Harrison ny vs. Valhalla or Westlake schools (Yonkers, White Plains: renting, houses)

[Njtonyfam]

My husband and I have relocated from Montville NJ to the Westchester county area and are currently renting in White Plains. We have two kids under 3 and one on the way. Currently our budget is anywhere from 775k to 825k. We have friends/family who have children in the Harrison area and they love it, however the homes are more expensive. We are not scared of renovations and we're wondering if it's worth the more expensive and outdated homes in Harrison over Valhalla with Valhalla or Westlake schools. Valhalla seemed more "down to earth" and seems I can get more house sqft. I looked in the Westlake schools but seemed too rural and didn't really have a town. I also drove to some of the schools in Valhalla but they didn't quite convince me. Is there really a difference between these three school districts? Also husband works near grand central. I work in Yonkers.

[jaymtea]

I live in Westlake school district and love it, but we wanted that country feel. Valhalla is also still kinda country.
I have friends in Harrison that love it, the schools are also well regarded and it's definitely more of a city feel - more walkable, more sidewalks - I can't walk where I am in Mount Pleasant.
Depends on what you want but in my opinion you can't go wrong with any of the three school districts

[westchesterbuyer123]

I grew up in Valhalla in the Westlake school district and it was wonderful but not much going on. I'm looking at houses now in Purchase and starting to think maybe Valhalla had more than I thought. Purchase seems to have nothing but is surrounded by other notable towns and has Harrison schools which is technically rated higher. Harrison has a much larger school district than Westlake so I wonder about that. I graduated with 120 kids in my grade so to me Harrison is huge. Would love to hear other thoughts about these towns. I know they are very similar in ways.

[Westchester RE]

at risk of losing my license I cannot say my own personal opinion of the schools, however I normally tell my clients to check out websites like greatschools.org, here at city-data or reddit for personal opinions. Most schools are also happy to set up an appointment to speak with prospective buyers in the school district.

[P434FK]

There's not much difference between Valhalla and Westlake in terms of "country" feel... they aren't country at all. It's suburbia. Mount Pleasant isn't particularly walkable like Tarrytown or Harrison, but the town of Valhalla has a nice little 2-3 block stretch of restaurants and such across from the train station, and it's right near the Kensico Dam which is great to walk or ride bikes, there's 2 playgrounds there (one for older kids and one for younger kids), and they have lots of cultural festivals over the summer, and some outdoor movie nights.
Also worth noting for the schools - there is a pocket of Valhalla that falls within the Westlake school district, so be aware of where you're buying. As a parent in the Westlake District with friends in Valhalla district, I would agree with your assessment that Valhalla is more down to earth. In terms of diversity, while both Valhalla and Westlake are primarily white, Valhalla has a higher % of non-white families than Westlake. Both districts are primarily Catholic/Lutheran/Methodist, with very few Jewish or Muslim families.