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hello, I am looking at a job at Columbia medical school. I have 3 kids ages 8,6,2. I'm looking for a friendly neighborhood in westchester with a good community and above all great public schools. It would be an added bonus if my commute to work wouldn't be insane. Or is it better to live across the river in NJ? Thank you very much for your help
Without knowing your housing budget, its hard to respond. If money is no object, I would look at Rye, also Bronxville. Another option would be Pelham (a little cheaper). Also of importance is how, and when, you would be going to work. Car/parking, or train. But many people can not afford the towns that I have mentioned. Basically, if you can afford an expensive house, you would want to be in Westchester below 287. From there, it would be simply a case of narrowing your choices by eliminating overly urban areas, as well as areas that you think are less of a fit for your family. And as with all suburban NY house shopping, you choose your School District (or Districts) first, and than work from there. Postal addresses mean nothing in most instances. As for NJ, there are a lot of options there, but its a little beyond the scope of this forum - but by car you will be dealing with the GWB, and if by train, the options to the school are poor from NJ.
Basically, if you have no ties to, or biases for, certain regions in the NYC area, and if you can afford an expensive house, lower westchester is absolutely the way to go.
The movie is to live in one of the river towns-- Hastings, Dobbs, Irvington. Short drive to Columbia. NJ is a lesser option as you would rather not deal with the bridge.
Without knowing your housing budget, its hard to respond. If money is no object, I would look at Rye, also Bronxville. Another option would be Pelham (a little cheaper). Also of importance is how, and when, you would be going to work. Car/parking, or train. But many people can not afford the towns that I have mentioned. Basically, if you can afford an expensive house, you would want to be in Westchester below 287. From there, it would be simply a case of narrowing your choices by eliminating overly urban areas, as well as areas that you think are less of a fit for your family. And as with all suburban NY house shopping, you choose your School District (or Districts) first, and than work from there. Postal addresses mean nothing in most instances. As for NJ, there are a lot of options there, but its a little beyond the scope of this forum - but by car you will be dealing with the GWB, and if by train, the options to the school are poor from NJ.
Basically, if you have no ties to, or biases for, certain regions in the NYC area, and if you can afford an expensive house, lower westchester is absolutely the way to go.
Which towns specifically in lower Westchester? Budget is 1-1.5 million maybe a bit higher. Just looking for great great public schools and a friendly and tight community with familes. Thank you again
Which towns specifically in lower Westchester? Budget is 1-1.5 million maybe a bit higher. Just looking for great great public schools and a friendly and tight community with familes. Thank you again
Chappaqua is not in lower westchester and would be more of a commute. Given the budget and what the poster indicated regarding a commute, I would look at Rye, Bronxville and maybe Pelham, Mamaroneck, and Scarsdale. Keep in mind that I am referring to school districts, not post office addresses. If I were the original poster, I would not look as far north as Chappaqua unless he or she preferred a more spread out suburban lifestyle as opposed to the older/denser look and feel of the inner suburban ring found below 287. For my personal tastes, if I were moving to this area and working in Manhattan, and could afford a good house in Rye or Bronxville, i would go there, and not up to Chappaqua, but that's just me. Keep in mind that even with this nice budget, it would only get him or her a house more or less in the center of the bell curve for the nice lower westchester town, which for me, would be desirable. I would never want to be the richest or poorest in town.
Which towns specifically in lower Westchester? Budget is 1-1.5 million maybe a bit higher. Just looking for great great public schools and a friendly and tight community with familes. Thank you again
Irvington. Small downtown (Main street). No big box stores or supermarkets, yet convenient to all. Nice public parks. Very little if any poverty or crime. It has two train stations (Irvington and Ardsley) and is an easy commute to NYC. It was always a tight knit, quiet community when my wife and I grew up there. Everybody knew everybody and their families. Of course it has changed as many of the old estate's became developed with upper income housing. It was more middle class/blue collar when we where there. However it has retained it's character and small town feel making it an attractive place to live. Because of that single family homes are more expensive. Irvington is much nicer than it's neighboring towns. The only real traffic is on Broadway which is only passing through. There are no major intersections such as in Dobbs Ferry (Ashford Ave.) or Tarrytown (287 and TZB). Hasting's is not as nice and borders Yonkers which is not so nice.
As for me I'd never want to live in New Jersey. But then again I'm now in Arizona in a town that is about as close to what Irvington was when I was growing up.
Last edited by Ex New Yorker; 12-10-2015 at 09:27 AM..
Irvington is nice but it'll always border Tarrytown. And its a very small village.
That's what makes it nice! You do not have all the traffic and congestion as do the other river towns. Irvington is far enough away from Main Street in Tarrytown which is not that nice. Same for Tarrytown Schools. The southern part of Tarrytown bordering Irvington is not bad at all. Mostly mid to upper middle class. Which is known as East Irvington and Pennybridge. That is south of 287 which is still in the Irvington School District. Of course part of Greenburgh is also in what is called East Irvington. If I had to live in New York and had a 1 to 1.5 million housing budget I don't think you'd get much better than Irvington particularly if one is looking for an easy commute to NYC. Especially if you are looking into the river towns. No doubt about it Irvington is indeed the nicest river town south of 287 and the Tappan Zee Bridge. It certainly would be considered lower Westchester and what the original poster is looking for.
Last edited by Ex New Yorker; 12-10-2015 at 10:41 AM..
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