Happy Medium between West Point and NYC (Hicksville, Peekskill: to rent, house) - City-Data Forum

ACRTN · 11-13-2011, 02:48 PM

I'll be teaching at West Point starting in May and my wife and I are trying to decide on where we can live. We're coming from Nashville, which we hate to leave because of the great restaurants, bars, and awesome part of town we live in. We won't live on West Point because we like getting out. We're 30 y/o and don't have any kids yet. I'd like to be within a 30 minute drive to work if possible, but still be a short train ride into the city as the wife will likely be looking for jobs in the city (oncology dietitian). We are considering Peekskill for its location and potential to offer something in terms of places to go eat (other than the local diner or Vinny's Pizza) and grab a drink but still be able to head to the city to meet up with friends on weekends. Is there anywhere else worth looking? For reference, I'm from Long Island (Hicksville, Nassau County) so I'm a native NYer, but I just never really ever made it up to Westchester. We're looking for a 2-3 br house to rent for 3 years as we'll be moving on after the next assignment. Appreciate any advice to get us looking in the right spot.

ponytrekker · 11-13-2011, 05:35 PM

Cortland Manor might be ideal. Probably 20 minute drive to work (winding roads though) and right near an express train to NYC.

dma1250 · 11-13-2011, 06:45 PM

Peekskill sounds like a good option for you. It has a small but growing restaurant scene with a few stand-outs, two good gastro pubs, and a pretty lively live music scene (not compared to Nashville, of course). There's a performing arts center, a small contemporary art museum, and a growing arts scene. The town is quite cheap because of the schools, but that won't be an issue for you. There's good train service into Manhattan (the ride is just under an hour) and the trip to West Point should be about 20 minutes (although the Bear Mountain road in winter is a serious challenge). If you want something less gritty and "urban," you could also live in the surrounding area of Cortlandt Manor and use Peekskill as your hub, as ponytrekker suggested.

Another option is Cold Spring, which is much prettier and quainter, and closer to West Point. But the trip to the city will be longer (aprox 75 minutes).

ACRTN · 11-14-2011, 11:33 PM

Thanks. We've been told about a bunch of towns on the west side of the river but that makes getting a train a bit more difficult. Are there any other options we should think about? If I had a little longer drive, is there anywhere else further south?

nonny · 11-15-2011, 03:25 AM

Irvington, Tarrytown.

Pivot Point · 11-17-2011, 06:14 PM

Tarrytown.

The Tappan Zee Bridge is right there, so that you can cross to the west side of the river easily to get to West Point. However it might take more like 35-40 minutes to get to WP from there.

Commuting to NYC is easy on the MetroNorth, and takes 38 minutes to GCS on the express train.