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.
I have been reading this forum avidly for quite some time now in search of information that might aid in our search for the right Westchester town in which to settle down. As my husband and I are planning to expand our family, family-oriented neighborhoods with a strong community-feel are important, but not neccessarily the "best school district," as we will likely send our children to Day School for the first few years when the time comes anyway. And, if there is any way to minimize our tax burden while we can, we would welcome that opportunity (though wouldn't everyone!
There are SO many towns in Westchester I love (Hastings, parts of Mamaroneck, even Pelham) -- but the fact that we would like to live in a community with a strong Jewish presence that has several temples from which to choose, seems to rule out some areas and favor others... Near as I can tell Scarsdale and the surrounding area seems to be most in line with the religious aspect, but does also have a certain reputation not to mention being very cost/tax prohibitive....
We are definitely not orthodox so that is not what we are looking for -- but rather a community in which people are involved to some degree and there is a sense of Jewish community. That is not to say I am looking for exclusivity, please don't get me wrong. I have read some rather judgemental posts on here before in response to others asking about Jewish areas -- and I hope that is not the feedback I will be getting here! I grew up in the NYC area and love people of all walks -- I am hardly used to, nor am I comfy with homogeny...That said, I am beginning to find the term "diversity" a little old too, because it does not always mean what people WANT it to mean, or what it maybe should mean. Does that make sense? For instance Westchester Mag ranked their top 40 towns (and I agree with many on this forum that the whole thing was just absurd) -- and they uniformly gave the highest overall rankings to towns that ranked highest on the diversity scales... just, because...! Anyway, I digress...
Other than Chappaqua (which I've read about) and Scarsdale, are there any other areas that would be worth exploring? We do prefer lower Westchester, but if there are areas further north that any of you believe are worth us visiting, we welcome all suggestions/input!
Have you thought about rockland county or Long Island? They both have large Jewish populations, plus lower taxes. Otherwise the Scarsdale area and chappaqua would be my advise for Westchester.
Have you thought about rockland county or Long Island? They both have large Jewish populations, plus lower taxes. Otherwise the Scarsdale area and chappaqua would be my advise for Westchester.
Thanks for your reply. I have thought about it, but am still very unfamiliar with the towns in each yet. I had family on LI as a child, but so rarely ventured there. The taxes are indeed a lot more attractive, my only concern was geographically speaking, they're a bit harder to commute into/out of the city from. But I definitely am open to exploring.
I know about Monsey, but it is more orthodox... I'll have to look into other towns in Rockland as well.
If a Jewish community and reasonable taxes are of utmost importance, maybe look east of the city as well as north. Great neck, Rosyln, Jericho, Syosset.
Chappaqua does not have a "strong Jewish precense".
I heard Scardsdale does. Judging by the number of temples... I'd say that Jewish presence gets more intense as you move toward NYC.
Yeah, Chappaqua, while it has a Jewish population is not known as a "Jewish town" at all. It has a large enough population that there will be other Jews, but not large enough to have an identifiable local presence.
Scarsdale and environs are probably the best bet, but certain parts of New Rochelle might also work. Armonk is also very Jewish (probably majority Jewish and possibly more Jewish than Scarsdale these days).
Rye and Larchmont, while traditional more WASP, have a decent-sized Jewish community these days (bigger than Chappaqua). Bronxville does not have a large Jewish community.
The Rivertowns have a Jewish presence, but it isn't large.
But pretty much everywhere you go in Westchester, excepting a few enclaves in far south Westchester and far northern Westchester, will have some Jews these days. Even random, traditionally more Catholic or WASP towns like Eastchester, Tuckahoe, or Harrison.
And I also recommend looking at Long Island. If you're working in Manhattan, the commute isn't much worse (might be better if you're on the Port Washington line). Taxes are a little lower, there's usually more shopping, and housing prices are a little lower.
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.
