Chappaqua vs Greenwich - thoughts? (Mount Pleasant, Mamaroneck: low income, homes, high school)

[rubygreta]

Originally Posted by Londonlawyer

Greenwich is the richest town in the NY metro. Chappaqua is nice, but it's no Greenwich. It's like comparing a BMW 5 series to a special edition Ferrari.

Bronxville, Scarsdale, Chappaqua, etc. don't have $25m houses. Greenwich does.

Greenwich also has low-income housing projects, a rundown elementary school that has been abandoned, and some incredibly modest neighborhoods that were built for immigrants 100 years ago. Bronxville, Chappqua and Bronxville do not.

By the way, nothing at all wrong with the diversity in Greenwich. I think it's a positive. But don't make the readers think that it's a uniformly wealthy town.

[Londonlawyer]

Originally Posted by rubygreta

Greenwich also has low-income housing projects, a rundown elementary school that has been abandoned, and some incredibly modest neighborhoods that were built for immigrants 100 years ago. Bronxville, Chappqua and Bronxville do not.

By the way, nothing at all wrong with the diversity in Greenwich. I think it's a positive. But don't make the readers think that it's a uniformly wealthy town.

Byram has rundown areas; Greenwich does not. Granted, kids from Byram go to Greenwich H.S., but I truly doubt that people living in $10m+ houses on Round Hill Road send their kids to public school.

Bronxville actually has some shabby streets along the Metro-North tracks. Not to mention, unlike Greenwich, which is geographically huge, Bronxville is tiny and is wedged between two of the poorest cities in Westchester.

Greenwich is so vastly out of the league that B'ville and Chappaqua are in.

[Jeff V]

I could not agree more. Also, that 2 million dollar house in Bronxville will give you the pleasure of 30-40k in taxes while in Greenwich you will pay in the 12-15k range. Also, does Bronxville have a golf course, several marinas, and a beach? No.

Also, I do remember that Bronxville also has some projects in Tuckahoe; a stone throw away from Bronxville. Also, along the border of Yonkers you will also find some nice projects.

I do not know the modest areas you are talking about in Greenwich even the homes in Byram and pricey.

I forgot to say that Bronxville does have a nice starbucks.

[rubygreta]

Originally Posted by Londonlawyer

Byram has rundown areas; Greenwich does not. Granted, kids from Byram go to Greenwich H.S., but I truly doubt that people living in $10m+ houses on Round Hill Road send their kids to public school.

Bronxville actually has some shabby streets along the Metro-North tracks. Not to mention, unlike Greenwich, which is geographically huge, Bronxville is tiny and is wedged between two of the poorest cities in Westchester.

Greenwich is so vastly out of the league that B'ville and Chappaqua are in.

Hey Londonlawyer, Byram is a neighborhood in Greenwich! There is no Byram government. Don't worry, I won't think any less of you that there are poor people in your community.

"Wedged between two of the poorest cities in Westchester?" You make it sound as if you cross the border and you are in the slums. The two cities that you are referring to, Yonkers and Mount Vernon, have million-dollar neighborhoods. And those neighborhoods happen to border Bronxville.

Bronxville has the highest median price for single-family house in Westchester. And that highest median includes a pretty good supply of townhouses. Must be an awful place.

If Greenwich is filled with arrogant stuck-up snobs like certain people on this thread, I certainly would not want to live there.

[rubygreta]

Originally Posted by Jeff V

I could not agree more. Also, that 2 million dollar house in Bronxville will give you the pleasure of 30-40k in taxes while in Greenwich you will pay in the 12-15k range. Also, does Bronxville have a golf course, several marinas, and a beach? No.

Also, I do remember that Bronxville also has some projects in Tuckahoe; a stone throw away from Bronxville. Also, along the border of Yonkers you will also find some nice projects.

I do not know the modest areas you are talking about in Greenwich even the homes in Byram and pricey.

I forgot to say that Bronxville does have a nice starbucks.

Man, there are some awfully sensitive people living in Greenwich.

[Elvi03]

Originally Posted by PullingHairs

Not going to be much in Armonk at that price point. Also, Armonk is not metro north friendly as the closest stop is North White Plains or Chappaqua.

No, but there is a section right off of Bear Ridge, "Heritage Court", you'll get a Pleasantville post office address, but either Armonk or Chappaqua schools depending on the location. Most homes are on an acre lot and the community is gorgeous and very family friendly. You are also very close to the Pleasantville and Hawthorne train stations. Great central location and Mount Pleasant Pools.

[willylibby]

Hi..I grew up in Greenwich and now live in Westchester and work in Chappaqua. I definately prefer Chappaqua to Greenwich. It's more down to earth and laid back with excellant schools. You can watch the one on Chappaqua. I also did a history book on the area. If you have any other questions, you can reach me at jcslagoon@aol.com jean

[ebeleye]

So, HMEZ, 18 months have passed, what'd you decide?

Clearly you have already found your answers, but in case others are searching this thread, I thought I would try to answer your original question (which nobody answered!).

Originally from the North Shore of Long Island, I moved to Chappaqua in 2000. While it does lack the recreation opportunities of the Long Island Sound (I do miss the beach), it has a wonderful community feel, with lots and lots of kid-centered activity. While there are no public pools, there are 4 community pools...not selective clubs per se, enrollment is open...you simply pay a small bond and annual fee. These clubs all have tennis, paddle, and large pools with competitive swim/diving teams.

The Town operates several great parks, an active Arts Center (for arts/crafts instruction), an extensive child+adult recreation program, and many additional programs. The library is active and well-funded. The town is just small enough that you are likely to run into many of the same community-minded people wherever you go. Much about Chappaqua is kid-centric. There is an annual strawberry festival each summer, and a "ragamuffin parade" through town each Halloween. People love the schools, they are very special.

There's lots of natural beauty here, and many down-to-Earth people who are actively involved in the community. There are snobs and self-involved jackasses too, but hey, it is not Eden.

Chappaqua and Greenwich are such very different places, I am surprised they are your final two choices. Greenwich is a 'real town' with restaurants, sidewalks, and a Saks Fifth Avenue. Chappaqua is just an outpost. It has a few stores and some good restaurants, but people don't move here for nightlife or shopping. They move here to get away from it all (at least on weekends).

Socially, I think Greenwich is closer to the North Shore of Long Island, preppy, club-centric, somewhat conservative. Chappaqua has a more liberal ethos...part Vermont, part Upper West Side.

Chappaqua consistently rates among the Top Ten zip codes nationally for median income (check Forbes and CNN/Money), outpacing Greenwich by a significant margin. I believe that Chappaqua has less income diversity than Greenwich, hence the higher median. Hey, if you can't afford the ridiculous taxes, you have to get out of town! But to be clear, there's much more significant wealth in Greenwich than in Chappaqua. Take a drive through Round Hill and by the time you get to Chappaqua, you'll feel like you're in Honky Tonk. Personally, I'd feel pretty poor in Greenwich.

In the end, it all depends on what you're after!

[mortgage king]

lol 1.25 won't get you much in gw so I would say Chappaqua

[mortgage king]

Originally Posted by Londonlawyer

Byram has rundown areas; Greenwich does not. Granted, kids from Byram go to Greenwich H.S., but I truly doubt that people living in $10m+ houses on Round Hill Road send their kids to public school.

Bronxville actually has some shabby streets along the Metro-North tracks. Not to mention, unlike Greenwich, which is geographically huge, Bronxville is tiny and is wedged between two of the poorest cities in Westchester.

Greenwich is so vastly out of the league that B'ville and Chappaqua are in.

bruce park isn't that great either