Yorktown Heights, NY (White Plains, Cortland, Bedford: how much, homes, buy)

[LauraP]

I love this town.. lived her for 13 years... moved here from Yonkers as a better and more affordable place to raise our two children... I sell real estate in this town and because I love it here so much, I'm happy to sell the product!! LOL. If you need any help, please email me and let me know! You won't go wrong here... good luck!

[LauraP]

Originally Posted by baby1nov

I just wanted to add my 2 cents. I have lived in Yorktown all my life. I grew up in Shrub Oak, which is an adorable area in Northern Yorktown. When I got married I bought a house in a more southern part of the town, near Sparkle Lake. I currently sold my home and am looking to stay in Yorktown but needed something different from the home I had. I have looked around in other areas deciding to keep all options open but keep coming back to Yorktown. Not only because it has been my home for so long, but because it offers so much. It is never a far drive to get to any type of shopping you need. Yorktown School disctrict is very higly rated and if you are commuting in almost any area of Yorktown you are never far from a major roadway. Its a great place to raise kids, even nowadays if there were times I realized I forgot to lock the front door I didn't worry about it. The public pools have been recently renovated and are truly beautiful. And I think its one of the last great towns to live in Westchester that is affordable when you compare it to similiar towns in lower Westchester.

Well said, my sentiments exactly!!!!

[LauraP]

Hi, Take a look at the school district's website and see what the Yorktown Central School District is all about. You can access that website at Yorktown.org. Also, Yorktown has another school district (Lakeland). I'm not sure of the website for that one, perhaps if someone who knows is reading this, they can shout out the website for you... hope that helps! Good luck.

[LauraP]

Eileen, please take a bow!!!! :::APPLAUSE!!:::

I don't know where Homeripoff is coming from either...

In addition to everything you've said Eileen, I'd like to add and mention that this town has a terrific financial diversity. Unlike many other towns in lower Westchester where everybody drives the same Mercedes, or the school girls will ONLY wear a recognizable designer signature... Yorktown has a great respect for all financial classes. In fact, there is a resident here who drives around in a brand new Lamborghini!!!

So, for those of you who feel this town is only for the "country-bumpkins"... think again!! Yorktown has come a long way, baby!

[Johninwestbury]

I've been to Yorktown and the Jefferson Valley Mall area, very nice, reminds me of the way the Lake Grove area (on Long Island) USED to be before it got too overdeveloped and ritzy with the McMansions.
There's alot of parks and preserves around Yorktown too. I would consider moving there myself if I could.

[house shopping]

mmmmmnyah its alright I guess.... Taxes are way higher that the hop skip into putnum county. but than its not really better there either. I do feel that the prices can use some adjustment. I think in the next year we may see more price drop.

[dma1250]

Originally Posted by house shopping

mmmmmnyah its alright I guess.... Taxes are way higher that the hop skip into putnum county. but than its not really better there either. I do feel that the prices can use some adjustment. I think in the next year we may see more price drop.

Taxes are higher in Yorktown Heights than in Putnam, but the commute is about 30 minutes shorter from most of Yorktown Heights than from anywhere in Putnam. And the schools in Putnam are nowhere as good (by any ranking). You really can't compare quality of life in southern Yorktown to that in Putnam--there is a world of difference.

Prices in Yorktown Heights didn't increase nearly as much as those in some other towns, so I'd argue that there is a lot less air in the bubble and that we'll see far less decrease here than in other towns where prices are artificially high. For what it offers, Yorktown Heights remains a great bargain (relatively speaking).

