Need help - where to move

[malasa]

Maybe I am jumping to late in to this very interesting conversation but just to remained you that looking from real estate point of view Larchmont has the best re-sale value compering to all towns mentioned in this conversation. I am local agent, Larchmont resident and mom of 10 year old boy in Murray ave school (elementary ) and 13 year old girl in MS so I am covering most of what you need to know.
You can not go wrong with Larchmont in so many aspects, you will enjoy living her since it's so similar to Brooklin..nice small community but less suburban feel then NR or Harrison. Parks , beach rights , walk-ability, little leagues ( if you have boy he needs to be sporty if he is all about books stay in Brooklin , great local restorations,
This village is well balanced not too snoby but wealthy enough so you can have enough culture and every day life is not too sleepy and suburban. That definitely reflects through the schools as well.
Parents prospective on schools are very subjective but I would say that I agree with most what have been exchanged in the postings. My advise to you is to make appointments and meet with school principals once you narrowed your search.

[LizaL]

Originally Posted by vrome

My husband and I are planning to move to Westchester. We are in Brooklyn right now and have two girls, ages 3 and 18 months, and are expecting our third child this summer. If anyone can recommend town(s) for us to look at it would be greatly appreciated. Here's our situation in a nutshell:

- We value a town with strong schools, but don't want to be in a pressure cooker district where kids are essentially shunned if they don't go to an Ivy school and based on what I've read it seems like there are a handful of these that we'd want to steer clear of.

- We're looking at this as a mid-term commitment and will likely move in another 8-10 years or so, so elementary/middle schools are much more of a priority to us than high schools right now.

- Looking for a house that can comfortably fit a family of 5, so figure 3,200+ square ft, and would like some property for our kids to play, in the 0.2-0.4 acre range.

- Needs to be somewhere within a reasonable drive of NYC and Brooklyn since that's where our families are. Don't want to be anywhere more than 35-40 mins or so from NYC and 50 mins or so from Brooklyn.

- Don't mind spending money on the house, but not looking to spend an astronomical amount either. Our HHI is $500K range, so I would have to imagine that we could comfortably live in any area and meet the requirements that we're looking for in a house without stretching ourselves thin? Was thinking we'd land somewhere in the $1-$1.2 mil range at the end of the day. Does that sound reasonable?

- Taxes are more of a consideration for us than housing prices, so would rather spend some extra money on a house then spend less money on a house but be in a town with exorbitant taxes.

- Would like to be in a neighborhood that holds its value pretty well so we don't run into serious re-sale problems when we cross that bridge in another 8-10 years or so.

- We're not about status either, so not really crazy about the idea of being in a town that's all about keeping up with the Joneses. Having said that, also not crazy about being considered the "poor" family on the block, so would rather not be somewhere uber wealthy where we'd be looked down on.

- Our family is Roman Catholic and Italian-American and while we don't care about being outnumbered by other religions/ethnicities we certainly don't want to stick out like sore thumbs either.

- My husband commutes to lower Manhattan via train on some days and car on others, so we need to move a place that's easily accessible for both.

All suggestions, feedback, comments, first-hand experiences, etc. are greatly appreciated. Happy 2013 to all!

Hi VROME

I moved with my young family to westchester. I have 2 boys age 3 and 5 and they couldn't be happier.
My sister actually lives in Brooklyn and is looking to move here as well with her 2 and 4 year old.

There are so many great towns that fit your descriptions. Westchester has top rated schools. You can check out Westchester Magazine for ratings which I found very helpful.

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[traveller123]

I agree with many people who have posted...
Scarsdale is a great option -- some of the best schools in the country, a very nice town square that has beautiful architecture, filled with shops, boutiques , and restaurants for all taste buds (check it out on google earth/maps), not to mention an amazing recreation department that caters to kids football and summer camp to senior events. There is even a public pool complex that's better than anywhere I've been. To get to NYC take the metro north from the scarsdale train station. If you go on trulia.com you can get an idea of the housing in scarsdale. The schools don't pressure students, and have a very hands on way of teaching using the latest technology and books.

I really hope you choose to move to scarsdale. The water so close ( though it doesn't touch the water so less flooding than mamaroneck or larchmon) and the mountains for skiing a short while away, it's the perfect little town to raise a family!

[hgeb]

Originally Posted by Forest_Hills_Daddy

Given the size of the house you're targeting, you will probably get more for your money size wise and tax wise in northern Westchester. Note however that schools and school districts in the north tend to be large. Some people may or may not like that so you'll have to decide.

And the school districts in the south aren't large? The schools that have been discussed in this thread:
Mamaroneck: 1,459
New Rochelle: 3,266
Harrison: 957
Scarsdale: 1,416

The largest school districts in the north that I see:
Chappaqua: 1,322
Katonah: 1,302
Yorktown Heights: 1,395
Bedford: 1,264

I'm not arguing for or against large school districts, just pointing out that the schools discussed are all on the larger side. And the jump to New Rochelle is a big one.

[hgeb]

Originally Posted by traveller123

I agree with many people who have posted...
Scarsdale is a great option -- some of the best schools in the country, a very nice town square that has beautiful architecture, filled with shops, boutiques , and restaurants for all taste buds (check it out on google earth/maps), not to mention an amazing recreation department that caters to kids football and summer camp to senior events. There is even a public pool complex that's better than anywhere I've been. To get to NYC take the metro north from the scarsdale train station. If you go on trulia.com you can get an idea of the housing in scarsdale. The schools don't pressure students, and have a very hands on way of teaching using the latest technology and books.

I really hope you choose to move to scarsdale. The water so close ( though it doesn't touch the water so less flooding than mamaroneck or larchmon) and the mountains for skiing a short while away, it's the perfect little town to raise a family!

I laughed out loud when I read this. I picture you in the Scarsdale information booth reading this script over and over to people who walk by. If that doesn't exist, you should request them to build one so you can be in it.