Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
With all due respect OP, you're making judgements about whole towns/villages based on driving along the Post Road??? Next time you're in the area, turn down Larchmont Ave and drive around the Manor, turn down Orienta Ave and drive around, find your way over to Forest Ave/Milton Point in Rye, drive around Sterling Ridge in Harrison (which I think is beautiful), drive through the proper "downtown" areas on Palmer, Mamaroneck Ave, Purchase Street, just to name a few around here that I know fairly well. This area still might not be for you (it IS old) but to make judgements based on passing through on the Post Road or while lost looking for the highway is ridiculous.
Quite so. And then there's Bronxville. Easy commute, but an "old" downtown. But I've never heard anybody refer to the downtown as anything remotely close to dirty, shabby or run down. OTOH, if downtown Rye doesn't cut it (if it really was downtown Rye that you saw) then B'ville probably won't either.
In terms of downtowns, OP might find Huntington in LI much more enjoyable. It has a Paramount theater that features live concerts, a large independent bookstore (the size of a mid-sized B&N) w/ a cafe where people can loiter in an airconditioned space, more than 4-dozen Zagat-rated restaurants and a large organic supermarket.
But this development also comes with a trade off. On weekends, Huntington becomes a parking lot. Roads leading into town are congested. All street and public parking lots get filled up.
Take a trip there on a Saturday and see if it is to your liking. But as I posted earlier, with Ridge Hill now open, Westchester residents have much-improved retail, dining and promenading options.
Last edited by Forest_Hills_Daddy; 07-24-2013 at 10:02 AM..
I hadn't bothered reading this thread before but just did, and all I can say is yikes!
A few observations:
The OP would probably be happy in Trump City, Battery Park City, or Dallas--you know, somewhere totally fake and soulless.
That Ridgehill place looks horrifying! I didn't think anyone was building crap like that anymore. What a throwback to the 70s when they were abandoning downtowns to build malls!
"Isolation" is a mind set--I felt more isolated in Park Slope than I do on 4 acres with no neighbors in sight.
If you aren't within walking distance to the town's Main Street, then the quality of the Main Street doesn't matter at all--you'll drive to the ones you like.
I hadn't bothered reading this thread before but just did, and all I can say is yikes!
A few observations:
The OP would probably be happy in Trump City, Battery Park City, or Dallas--you know, somewhere totally fake and soulless.
That Ridgehill place looks horrifying! I didn't think anyone was building crap like that anymore. What a throwback to the 70s when they were abandoning downtowns to build malls!
"Isolation" is a mind set--I felt more isolated in Park Slope than I do on 4 acres with no neighbors in sight.
If you aren't within walking distance to the town's Main Street, then the quality of the Main Street doesn't matter at all--you'll drive to the ones you like.
Ridge Hill appeals to the Bronx and Yonkers folk who populate Central Avenue....
That Ridgehill place looks horrifying! I didn't think anyone was building crap like that anymore. What a throwback to the 70s when they were abandoning downtowns to build malls!
The retail and dining there (and the proximity to one another) is better than what most nearby establishments have to offer. And it does provide a useful amenity - large airconditioned indoor spaces where people can loiter for hours. It does not hurt the towns either since it was developed in a separate location.
The retail and dining there (and the proximity to one another) is better than what most nearby establishments have to offer. And it does provide a useful amenity - large airconditioned indoor spaces where people can loiter for hours. It does not hurt the towns either since it was developed in a separate location.
Basically a shiny, new mall in an area with few malls. Apart from Lefteris (how'd they sneak in?) the dining is all indistinct national chains. Brio is an upmarket version of Olive Garden. Ridge Hill could be anywhere. But considering that the surrounding area is Yonkers/Central Ave, the bar is set pretty low. Depends what you're looking for I guess. It sure beats Getty Square and Central Ave. I go to great lengths to avoid those areas and malls in general.
Yes, as we've discussed in these forums previously, retail and dining in Westchester is generally substandard in terms of convenience and quality. I don't mind having these chains as long as they are concentrated in one location - meaning people can go there only when they want/have to but at least there is a solid choice other than to hop from one town to another.
Also it augurs well for families with much less time on their hands, and there are many in Westchester who work 6/7 days a week just to afford the escalating cost of living. I like the fact that there is one single place to do groceries, buy kids' clothes in GAP, grab a decent meal and shop for other items like sporting goods all in one afternoon without having to pull out the car from the parking lot.
People with a LOT more time in their hands to drive from one point to another will find less value in these places.
Quote:
Originally Posted by john70
Ridge Hill appeals to the Bronx and Yonkers folk who populate Central Avenue....
If this were true then it would not have Whole Foods as its sole supermarket and Lord and Taylor as its anchor department store, nor would it have shops like Brooks Brothers. They did their market research and know they can attract an upscale crowd that can afford more expensive items.
Quote:
Originally Posted by dma1250
What a throwback to the 70s when they were abandoning downtowns to build malls!
I don't think the analogy with the 70s/80s malls is accurate. The economics between these kids of developments are very different and they are a big reason why the old malls eventually deteriorated.
Last edited by Forest_Hills_Daddy; 07-25-2013 at 07:58 AM..
Yes, as we've discussed in these forums previously, retail and dining in Westchester is generally substandard in terms of convenience and quality. I don't mind having these chains as long as they are concentrated in one location - meaning people can go there only when they want/have to but at least there is a solid choice other than to hop from one town to another.
Also it augurs well for families with much less time on their hands, and there are many in Westchester who work 6/7 days a week just to afford the escalating cost of living. I like the fact that there is one single place to do groceries, buy kids' clothes in GAP, grab a decent meal and shop for other items like sporting goods all in one afternoon without having to pull out the car from the parking lot.
People with a LOT more time in their hands to drive from one point to another will find less value in these places.
If this were true then it would not have Whole Foods as its sole supermarket and Lord and Taylor as its anchor department store, nor would it have shops like Brooks Brothers. They did their market research and know they can attract an upscale crowd that can afford more expensive items.
I don't think the analogy with the 70s/80s malls is accurate. The economics between these kids of developments are very different and they are a big reason why the old malls eventually deteriorated.
I've never been to this development (never heard of it before your post touting it), but from the look of it (via internet) it appears to be all new construction with a lot of retail and commercial spaces in one location. Regardless of the economics, it seems very similar to The Westchester in White Plains and every other "old mall" around. And it stands in stark contrast to the development model that is far more prevalent in this millennium which is to invest in restoring and revitalizing existing structures and infrastructure in already developed areas.
As for "one single place to do groceries, buy kids' clothes in GAP, grab a decent meal and shop for other items like sporting goods all in one afternoon without having to pull out the car from the parking lot" that's what we do in Mt Kisco.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
