous Victorian houses from a member of a Victorian houses yahoo! group that I belong to and I think they were taken in/around the Rockland county/Nyack area. (I tried contacting the member to ask for more specifics but never received a reply). I absolutely love Victorian architecture and had no idea that there were any areas close to NYC (I know that it's common more upstate) that had such prime examples of the period.

Anyway, back to the point of this post: I'm planning on visiting Rockland county+environs but wasn't sure of which towns/villages to focus on if I wanted to see stately Victorian mansions. Any suggestions?

Also, I know that Rockland and Westchester basically sit on opposite sides of a narrow strip of water - would that be the Hudson River? Since I don't know anything about this area, could someone please explain to me a few key differences between these two counties? (demographics-wise, such as income range, political leanings, crime rates, shops, schools, recreational parks, general attitudes, etc). I knew a couple of friends who came from Westchester way back in college (many years ago) and they told me it's kind of a wealthy, waspy area. But then I read on Wikipedia that Rockland is also the seat of one of the wealthiest income-per-capita areas in the country. So I'd like to get more on an insider's account on what the differences are between the two.

Thanks.

[havoc315]

I've lived in both counties.
Westchester is bigger, wealthier, closer to the city. Westchester is serviced by Metro North, on the east side of the Hudson River, which makes it an easy commute from most parts of the county. Thus, very attractive to affluent commuters, creating a great demand. There are some exceptional school districts in the county, as well as some very urbanized areas.

Before the Tappan Zee bridge was built in the 1950's, Rockland really was "upstate." Nyack was a bit of an upstate get-away for some NYCers, and was 1 of Rockland's early commercial centers. Once the bridge was built, suburbia moved in. Still, the population is less dense than Westchester. As it is still a much more difficult commute, it does not have the same home values or affluence of Westchester. (Though Rockland is hardly poor).

There are a handful of low income pockets in Rockland, with high crime, etc. But Rockland lacks the city centers you can find in Westchester (such as Yonkers and White Plains).

The counties are similar in a lot of ways. Rockland perhaps votes a bit more conservatively, but Westchester is skewed by the heavily Democratic leaning urban areas of Yonkers and White Plains. Overall, Rockland leans a bit towards the Democrats, while Westchester leans very Democratic.

Westchester has a variety of towns. Some are waspy, some are mixed, many have large Jewish populations. Each Westchester town very much has its own identity.
To some extent, Rockland has more of a county identity. The towns have less of an individual identity. (Nyack, Piermont, and Pearl River being exceptions.. Rockland towns, with a town identity). Instead, Rockland is mostly 1 sprawling suburb. Whereas Westchester, has towns builty around train stations.

Of note, Rockland has the largest Hasidic Jewish population outside of Brooklyn, often affecting local politics.

One third of Rockland is set aside for state parks, so there is plenty of park land. Further, Rockland's river front is undeveloped, leaving lovely parks. While in Westchester, the railroad eats up the river front property.

Shopping in Westchester varies from tiny shops in towns, to big box stores and malls. Rockland does have some smaller shops (especially in places like Nyack), but overall there is more of a big box feel. The Palisades Mall in West Nyack (which is nothing like Nyack) is the biggest mall in the northeast.

[ssm501]

Thank you so much for your thoughtful reply. I did not know any of the information you mentioned. I know an old gentleman (he's in his late 60s) who lives in Sneden's Landing/the Palisades and he also tells me that that area is very rural and can seem very isolated. It just amazes me that these regions can have such a "country" feel to them despite being so close to NYC.

I'm not ready to move yet but the thought occasionally crosses my mind now and then, that is -- in 5yrs. time I'll probably be looking to buy a house and move out to an area where I can have more land and room to breathe. Hopefully these weekend trips will help give me a sense of what the these neighboring communities have to offer.

Thanks again for your insight!