[house shopping]

Originally Posted by dma1250

Prices in Yorktown Heights didn't increase nearly as much as those in some other towns, so I'd argue that there is a lot less air in the bubble and that we'll see far less decrease here than in other towns where prices are artificially high. For what it offers, Yorktown Heights remains a great bargain (relatively speaking).

we shall see in the fourth quarter of 08... I wonder if the bubble doubters will still be singing the same tune. Sure the bubble will affect one area a bit differently than another. However, were all likely to be affected in a big way no matter what the increase in price was. By no streatch of the immagination is westchester immune to whats to come. Take a look at what's happening in Ohio... do you think that the prices balooned there? well they have entire neighborhoods forclosed not just one house here and there. entire markets are collapsing. Funny though, I never heard of anyone speaking of any westchester county locale as a bargain, even relatively speaking. You want a bargin... certain parts of ohio are. Heck, they are almost free now

one more thing... Yorktown borders putnum county... so I'd think that the commute is about the same from yorktown as some places on the putnam westchester border don't really know where you're getting 30 minute extra commute unless you are talking about northern putnum/dutches boarder areas. so in this sense, if you could save $5000 or more a year on taxes and have the SAME commute time. Than why not? I would not generalize to say all of putnum is a world of difference from yorktown. Heck look at mahopac... I think a great place to live and its real close to yorktown on the map.Wife's a teacher... Yorktown schools are not much better than some in putnum county, They just aren't (remember we're trying to compare a county with a town). we're not comparing Bedford schools vs schools in putnum valley for instance. If we were I'd say you're right.

[dma1250]

Originally Posted by house shopping

Yorktown borders putnum county... so I'd think that the commute is about the same from yorktown as some places on the putnam westchester border don't really know where you're getting 30 minute extra commute unless you are talking about northern putnum/dutches boarder areas. so in this sense, if you could save $5000 or more a year on taxes and have the SAME commute time. Than why not? I would not generalize to say all of putnum is a world of difference from yorktown. Heck look at mahopac... I think a great place to live and its real close to yorktown on the map.Wife's a teacher... Yorktown schools are not much better than some in putnum county, They just aren't (remember we're trying to compare a county with a town). we're not comparing Bedford schools vs schools in putnum valley for instance. If we were I'd say you're right.

The discussion is about Yorktown Heights, not about all of Yorktown (which is 12 miles square and has two school districts). Your points may hold some water if we were talking about Shrub Oak, but not at all for Yorktown Heights.

Yorktown Heights is 10 minutes from either the Croton-Harmon station on the Hudson line or Mt. Kisco station on the Harlem line. So it is indeed a 30 minute-shorter commute than from anywhere in Putnam County (where the shortest options are the Garrison station or driving down to Peekskill or over to Purdy's or Croton Falls.)

Mahopac is about 8-10 miles north of Yorktown Heights (making it further from Yorktown Heights than Chappaqua, Braircliff, Bedford or a number of other towns). It takes us about 25 minutes to get up to Mahopoc, as opposed to the 15 it takes to get to Chappagua, for example. In fact, it takes us longer to get to Shrub Oak than it does to Croton, Katonah, Mt. Kisco and other towns.

As for schools, I would indeed say that the Yorktown Central School district, which serves southern Yorktown (as opposed to Lakeland, which covers northern Yorktown) is in general a better system than any in Putnam. Garrison would be the closest option. Debating school districts is (I agree) a waste of time since you could argue for ever over what measurement is actually valid or worth anything. But my opinion is based on what I've been told by educators familiar with districts throughout northern Westchester and Putnam, as well as by looking at the assorted "data."

[dma1250]

Originally Posted by house shopping

By no streatch of the immagination is westchester immune to whats to come. Take a look at what's happening in Ohio... do you think that the prices balooned there? well they have entire neighborhoods forclosed not just one house here and there. entire markets are collapsing. Funny though, I never heard of anyone speaking of any westchester county locale as a bargain, even relatively speaking. You want a bargin... certain parts of ohio are. Heck, they are almost free now

Not to be snide, but Westchester is the nicest place within commuting distance of the greatest city on Earth, which has one of the strongest economies in the country, whereas Ohio is in Ohio. Expecting the Westchester market to behave like Ohio--or even Miami--is just silly.