Towns in Westchester w/ GREAT Public Elemenatry Schools (can you recommend?) (Yorktown: real estate, houses)

[LauraP]

We moved from Yonkers (co-op apt) to Yorktown Heights 13 years ago because our 1st child was beginning 1st grade and we weren't comfortable with sending her to a Yonkers school. She had been in a wonderful Montessori program for 2 years. We couldn't afford the house prices in lower Westchester, yet we wanted good schools in a safe, young, family neighborhood, a decent sized piece of property where the kids could play, at an affordable price. Both of my children grew up here and I can NOT say a bad word about the schools, or the town. It has everything we were looking for, and the kids grew up WONDERFULLY! Yes, it is a bit further north, but well worth the few extra miles. We have a Montessori school here in town and decent shopping here in town, yet very convenient to other large shopping areas (White Plains, Danbury). So... keep Yorktown Heights in mind.. you'd be pleasantly surprised!

[mead]

Yeah this is a really late reply, but my guess would be that most couples drop each other off and pick each other up at the train station if one can't use the car. I know there is a bus around Garth Road, as I've seen the bus signs, but most normal people in Westchester don't take the Bee Line that often unless it is one of the express buses down into the city.

Originally Posted by alexamommie

does anyone know how early the buses run in Scarsdale to the train station? My husband has to be at work in NYC by 7am so he needs to have access to a bus that takes him to the train station early.

thanks!

[mead]

I don't doubt that Yorktown Heights is a nice town, however isn't that kind of far out there, a little bit exurb-ish? I'm not too familiar with Yorktown Heights in particular, but have been to the Somers/Purdys area a couple of times and whenever I've been there I've felt like I'm out in the middle of nowhere. Don't get me wrong, its a nice area, but it felt a little bit too slow for my tastes.

Even with good traffic, can you get to any of the malls/stores in White Plains in under 30 minutes from Yorktown Heights?

Originally Posted by LauraP

We moved from Yonkers (co-op apt) to Yorktown Heights 13 years ago because our 1st child was beginning 1st grade and we weren't comfortable with sending her to a Yonkers school. She had been in a wonderful Montessori program for 2 years. We couldn't afford the house prices in lower Westchester, yet we wanted good schools in a safe, young, family neighborhood, a decent sized piece of property where the kids could play, at an affordable price. Both of my children grew up here and I can NOT say a bad word about the schools, or the town. It has everything we were looking for, and the kids grew up WONDERFULLY! Yes, it is a bit further north, but well worth the few extra miles. We have a Montessori school here in town and decent shopping here in town, yet very convenient to other large shopping areas (White Plains, Danbury). So... keep Yorktown Heights in mind.. you'd be pleasantly surprised!

[dma1250]

One of the nice things about Yorktown Heights is it's central location. We are 10 minutes from Croton, Peekskill, Mt. Kisco (the shopping hub of Northern Westchester), and Katonah. White Plains is a 25 minute drive (the Taconic cuts through Yorktown Heights, so it's a very easy drive), the Bronx Zoo is 35 minutes. I get to the Upper West Side (on Weekends) in 45 minutes and to Brooklyn in 50 minutes.

As for being "exurb-ish," I live in an "rural" area in southern Yorktown, where most houses have at least 4 acres and some have over 40. We have three horse farms on the road and about 300 acres of state-owned woods behind the house. It is a stunningly beautiful area with great hiking and lakes. But we are close to 3 great museums, loads of restaurants, galleries, 2 art film houses, a performing arts center, and many small spots with poetry readings and live music.

When we decided to leave the city we looked in southern Westchester and Jersey. But I couldn't see the point of living somewhere that didn't give you anything that you couldn't get in Brooklyn. Our feeling was that if we were going to leave the city we wanted the benefits of doing so. So we bought a 1700's farmhouse with acres of apple trees and a barn. Southern Yorktown gives us the benefits of privacy and natural beauty and all of the "urban amenities" that we want. It is the best of both worlds.

