Scaradale v. Armonk (White Plains, Scarsdale, Ardsley: transplants, real estate, lawyers)

[suburbornot]

We have lived in scarsdale for 8 years now. I’m very settled here but financially we need to explore other options.
It seems like we can down grade our real estate costs in Ardsley and Armonk.

How do thesE towns compare
To Scarsdale:
1. Schools: Class sizes, college attendance rates, caliber of teachers,
2. PTA: in scarsdale the pta is extremely active and adds a lot to the children’s education and school experience
3. People: same population or different? And how
4. Commute to grand central

Thanks for your help.

[NYCresident2014]

Originally Posted by suburbornot

We have lived in scarsdale for 8 years now. I’m very settled here but financially we need to explore other options.
It seems like we can down grade our real estate costs in Ardsley and Armonk.

How do thesE towns compare
To Scarsdale:
1. Schools: Class sizes, college attendance rates, caliber of teachers,
2. PTA: in scarsdale the pta is extremely active and adds a lot to the children’s education and school experience
3. People: same population or different? And how
4. Commute to grand central

Thanks for your help.

I live in the Armonk (Byram Hills) school district and work in Armonk, so I can speak to a couple of these things.

My kids are in the school system but they are young, so I can only say that the schools are extremely well regarded and that the PTA has been very involved, but since they are young I can't say whether it impacts their education yet.

Regarding the people, the population seems to be mostly NYC transplants and predominantly Jewish. Lots of lawyers and doctors too (I myself am a lawyer). That said, there is a healthy population of foreigners as well, which is good for us because my spouse is foreign. However, unlike some other communities, I wouldn't say there is a strong presence of any one heritage- it's a large mix of nationalities. Of course there are born and bred Westchesterites as well.

Commute to grand central is materially worse than Scarsdale. Most who do it here drive 15-20 minutes to North White Plains then take the ~40 minute express train. It's more than just 40 minutes + 15 minutes though, as you have to park, walk to the platform, then wait for the train. It's very different than simply walking or riding a bike to the train like you could in Scarsdale. Whenever I try the commute the best I can do is 60 minutes door to door, though it's usually more like 75 minutes on the way home unless you're lucky enough to line up a train that's leaving at the moment you leave and catch all green lights on the drive home.

I work nearby though so I don't frequently use the train; I'd imagine the professional commuters know the tricks to shave a couple minutes off each leg of the trip.

I'd say the biggest difference between Armonk and Scarsdale though is the style of living. Up here it starts to feel almost rural- big property lots, few city services, poor cellular coverage, but LOTS of privacy. Most houses have well, septic, and oil (vs. city water, sewer, and gas). Lots of wildlife- deer, coyotes, turkeys, and birds galore. Houses are spaced very far apart, usually with trees in between, and nearly zero sidewalks anywhere in town aside from main street. If you like walking places, Armonk wouldn't be a great fit as walking around the skinny, winding roads is very scary in the daytime, and potentially deadly at night.

Overall, just a very different style than Scarsdale. You'll spend much more time in your car, whether to commute or go to the store. But you'll get more nature and privacy. I've heard that the schools are roughly the same caliber, so it's just a question of what you're looking for.

[Dabaomb]

My coworker grew up in Armonk and he loved it. Great schools but like the above poster said, you will likely have to drive to North White Plains.

Ardsley has good schools too but very high taxes.