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I am a 39 yr old female relocating from LA to White Plains or Poughkeepsie area with my 2 small dogs. I am planning to rent an apartment for around $1600. Where would you recommend I live that is safe enough to walk my dogs at night and still has some sort of night life? Someplace within a close proximity of a grocery store, restaurants and bars?
I am coming in next week to find this apartment so your help is really needed!
Last edited by npragmove; 07-09-2010 at 11:21 PM..
White Plains is a lot more expensive, but it has a glittery downtown, it has its own self-contained nightlife, and Manhattan is a 40 minute train ride. It has an upscale mall and a not-so-upscale mall, two other large city-style shopping centers and a multiplex.
I feel a warning is in order, however: If you have never lived in the New York area, and you're coming here for the first time, be aware that the Jersey Shore stereotype is actually reality here, and White Plains nightlife draws those types in droves, as if the bars were giving away free tanning products or something.
This is evident with one trip to Mamaroneck Avenue on a Saturday night at 1 a.m., where you'll see hundreds of spiky-haired douchebags in tank tops saying things like: "You're lookin' big bro, you been hittin' your delts more at the gym?" Their female counterparts are revolting little monsters -- dolled-out airheads caked in make-up, burnt to an orange crisp via tanning beds, and incapable of any conversation that does not involve Vienna Girardi or the latest $4,000 Louis Vuitton bag.
I'm sure some people will protest the description, but it's accurate.
The nightlife is pretty much confined to one strip, because White Plains is a city of corporate offices, medical suites and shopping -- during the day the population swells to more than 100,000, but at night it shrinks to around 50,000.
For the Poughkeepsie area, the most important thing is to avoid Poughkeepsie itself, unless you enjoy waking up at 3 a.m. to the sound of gun shots. I'm talking about the city proper. You'll want to avoid the town, too -- while there are comparatively nice neighborhoods, the town is also dotted with some shockingly big trailer parks. It says a hell of a lot about American priorities when you see $35,000 SUVs parked next to crumbling trailers.
That's a whole lot of what to avoid...I didn't mean to get carried away with that. But if you do go to the Poughkeepsie area, I highly recommend Rhinebeck, Hyde Park, New Paltz or Red Hook. They're all beautiful towns, three out of the four overlook the Hudson River, and there's a mix of night life and unique things to do. I described those towns in depth in this post.
Regarding the general White Plains vs. Poughkeepsie question, the two cities are a good hour apart, so your choice between the two areas will mainly depend on whether you are commuting to somewhere and, if so, where.
If you focus on the White Plains area, White Plains itself could be a good choice because of the availability of apartments within your price range and proximity to shopping, restaurants, etc. The city has a good-sized population of young singles. As Plan mentioned, there is nightlife in White Plains - more so than any town nearby - although the options might not appeal to you.
Keep in mind too that if your lifestyle involves going out nightly to trendy clubs, that lifestyle is not maintainable anywhere in Westchester (or, I believe, the Poughkeepsie area). In that case, you'll want to spend a lot of time in New York City. The good news is that if you like to go out weekly or so, many places in Westchester offer good train access, although you might need to cut your nights a bit short due to the train schedule. White Plains is strong in this regard, since it has very frequent express trains, the station is walkable from most residential areas downtown, and taxis are always available late at night. (Paid) parking at the station is also usually fairly easily obtained during the evenings and weekends.
If you're just looking for fun, there is still plenty to do in Westchester despite the relative lack of nightlife - outdoor activities, museums, restaurants, concerts, festivals, etc. It's also easy to get from town to town by car (if driving is an option), so you certainly won't be limited to the town/city you choose.
An alternative to White Plains you might consider is Tarrytown. It's less expensive than White Plains and offers more of a small-town feel, but there are still many good restaurants and shops in its very walkable downtown, along with a few bars. It also has very good train access, with frequent express trains. There seems to be a growing demographic of young people in town - and not as young as some of the college-age crowd in White Plains. There is a rental complex outside of downtown with apartments close to your range, and good availability of private rentals within town. Your best bet would be to find a realtor or check Craigslist.
If you're really yearning to be in Manhattan a lot, you might also want to consider the Fleetwood section of Mount Vernon. The area has rental options within your range and tends to attract a good number of young people. Its main advantage is its proximity to NYC and good train access.
Regarding the general White Plains vs. Poughkeepsie question, the two cities are a good hour apart, so your choice between the two areas will mainly depend on whether you are commuting to somewhere and, if so, where.
I'm a bit confused. White Plains and Poughkeepsie are nowhere near each other. Where will you be working? I just can't figure out why these 2 particular towns would be on the same list...
I'm a bit confused. White Plains and Poughkeepsie are nowhere near each other. Where will you be working? I just can't figure out why these 2 particular towns would be on the same list...
yeah unless she meant peekskill?
Another thing to consider is whether you can find an apartment in that price range that will allow two dogs. 1 dog seems doable... but two? How much do they weigh?
I'm a bit confused. White Plains and Poughkeepsie are nowhere near each other. Where will you be working? I just can't figure out why these 2 particular towns would be on the same list...
She probably got a job in Poughkeepsie and wants to either live in Poughkeepsie for the proximity to the job, or live in White Plains, which is probably the closest large city to Poughkeepsie.
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