[LauraP]

Hi Mead, I understand your thinking that Yorktown/Somers feels as if you're in the middle of nowhere. I kinda felt that way too the first time I drove there. I'm a born and raised NYC girl and grew up there for the first 25 years of my life. I went to high school and college in Manhattan. Then I moved to another large city (Yonkers). However, I will say that even with the city in my heart, I love Yorktown Heights, and feel VERY comfortable here. We are about a 50 minute drive into NYC, about 25 minutes to White Plains, about 30 minutes to Danbury, and about 20 minutes to terrific shopping in Mt. Kisco as well. Keep an open mind and re-visit the area. You might be very surprised! Thanks and enjoy the rest of your weekend!

[Westchestergal]

If my husband had to get to Manhattan by 7 am, I woul not want him taking the train from the northern part of the county. Time spent commuting affects quality of life. If I am trying to avoid feeling isolated, I would not want Somers nor most areas in Yorktown.

It sounds as if you are looking for a cosmopolitan area with a walkable downtown/village (even if it is just 1 street Sounds like Scarsdale, Bronxville or Chappaqua my be perfect fits.

[dma1250]

To clear up a misconception: The commute from Chappaqua is only 5 minutes shorter than that from southern Yorktown. The train ride to Chappaqua is 5 minutes longer than the train to Croton-Harmon, which is ten minutes from Yorktown Heights. And the majority of homes in Chappaqua are a 5 minute drive from the station, so it ends up being almost exactly the same total commute time to Grand Central. Check out the commuter map from the Times:

traingraphic.jpg (image)

Also, Yorktown Heights has a very walkable downtown. Not nearly as "quaint" as Chappaqua, but one can easily walk from all of the stores and restaurants to the coffee house, community center, and playgrounds. I was just in Chappaqua this afternoon (it's all of 10 minutes away and I often take my son to the library there, which is great). There is no food shopping there, whereas in YH one can easily stroll from Turcos, Food Emporium, or the A&P to anywhere else in town.

If you want a quaint town I would suggest Katonah, which is by far the nicest around.

As for isolation, that's all in the eyes of the beholder. What I cherish as my privacy someone else might feel as isolation. The reason I never feel isolated is the strong community organization, the play groups, and the sense of neighborliness. But everyone needs to find the place that is right for them.

Originally Posted by Westchestergal

If my husband had to get to Manhattan by 7 am, I woul not want him taking the train from the northern part of the county. Time spent commuting affects quality of life. If I am trying to avoid feeling isolated, I would not want Somers nor most areas in Yorktown.

It sounds as if you are looking for a cosmopolitan area with a walkable downtown/village (even if it is just 1 street Sounds like Scarsdale, Bronxville or Chappaqua my be perfect fits.

[newtoli]

Originally Posted by alexamommie

does anyone know how early the buses run in Scarsdale to the train station? My husband has to be at work in NYC by 7am so he needs to have access to a bus that takes him to the train station early.

thanks!

There is not really extensive local bus service in Westchester... they usually travel a main road route. Most people either drive and park at the station (usually a long waiting list for parking though), or get dropped off by a spouse or car pool.

[dma1250]

Originally Posted by newtoli

There is not really extensive local bus service in Westchester... they usually travel a main road route. Most people either drive and park at the station (usually a long waiting list for parking though), or get dropped off by a spouse or car pool.

Excellend points. Unless you can walk to the station or are close to a bus line, you should definitely look into the waiting list for resident parking (or non-resident if the town in question doesn't have a station) as well as the availability of Daily Parking. These things can varry tremendously from station to station. We didn't think about it when we bought at all, but we lucked out and only waited two months for a permit at Croton-Harmon and there was plenty of daily parking--but I've heard stories of people in other towns who have been waiting for over a year.

[mchlws]

I live in Yonkers. Both my kids go to a Montessouri school. And it is FREE. Because it is part of the yonkers public school. Now understand that if they didn't get into this school, I don't know what I would have done. The schools are not the greatest in yonkers. The only thing is that for the Montessouri school, you have to get them in for Pre-K. if not, then that's it. This school only accepts children starting Prek not later. Pearls school is another blue ribbon school in yonkers. Children must be tested first. Again FREE and they can get in at any time.